Blog: Ari Enkin 21 - Ki Teitzei 5766

28 Elul 5770

September 7 2010

Parshat Ki-Teitzei

Parshat Ki-Teitzei opens with a few regulations regarding war, specifically concerning female POW’s. There was an option for soldiers to marry the female POW’s if they so desired, but only after a rigorous ‘preparation’ for such. The woman must have her head shaved (not to be confused with halachically baseless Chassidic customs regarding married women) cut her nails and wear some old rages whilst sitting in a state of mourning for a month over the idea of never being able to see her parents/family again. This process was to make the women as unattractive as possible in order to ensure that marriage was the true goal with no ulterior motives.

Following this we have the enigmatic episode of the rebellious son – the Ben-Sorrer U’moreh. It is a very specific situation when drastic punishment is warranted. The ‘rebellious son’ is a boy who has just turned 13 who steals money from his parents to purchase meat and wine and consumes this food in a gluttonous manner. Such a child is to be stoned. Don’t worry however, the Talmud states that there has never been such a case in history.

This brings to mind an important concept which has far reaching ramifications. We must always be VERY careful when accusing and meting out punishments for what seem to be Biblical offenses. See this letter for more on what I mean: http://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/drlaura.asp

Then there’s a bit on the capital punishment thing. [If you vote Democrat than skip this paragraph.] BTW- when the Torah states the punishment of ‘stoning’ for certain crimes, it does not literally mean Islamic style stoning. Stoning was a process of throwing the anesthetized sinner off a two story building. If he survived the fall they threw a boulder on his face. After stoning the body was hanged until sunset. No room to elaborate on capital punishment in the Torah. For more on capital punishment see this unauthorized article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_and_capital_punishment#Judaism

There are lots of mitzvot in this week’s parsha. With no need to elaborate, they include: returning lost object, building a railing around your roof so no one falls down and kills themselves, not to wear garments containing both wool and linen, to wear tzitzit, and not to commit adultery (this latter entry is one of those ‘stoning’ things….).

Moving right along: the mitzva to keep your word, to send the mover bird away before taking the eggs, not to lend a fellow Jew money with interest, to get divorced (a mitzva we hope to never fulfill!), to be honest in business, and to remember and destroy the evil tribe of Amalek.

DVAR TORAH:

1. "You shall not see the donkey of your brother or his ox falling on the way and not pay attention to them. Rather, you shall lift them up with him." Rabbi Simcha Zissel wrote that the Torah prohibits us from causing any unnecessary pain to animals. If this applies to temporary pain, all the more so does it apply to long-lasting pain; if this applies to animals, all the more so does it apply to people.

2. "Do not take interest from your brother so that Hashem your G-d will bless you". The Torah gives a reason not to take interest -- so that Hashem will bless us. Why should this be a reason? Someone who charges interest is, so to speak, "blessing" himself and saying that he can take of his own needs. Therefore, Hashem doesn't wish to help such a person. However, someone who lends without taking interest, because Hashem commands him to do so, doesn't rely on his own means; rather, he risks his own funds without earning any return, showing his dependence on Hashem's help. This is the person whom Hashem will bless. (Rabbi Dovid Feinstein)