Ki Tavo is known for the blessings and the curses.  The blessings IF you hear the voice of Adonai and obey His commandments and the curses IF you turn away from His Word.  The blessings were to be read on Mount Gerizim and the curses on Mount Ebal.
      Ki Tavo also contains wisdom that would lead the people towards the blessings and keep them from the curses – it is the emotion of joy. Joy plays a key role in two parts of Ki Tavo. The first one in Deuteronomy 26:10-11 when Moshe reminisces about the land, bringing of first-fruits to the Temple in Jerusalem.  ‘So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders. 9 He has brought us to this place and has given us this land, “a land flowing with milk and honey”; 10 and now, behold, I have brought the first fruits of the land which you, O Lord, have given me. Then you shall set it before the Lord your God, and worship before the Lord your God. So you shall rejoice in every good thing which the Lord your God has given to you and your house, you and the Levite and the stranger who is among you.’  
       The second one is rather bleak, something the people did not do. This is at the end in Deuteronomy 28:45-47 ‘Moreover all these curses shall come upon you and pursue and overtake you, until you are destroyed, because you did not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to keep His commandments and His statutes which He commanded you. 46 And they shall be upon you for a sign and a wonder, and on your descendants forever. 47 “Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything…’
     What is it to serve the Lord with joy?  Joy is a different from happiness. Happiness will come and go, often quickly. But joy is a part of life that can only be sustained with and through Adonai.  It is deep, it is solid; where happiness is more like a liquid, flowing in and out, sometimes even becoming dry.
     Taking place on Yom Teruah, Ezra stood on a platform and read the Torah. The people also stood and Ezra blessed the Lord.  Worshipping the Lord, they said, ‘Amen and Amen’, raised their hands and bowed to Adonai. Nehemiah 8:2-3: ‘So Ezra the priest brought the Law before the assembly of men and women and all who could hear with understanding on the first day of the seventh month. 3 Then he read from it in the open square that was in front of the Water Gate rom morning until midday, before the men and women and those who could understand; and the ears of all the people were attentive to the Book of the Law.’
     Nehemiah 8:9-10 continues ‘And Nehemiah, who was the governor, Ezra the priest and scribe, and the Levites who taught the people said to all the people, “This day is holy to the Lord your God; do not mourn nor weep.” For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the Law. 10 Then he said to them, “Go your way, eat the fat, drink the sweet, and send portions to those for whom nothing is prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.”
     Nehemiah references ‘hearing and to those who could understand- they heard the words of the law and wept.’    Psalm 16:11 ‘You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.’
     Psalm 4:7 ‘You have put gladness in my heart, more than in the season that their grain and wine increased.
     Proverbs 10:28 ‘The hope of the righteous brings joy, but the expectation of the wicked will perish.’
     Galatians 5:22-23 ‘But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.’
     Psalm 71:23 ‘My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing to You, and my soul, which You have redeemed.’
     1 Chronicles 16:17 ‘Honor and majesty are before Him; Strength and gladness are in His place.’
     Bitterness, anger, rage, despair, fear; all these and more can keep us from the joy of Adonai.  We become engulfed in our own moment of time instead of listening to the wisdom of Adonai.
     Hebrews 12:14-15 ‘Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled.’
     Ephesians 4:30-32 ‘And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.  Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.  And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.’
     Sarcasm is also a trait that can keep us from the true joy in the Lord. His word is true, never cynical, never confusing.  Words of sarcasm are often confusing and the opposite of what is being said.
     Proverbs 26:7-9 ‘Like the legs of the lame that hang limp Is a proverb in the mouth of fools.
Like one who binds a stone in a sling is he who gives honor to a fool. 9 Like a thorn that goes into the hand of a drunkard is a proverb in the mouth of fools.’
      Ephesians 4:29 ‘Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.’
     Ephesians 5:4 ‘Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.’
     Matthew 5:37 ‘Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.’
     Proverbs 18:21 ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.’
     Deuteronomy 26:18-19, God describes His people as a treasure. ‘Also today the Lord has proclaimed you to be His special people, just as He promised you, that you should keep all His commandments, 19 and that He will set you high above all nations which He has made, in praise, in name, and in honor, and that you may be a holy people to the Lord your God, just as He has spoken.’
     The Hebrew words are ‘treasured possession, a treasured people’.      The concept of God’s people being His am segulah is first introduced in  Exodus 19:5-6: ‘And now, if you obey Me and keep My covenant, you shall be to Me a treasure out of all peoples (segulah mikol ha’amim), for the earth is Mine.  And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.’
     Deuteronomy 7:6 ‘For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.’
     Deuteronomy 14:2 ‘For you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.’
     In these instances, segulah means a treasure.   The word Segula is also translated as a remedy, protection, something that protects a person from harm or a benevolent charm. This description follows God stating IF you obey, IF you listen and do the words of the Torah. How can we be His special treasure, His special people, if we turn away from His decrees? How can we be His beloved possession if we live outside of His covenant?  To disobey God would cause us to live outside of His covenants.
     Isaiah 3:8 speaks of the time when Jerusalem and Judah disobeyed. ‘For Jerusalem has stumbled and Judah has fallen, because their speech and their actions are against the Lord, to rebel against His glorious presence.’
     Jeremiah 18:9-10 ‘And the instant I speak concerning a nation and concerning a kingdom, to build and to plant it, if it does evil in My sight by not obeying My voice, then I will think better of the good with which I had promised to bless it.’
     Deuteronomy 11:28 ‘…and the curse, if you do not listen to the commandments of the Lord your God, but turn aside from the way which I am commanding you today, by following other gods which you have not known.’ 
     Ephesians 5:6 ‘Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.’
     The prophet Samuel warns against disobedience in 1Samuel 12:15 ‘If you will not listen to the voice of the Lord, but rebel against the command of the Lord, then the hand of the Lord will be against you, as it was against your fathers.’
      Deuteronomy 27 continues with the reiteration of the importance of the Ten Words, and the devotion that God has for His people, if they obey. ‘…which the Lord your God is giving you, ‘a land flowing with milk and honey,’ just as the Lord God of your fathers promised you. Deuteronomy 27:3.
     Deuteronomy 27:11-13 begins  blessings and the curses; ‘And Moses commanded the people on the same day, saying, 12 “These shall stand on Mount Gerizim to bless the people, when you have crossed over the Jordan: Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Joseph, and Benjamin; 13 and these shall stand on Mount Ebal to curse: Reuben, Gad, Asher, Zebulun, Dan, and Naphtali.’  The rest of chapter 27 lays out the curses for disobedience.
     Chapter 28 begins with a powerful word: IF. Deuteronomy 28:1-2: ‘Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. 2 And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God.’  
    Deuteronomy 13:18 ‘ … if you will listen to the voice of the Lord your God, keeping all His commandments which I am commanding you today, and doing what is right in the sight of the Lord your God.
    Deuteronomy 15:5 ‘…if only you listen obediently to the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all this commandment which I am commanding you today.’
     1 Corinthians 16:22 ‘If anyone does not love the Lord Yeshua, let him be accursed. O Lord, come!’
     John 15:10 ‘If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.’
     Ki Tavo ends with ‘Carefully follow the terms of this covenant, so that you may prosper in everything you do.’ Deuteronomy 29:9. 
      1 Samuel 12:24 ‘Only fear the Lord and serve Him in truth with all your heart; for consider what great things He has done for you.’
    1 Thessalonians 2:12 ‘so that you would walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into His own kingdom and glory.’
     Our devotion to Adonai is shown by our reciprocation. Going back to Deuteronomy 26:1-2 the word land equals inheritance and the Hebrew word for First Fruits is ray sheeth. This means beginning, first, chief, best, choice part. Putting these together; we have land, inheritance and first fruits which brings honor. Ki Tao, To Enter In - so as we enter into His Name, His Word, His land, we understand that everything in and above the heavens and the earth was made by Him and brings glory to Him.   
     Bringing the seven species that the land is noted for, is a sign of devotion back to God in the fruit of His promise. A strong reminder that what God promises He keeps, is a great way to enter in, KiTavo to the reality of the blessings and curses that He sets in motion and that He set in motion.
    It is taught that every soul possesses all seven of these traits. But for each person, one of these traits is most dominant, shaping the person's unique path. Maybe the Seven Species no longer dominate the diet of modern Israelis - but the biblical seven species still characterize the local landscape, creating beautiful scenery in the land.
Wheat: Chesed—Kindness
Barley: Gevurah—Severity 
Grapes: Simchat—Joy
Figs: Netzach—Perseverance 
Pomegranates: Hod—Humility 
Olives: Yesod—Foundation 
Dates: Malchut—Royalty   
    Ki Tavo ends with a promise: ‘Carefully follow the terms of this covenant, so that you may prosper in everything you do. Deuteronomy 29:9.
 

תָבוֹא
Ki Tavo / When You Enter In
Deuteronomy 26:1-29:9
Isaiah 60:1-22 Acts 7:30-36

            Ki Tavo holds the key to the blessings and curses.  Blessings if you hear the voice of Adonai, and obey His commandments and the curses if you turn away from His Word.  The blessings were to be read on Mount Gerizim and the curses on Mount Ebal. 
     There is also something else that is very important in Ki Tavo; a piece of wisdom that would lead the people towards the blessings and keep them from the curses. Speaking about the land, Moshe reminds the Israelites in Deuteronomy 26:8-10; ‘So the Lord brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm, with great terror and with signs and wonders.  He has brought us to this place and has given us this land, “a land flowing with milk and honey”; and now, behold, I have brought the first fruits of the land which you, O Lord, have given me. Then you shall set it before the Lord your God, and worship before the Lord your God.’
     Twice in this week’s parashah, we are commanded to be joyful: we are instructed to be joyful in our bringing of the first fruits along with the Levite and the stranger in Deuteronomy 26:11 and we are to also be joyful after offering —and eating—sacrifices of well-being in Deuteronomy 27:7. These instances of joy are tied to specific actions.
     And then there is a third time that joy appears in the midst of the tokhehah, (תּוֹכֵחָה), ‘reproof’ generally known as the verses of rebuke and warning, the long list of verses for those who do not obey.  
     Deuteronomy 28:47-48 ‘Because you did not serve the Lord your God with joy and gladness of heart, for the abundance of everything, therefore you shall serve your enemies, whom the Lord will send against you, in hunger, in thirst, in nakedness, and in need of everything; and He will put a yoke of iron on your neck until He has destroyed you.’
     In this passage, joy is not tied to a specific action or a specific time, but rather we are warned that if we fail to have joy when serving God, calamity will befall us. This antidote is hidden in the middle of one of the most difficult passages in the Torah, the curses that will befall us.  God’s Joy is our strength as Nehemiah 8:10 states, which brings us into His Blessings.
     After the solemn chapter of Deuteronomy 27, comes the promise from the God we serve in Deuteronomy 28:1-14.  The promises of blessings are followed with the curses of disobedience in the final verses of Deuteronomy 28.
    In Deuteronomy 28:9, God states: ‘The Lord will establish you as a holy people to Himself, just as He has sworn to you, if you keep the commandments of the Lord your God and walk in His ways. Then all peoples of the earth shall see that you are called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of you. This was also stated in Deuteronomy 26:18-19; ‘Also today the Lord has proclaimed you to be His special people, just as He promised you, that you should keep all His commandments, 19 and that He will set you high above all nations which He has made, in praise, in name, and in honor, and that you may be a holy people to the Lord your God, just as He has spoken.’
     The Hebrew words are ‘treasured possession, a treasured people’.  The concept of God’s people being His am segulah is first introduced in  Exodus 19:5-6: ‘And now, if you obey Me and keep My covenant, you shall be to Me a treasure out of all peoples (segulah mikol ha’amim), for the earth is Mine.  And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words which you shall speak to the children of Israel.’
     Deuteronomy 7:6 ‘For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples on the face of the earth.’     
     Deuteronomy 14:2 ‘For you are a holy people to the Lord your God, and the Lord has chosen you to be a people for Himself, a special treasure above all the peoples who are on the face of the earth.’   
      In these instances, segulah means a treasure and is also translated as  remedy, protection, something that protects a person from harm or a benevolent charm.
    Our joy comes from Adonai, as special strength from within. This joy, tied with the obedience because we love Him makes us His special treasure.  
     Psalm 5:11 ‘But let all those rejoice who put their trust in You; Let them ever shout for joy, because You defend them; Let those also who love Your name Be joyful in You.’
     Psalm 16:11 ‘You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore.’
     Psalm 21:1 ‘The king shall have joy in Your strength, O Lord; And in Your salvation how greatly shall he rejoice!’
     Psalm 27:6 ‘And now my head shall be lifted up above my enemies all around me; Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle; I will sing, yes, I will sing praises to the Lord.’
     Psalm 30:5 ‘For His anger is but for a moment, His favor is for life; Weeping may endure for a night, But joy comes in the morning.’
     Psalm 32:1 ‘Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered.
     Psalm 32:11 ‘Be glad in the Lord and rejoice, you righteous; and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!’
     Ezra 6:16 ‘Then the children of Israel, the priests and the Levites and the rest of the descendants of the captivity, celebrated the dedication of this house of God with joy.’
     Ezra 6:22 ‘And they kept the Feast of Unleavened Bread seven days with joy; for the Lord made them joyful, and turned the heart of the king of Assyria toward them, to strengthen their hands in the work of the house of God, the God of Israel.’
     James 1:2 ‘My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials…’
    Hebrews 13:17 ‘Obey those who rule over you, and be submissive, for they watch out for your souls, as those who must give account. Let them do so with joy and not with grief, for that would be unprofitable for you.’
     Jude 1:24 ‘Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, And to present you faultless Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy…’
     In certain translations, the words “joy,” “rejoice,” or “joyful” appear over 430 times, compared with “happy” or “happiness,” which are listed about ten times. Joy is lasting, birthed from Adonai and His Word, satisfying the heart in a Divine and spiritual way. Happy is fleeting, determined on our circumstances. Joy does not depend on external circumstances. It depends on God. He is the source of joy. While happiness is mostly external, joy is mostly internal. Happiness is usually a temporary feeling and a source of the flesh. Joy is a state of being and a source of The Spirit.  In the Brit Hadashah, joy is defined as a fruit of God’s Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23;“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, JOY, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law”. True biblical joy comes from the Spirit of the Living God as opposed to the flesh. Where God is present, through His Ruach HaKodesh/ Holy Spirit, there is joy.