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Parshas Ki Savo - Monkey Business

Dear Friends,

Monkeys have long symbolized creatures that can imitate humans but lack the creative intelligence that gives human action meaning.

In rabbinic literature, a מעשה קוף, literally “an act of a monkey,” refers to an action performed without true intent or awareness. Anything branded a maaseh kof is considered halachically insignificant. While a monkey’s mitzvah is invalid because it is not human, the Mussar lesson is more profound: even our own mitzvot can become a maaseh kof if we do them mechanically, without mindful intent.

One of the core elements of mitzvah observance is Kavanah - focused intent. Indeed, Halachah exempts individuals who lack basic intellectual awareness from mitzvah obligations. The Talmud (Rosh Hashanah 28b) debates whether kavanah is an absolute requirement or an ideal goal. Still, all agree that for a mitzvah to reach its fullest spiritual impact, it must be infused with mindful intent.

This idea echoes through this week’s parashah. On the final day of Pesach of the fourth and seventh years of the tithing cycle, farmers would recite vidui ma’aser, the “confession of the tithes,” and declare:

“לא עברתי ממצותיך ולא שכחתי”

“I have not transgressed any of Your commandments, and I have not forgotten.”

The Sfas Emes explains that לא שכחתי, “I have not forgotten,” means more than remembering the rules; it means remaining mentally present while performing the mitzvah, aware of what one is doing and of the One who commands it.

As Rosh Hashanah approaches, we can take an extra heartbeat before making a berachah or beginning tefillah, letting each mitzvah be alive with intent and connection. Such mindfulness brings freshness and wholeness to our Avodas Hashem and to our lives as a whole.

In a world where mindfulness itself can feel like an anomaly and headlines swirl with violence and distraction, our task is to be a steady counterpoint, anchoring every mitzvah and every moment in conscious, heartfelt intent.

Wishing you an uplifting Shabbos,

Rabbi Shlomo Gabay

Cong. Ahavas Sholom | 2568 East Broad Street | Colu