Overview of the Weekly Reading:
Ki Tetsei
To be read on
11 Elul 5764 (Aug. 28)
Torah:Deut. 21:10-25:18
Haftorah: Isaiah 54:1-10 (5th of the Seven
Haftorahs of Consolation)
Ki
Tetsei is the 6th Reading out of 11 in Deuteronomy
and 49th overall, and 21st out of 54
in overall length.
Pirkei
Avot:
Chapter Two
Much
of Ki Tetsei is a series of laws. The first describes
the process of converting and marrying women captives of war from
other nations. Next are the laws of a firstborn son's inheritance,
the punishment of a rebellious son, burial of a hanged sinner,
returning lost articles, helping a Jew's fallen animal to stand
and return its load, the prohibition to wear clothes of the opposite
gender, removing a mother bird before taking her eggs or young,
and placing a guard rail on the roof of a building. This is followed
by the prohibition of planting together different plant species,
plowing with different animal species under one yoke, and wearing
a garment of linen and wool. Male Jews are commanded to wear tzitzit
(fringes) on four cornered garments. Next are the laws of the
defamed wife-accused of false virginity or infidelity-and the
consequences when the accusation is proven true or false. Laws
regarding betrothal, rape, incest, bastardry, and marriage to
converts from certain nations are also listed. The Jews are commanded
to be modest even at war, both sexually and when relieving themselves.
Jews are forbidden to return runaway slaves (who came to Israel
from elsewhere) to their masters. The Jews are forbidden to be
promiscuous, and to deduct interest from other Jews. They are
also required to fulfill vows on time, allow employees to eat
from produce they are working with, and are explained the laws
of divorce and remarriage. A bridegroom is not allowed to be drafted;
a millstone may not be used as security for a loan; and a kidnapper's
punishment is described. The Jews are reminded to be careful about
laws of leprosy, how to take security for loans, and to pay wages
on time. Certain close relatives may not testify against each
other; widows and orphans must be treated properly; forgotten
harvested produce must be left in the field for the needy; flogging
by court order must be exact; and animals may not be muzzled when
treading grain. When a man dies leaving his wife childless, his
brother or closest kinsman is commanded to marry her. The laws
of such a case are described as well as a situation where the
relative chooses not to marry the widow. Next is the law concerning
a woman who became involved in an assault on her husband. The
Jews are reminded to be honest in their weights and measures,
and to remember how Amalek attacked the Jews when we went out
of Egypt.
FROM THE MASTERS
OF KABBALA (K:49-64/Ki
Tetsei )
From the holy
Zohar, teachings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai
(Z:49-64/Ki
Tetsei )
A
person living away from his place is called a stranger, and even
more so those souls that leave this world naked [of Torah and mitzvot]
and come to this [physical] world in order to fix this [and through
the merit of the Torah they learn and mitzvot they perform, earn
"clothes" enabling them to enter Garden of Eden].
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section
on our KabbalaOnline
site.
* * * * *
From the holy
Ari, Rabbi Yitzchak Luria of Safed
(A:49-64/Ki
Tetsei )
The
ring signifies her yesod, which encompasses and contains the light
within her.
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section
on our KabbalaOnline
site.
* * * * *
From the
Shelah, Shney Luchot HaBrit by Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz
(S:49-64/Ki
Tetsei )
Immediately
Moses had heard all this he understood that all the exiles the Jewish
people would have to suffer in the course of their history can be
traced back to the original sin committed by Adam.
For the full article, click to the "Weekly Torah" section
on our KabbalaOnline
site.
FROM THE CHASSIDIC
REBBES (V49-64/Ki
Tetsei )
"But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated woman as
the first born, and give him a double portion." (Deut. 21:17)
The "son of the beloved" refers to the first Tablets, given when
the Jews were righteous. The "son of the hated woman" alludes
to the second Tablets, which were given after the Jews sinned
but returned to G-d. As we see here, the penitent receives "a
double portion" of reward. Indeed, the first Tablets contained
only the Ten Commandments, whereas the second set were accompanied
by Jewish laws and the Torah's allegorical portions.
(Ohr HaTorah) (from L'chaim #533)
A
MYSTICAL CHASSIDIC DISCOURSE
from the Chabad
Master series, produced by Rabbi Yosef Marcus for
www.ascentofsafed.com and www.kabbalaonline.org
An
essay from Rabbi Shaul Yosef Leiter, director of Ascent
(for a free weekly email subscription,
click here)
(W:49-64/Ki Tetsei )
War: What It's Good For
The opening words, "When you go out to war against your enemies"
(Deut. 21:10), can be interpreted to refer to going to an individual's
war against his negative inclinations. The Baal HaTurim connects
this phrase with the final word in last week's reading, which was
G-d's name, so that we read the verse, "G-d - when You go out
to war against Your enemies". This tells us that when we go
out to war, when we are ready to challenge our negative personal
traits, the Almighty goes with us to help us.
Chassidut explains that the "war" we face daily is during
prayer, which is called "purification through war". This
is an obligatory war in which the G-dly soul toils to control and
usurp the body's animalistic tendencies. The war is prefaced by
"going out" to the synagogue where a Jew's prayers are
always heard and where G-d is found, as it says, "Where is
He present? In the synagogues" (Jerusalem Talmud, Berachot
85).
Another explanation of this verse is that there are two kinds of
wars: mandatory and optional. Each Jew is obliged to war in order
to illuminate his private domain, whereas war in the public domain
is a matter of choice. Nevertheless, the public domain receives
the same guarantee as the private one that "G-d will give it
into your hands", as the verse concludes.
If the Almighty is there to help us, why is it always so difficult?
When asked by his Chassidim, "Rebbe, how do we protect ourselves
from our evil inclinations chasing us all the time?", Rebbe
Naftali of Ropshitz would say, "I guarantee you, it will
not chase after you if you do not chase after it!"
The portion ends with one of the Six Daily Remembrances, "Remember
what Amalek did to you on the way out of Egypt" (Deut. 25:17).
Why does the verse use the singular "you" rather than
the plural? Because Amalek, our eternal enemies, can only attack
us when we isolate ourselves and are not close together with the
community.
The month of Elul is the month in which we review what happened
to us in the last year and try to fix the areas where we come up
short. Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak of Lubavitch wrote that in Elul
the gates of Heaven are open! Which gates? The Gates of Compassion
which open into the Chamber of Merit. For whom are they opened?
For all of our brethren, the Jewish people. We make an honest soul-accounting
of our divine service - the Torah we learned and which we taught
to our children as well as the efforts we made to strengthen the
Jewish community.
May our accountings lead us to true return to G-d, and, as a result,
may we merit to see G-dliness revealed throughout the world with
the final redemption.
Shabbat Shalom, Shaul
Leiter
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click here)
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