A Success Story: Ki Tavo

To get a good job, with a great starting salary

Dean Van Horne, Accepted

As the Pentateuch’s calendar year reading rapidly nears completion, the Torah Portion Ki Tavo answers an essential Ten Commandments’ question.

While the Portion Ki Tavo is packed with a rich multitude of Decalogue topics, one passage answers a query which is at the very top of the Ten Commandments’ pyramid of matters. Ki Tavo reveals the Decalogue’s purpose for individuals.

At Mt. Sinai, the Ten Commandments’ grand purpose was revealed. It was the formation of the Children of Israel’s nationhood. Ki Tavo unveils the individual’s reward with respect to a commitment to the covenant; personal success.

In Ki Tavo, it is proclaimed that “… you shall observe the words of this covenant and fulfill them, in order that you succeed in all you do.” [emphasis added] Deuteronomy 29:8

These words were famously employed by King David. David incorporated the Deuteronomy passage into advice for his son King Solomon.

At the time David was literally handing over the keys to the kingdom, the mortally ill monarch advised his successor to “.. keep the charge of the Lord your God to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His judgments, and His testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do, and wherever you turn.” Kings 1:2:3

Ki Tavo’s also talks of blessings and curses that may arise over compliance or non-compliance with the commandments. This post, however, wishes to take a step back from those concepts to explore success, its nature and its meaning.

Success?

Success is elusive. It travels along a time-space continuum.

One day, an individual can win the multi-million dollar lottery only to die on the day after. Despite acquiring massive wealth, the individual never had the opportunity to enjoy their riches. Should this be considered as a successful life?

In essence, the assignment of the label of success can be quite temporary and subject to reassessment. Thus, success can be measured at every instance of life -from cradle to grave. For some people, their success level requires a post-mortem analysis.

People’s “success” label can even change long past their lives.

For instance, the musician Louis Armstrong was considered as a wildly successful artist when he passed. Awhile his death, with the movie Good Morning Vietnam, his song What a Wonderful Life became a multi-platinum hit long. While he was a highly successful music icon before he passed, his level of success post-mortem reached even greater heights. He, in grading success, went from a ten to an eleven.

How does on evaluate a life with one moment of success?

In contrast to Mr. Armstrong who had a long sustained carreer, there are individuals who have successes early in life, i.e. the star player of their high school basketball team, only to endure failure later on.

This topic was addressed in the movie Hoosiers. In one scene, Coach Norman Dale is confronted with the issue of whether it was healthy for kids to be high school basketball heroes. He responds: “You know, most people would kill… to be treated like a god, just for a few moments.” Is this life a success?

There are those who take much time to finally get the label success. The renowned artist Anna Mary Robertson Moses, aka Grandma Moses began seriously painting at the age of 78 year of age. Despite this advanced age, she became an artistic force.

The Greater Notions of Success

Success is not limited to one’s personal accomplishments.

One’s impact on children, students and mentees can elevate an individual on their scale of success. For example, I am familiar with a mother, a nurse, who raised two children after her husband’s passing. Both of her boys grew up to become spinal surgeons.

For many, success in life can be achieved in raising decent children who become independent adults.

Judging Success

Success is not so easy to label. Is it the individual or others who offer up the medal in success? Many outwardly successful people do not necessarily feel like they are a success.

This notion is best illustrated in one of America’s greatest movies. In It’s A Wonderful Life, George Bailey is a man on the brink of suicide. Via an angel, he is set on an adventure to see what the world would have been like if he had never lived. Mr. Bailey discovers how he- a good, honest and sacrificial man- impacted the city that he loved. In the end, despite his shaky but hopeful future, he is declared by his war hero brother to be “the richest man in town.”

The Begging Question, “How?”

Ki Tavo’s passage begs the question: how does following the covenant lead to success? Why does following the covenant lead to success?

Beyond notions of financial wealth or athletic prowess, are there other notions of success?

Does living a clean, honest and respectful life translate into success? Can simply living with a clear conscience afford one a sense of success? Can living such a life translate into satisfaction and success?

The Rules of Success?

Does the covenant provide an intrinsic pathway to success?

If one followed the rules, should that be a success? If one conducted themselves in a moral fashion in their endeavors, is that a success? Is it possible that other successes emerge from this compliance. As David told to Solomon, success would be with all that he did.

With this in mind, it is uncanny that this concept is revealed at the time of the year when the Jewish High Holidays are approaching. It is a period upon which individuals are to seek forgiveness and get back on the right track to pursue another year. Perhaps, repentence and self assessment some connection to success.

When Success Is Best Measured?

Last year, I was challenged to write a eulogy for my father. Given his age and health, I had cultivated ideas and had a particular speech prepared. In the end, it was entirely tossed out.

It would have been unfair just to focus on how he successfully lived his life for almost a quarter of a century post cancer diagnosis. He fought through three cancer procedures post age 70 to live 24 more years. He is a testament to his being a fighter. This success, however, ignored the riches of his 70 years prior.

In the end, I redid the eulogy to address the many chapters of his life as a hardworking decent human being- a success.

Conclusion

Ki Tavo opens up a Pandora’s Box of definitions and evaluation of success. Success can be can be many things- one’s career, one’s relations, one’s adherence to the covenant, and one’s toy chest. Success is not about everything greater and grander. With the Ten Commandments, success is within everyone’s reach.

Be well!!

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