Monday, September 8, 2008

Ki Tetze: The Many Faces of a Line

What does the Torah mean?

This question underlies every commentary on the Holy Text since the time of its giving. In fact in the first chapter of Deuteronomy it states that the Torah shall be explained explicitly. 1 This is taken to mean that even when the Torah was given it required wisdom to extract meaning from its inner core.

That is why the life of the Torah is so exciting and stretches for eons as sages have wrung new meaning from ancient text. A simple example opens the reading of this week. Torah says that when this nation goes off to war and a solider sees a woman with whom he becomes infatuated….

On the surface level the Torah is explicit about what is often permitted, or overlooked, at times of war. Those who are most vulnerable- even from the enemy side- require protection.

One of the great sages noted that this passage immediately follows the law of the Egla arufa, the broken calf. This juxtaposition points to how seemingly trivial things can cause whole nations to go to war. The egla arufa refers to a corpse that is found outside a city. The closest city needs to do something to declaim responsibility for the death. Distances are measured, notes are taken, and words of confession and piety are spoken all for this nameless corpse. Then the Torah tells about the spoils of war. It seems to imply, says this sage, that for lack of culpability, someone taking responsibility, because of one death, hundreds or thousands might die. We must be ever vigilant to do the right thing and not turn away from being responsible.2

Musar: Avalanches start with a snowflake. They grow and gain velocity until they bury everything in their path. Grudges have the same growth pattern.

Others say the reason the two passages are next to one another is because of the thread of death that runs through both. We are urged to realize the fundamental principle that cuts through every act of war- death will result. The passages are meant to make us think not about glory but the ultimate result that comes from saber rattling; burying corpses.

Musar: we must never allow ourselves to become so carried away by the moment that we lose track of our humanity, our soul.

That same empathy resonates through the next passages as the captor must let the woman sit shiva for her dead relatives. He must watch as she tears her clothes and morns the part of her life that has been cut down. Torah clearly intends for the reader to have pathos and leads him away from reckless bravado.

Musar: it does not matter whether someone deserves to suffer or not. The only thing that matters is that at once we never identify with the victimizer and that our arms will be stretched out toward the victim.

The war described in this parsha describes a woman from a Canaanite nation that is taken captive. The word used from the captive being taken to the land of the victor is the same as the word for repentance, teshuva. What the Talmud understands from this seemingly obvious passage is something far deeper. Rabbi Simon says that when a person comes- even from a people that is utterly opposed to the Jewish nation – and seeks to embrace the faith of Abraham they need to be fully welcomed. 3

Musar: Who has wandered so far away from the Light of God they are no longer redeemable? No one.

Another commentator goes even further. He asks, would we have assumed that a proselyte, convert, from the Caananites would be welcomed into the Jewish people had god not permitted it? 4 Probably not. Although the question goes unspoken, we still need to ask ourselves if we need to be more strict, unforgiving than the good Lord God?

Musar: The lesson of God is the lesson of kindness. We lose nothing by forgiving others.



1 Deut 1:5
2 Baal Haturmin
3 Sotah 35b
4 M’or HaShemesh


Haftara Insight:
Shame and disgrace are the two sentiments that underlie this prophetic reading. While they have the potential to overwhelm us, God tells us that we are not forgotten. The covenant remains intact. Even though we abrogated our part of the agreement God remains firmly rooted to the pact of our ancestors. Isaiah declares the eternal nature of the compassion of the Holy One. You are loved, he says.

A Matter of Law:
A painful halacha is found in this reading that relates to a child who is uncontrollable. He will not listen to the voice of his parents. His actions are antithetical to all godly matters. The parents try to teach him ethical behavior but ultimately give up because he is wild, rebellious. The Law demands the child be put to death.
While this law was seldom, if ever, practiced, it decidedly points to the deepest pain of a parent; Their child rejects their learning and direction.

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