Why does Moshe have Israel pronounce curses over a seemingly random list of sins? Drawing on an insight from Rabbi Mordechai Druk, we discover that many of these transgressions share something in common. As Elul draws us toward teshuvah, Ki Tavo challenges us to look honestly into the mirror of God’s Word, confront the hidden places of our lives, and allow what we know to be true to become part of who we actually are.

Why does Ki Teitzei begin with going out to war, move through dozens of commandments about everyday life, and then conclude with the command to remember Amalek? Beneath these seemingly disconnected instructions is an important reminder about what it means to live with a mission. In this week’s teaching, we consider Israel’s calling, the place of the nations through Messiah Yeshua, and the danger of Amalek. As Elul calls us to return, perhaps one of the most important questions we can ask is not simply, “What have I done wrong?” but, “Have I forgotten why I am here?”

Parashat Shoftim opens with the command to appoint judges and pursue justice, making it a fitting reading for the month of Elul—the season of spiritual accounting before Rosh Hashanah. This teaching explores Yeshua’s warning to “settle matters quickly” before reaching the judge and applies it to the work of teshuvah: examining ourselves honestly, refusing to justify our failures, repairing damaged relationships, and returning to HaShem while He is near. Before the heavenly court convenes, we still have time to put the case on the table, make amends, and seek the mercy of the King.