OU TORAH Ki Tavo: The Finale of the Main Speech By Rabbi Menachem Leibtag

Saying ‘thank-you’: Ask any mother – it’s not enough to ‘think’ it – a child has to say it. For some reason, a verbal declaration, be it of gratitude or regret, is of paramount importance not only for the listener, but – even more so – for the person who utters it. In Parshat Ki Tavo, we find two such examples of obligatory declarations, precisely where the main speech of Sefer Devarim reaches its conclusion. In this week’s shiur, as we study the concluding section of the ‘main speech,’ we attempt to explain why.