Moshe Rabbeinu interrupts himself this week with ‘Ki Teitzeh’…
He wonders off with a discussion of mitzvoth and hallachic family matters.
Why?
He was on a roll so far…
This week’s parashat resembles more the previous parshiyot of Mishpatim and Kedoshim. But Moshe does not see the inclusion of this parsha of detailed and numerous mitzvot and hallachic issues as being an interruption in the flow of his final oration to klal Israel..
Of course not. He sees it as a reinforcement of what he’s said so far and what he still has to say.
The first issue is that of Eishes Y’faht To’ar…a captured woman with whom a soldier may be intimate under certain conditions while at war…in last week’s parsha we heard all about rules of warfare. So why is this rule included here instead of Shoftim?
This is followed by the mitzvot of the rights of the first born, followed by the Ben Sorer U’Moreh (Rebellious son). On this, Rashi quoted the words of Tanchuma to explain a connection: The Torah permitted an Eishes Y’fat To’ar to address a person’s Yetzer Hara, for had HaShem not permitted her, the soldier would marry her in a prohibited way. However if he’d married her, he would dislike her…and cause her to perhaps bear a Ben Sorer U’Moreh…..
Did you catch that….Yetzer Harah….
This explanation not merely depicts the doom of Yetzer Harah, but it also shows how …by making life’s decisions based on earthy passions, instead of directing one’s path on ways of kedushah, …will bring one down, and result in decadence.
(pause)
This Parashat features many divergent Mitzvot. 74 of the Torah’s 613 commandments are found in Ki Teitzeh. And, looking at where we are in the book of Dvarim, we are about in the middle.
Rabbi Avraham Gordimer wonders: Is the reason for bringing all this up perhaps that we are talking about life-decisions based on materialism and indulgence, rather than on Avodat HaShem?
Moshe in his last and longest oration to Am Israel leaves out nothing. He knows what struggles are behind and what’s to come. And just as he spoke about outer warfare. Litterally, being at war ….and the mitzvot during such times, …He now speakes about inner warfare.
The war between Yetzer Harah….and Yetzer Hatov.
Why else… insert the mitvah of Shiluach Hakan?
This is major sensitivity training.
Sending away the mother bird before taking her eggs or young. The reward being uncharacteristically large… that of living a long life in Olam Haba.
According to Rashi these are the easy mitzvot since they involve no monetary loss and require no preparation.
Yet, this commandment connects us to the beginning of Dvarim and the mitvot to honor one’s parents… which… the Rabbis deem to be one of the most difficult of mitvot …of all mitzvot….
The parsha of Ki Teitzeh is almost exactly in the middle of Dvarim.
It is the linchpin upon which the entire book balances according to Rabbi Wein.
It’s also read in the month of Elul, the month of intense self-assessment and introspection.
All of Jewish history, life and destiny lie in people’s relationship to mitvot and respect to abide by halachic standards.
Take your right arm and place it straight upwards, that’s Ki Teitzeh.
Place your left arm horizontal on top of your right. That’s the first half and second half of Dvarim. That’s how Ki Teitzeh balances destiny…
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