This week, parshat Ki Tavo, starts with the commandment to bring the first fruit offerings, then proceeds to a bunch of curses, bad things that will happen if you don’t follow the rules, followed by what will be your reward if you do what you are told.
In this list is a peculiar phrase: Blessed shall be your basket (טַנְאֲךָ֖) and your kneading bowl (וּמִשְׁאַרְתֶּֽךָ). (Deuteronomy 28:5)
In light of the earlier part of the parsha which describes in great detail the baskets of fruit, this seems like fruit and bread. Rashi tells us, yes, טַנְאֲךָ֖ could be fruit, but it also could be liquid which you would filter through the basket, and that the word, וּמִשְׁאַרְתֶּֽךָ means dry produce, that which is left over.
Maybe it isn't about literal food, that was already covered in an eariler blessing, maybe it is about our personal baskets, what do we contain? What do we let go? How do we make sure that the gaps in our basket are not so big that we miss out on things that can make us happy, but are big enough that we are not struggling with all of the world’s burdens?
May we all find the perfect basket (or maybe a strainer) to hold what we need. Shabbat Shalom.