Parshas Ki Seitzei
Armed With Torah
The parsha of Ki Teitzei contains a host of specific mitzvot. In this it
resembles more the parsha of Kdoshim in Chumash Vayikra than it does the
other parshiyot of Chumash Dvarim, which are more general and are devoted
to national history and Jewish destiny. But the truth be said, the
mitzvoth in Ki Teitzei are the backbone of all Jewish history and are the
tools of survival that insure that there will always be a Jewish destiny
to pursue. It is undoubtedly with this in mind that the rabbinic
commentators over the ages interpreted the opening verse of the parsha -
"When you go out to war against your enemy" - in an allegorical and not
merely a literal sense. The "war against your enemy" refers to the ongoing
war of conscience and morality within ourselves in which we are constantly
engaged all of our lives. "The enemy" lurks within us. It is a war between
right and wrong, discipline and hedonism, instant gratification and long-
term benefit. Every day of our lives we make these choices and fight these
battles. The Torah, which always advises us to choose life and eternity,
supplies us with these mitzvoth - the material aid in our struggle. The
rabbis taught us that the Lord wished to give Israel merit and strength
and therefore He gave us many mitzvoth. All of our lives, in all
circumstances, we would be able to win the crucial battle of human
morality because these mitzvot would always be at hand.
The example of "yefat toar" - the beautiful woman captured in war is an
example. The Torah gave us a mitzvah to help moderate desires of lust. It
is obvious, as Rashi points out, that the Jewish soldier’s desire to marry
such a woman, having no other commonality except for momentary physical
passion is not really such a good idea. Passion and physical desire are
part of marriage but they are certainly not all of marriage. The Torah, by
emphasizing the legal and moral consequences, legal and moral, of his
behavior attempts to put the entire matter in perspective before the
actual liaison occurs. The mitzva serves as a brake on the passion and
therefore mitigates an otherwise immoral and dangerous relationship. The
rabbis taught us that, "the Torah spoke only regarding man's evil
inclination." All of the mitzvot are intended to save us from ourselves,
our weaknesses and foibles, our foolishness and unhealthy desires. From
the outside, looking at Judaism with its 613 commandments and rituals, our
faith may appear confining and cumbersome. Yet any Jew experiencing and
living Judaism from the inside, considers all of the rules, rituals and
commandments to be mighty weapons in the war that we perforce conduct
daily against wrongdoing and self-destruction. Impulse and passion are to
be avoided. Perspective and understanding of the consequences of one's
behavior are to be treasured and nurtured. Observance of mitzvot allows us
to gain that necessary perspective and long view that can make life's
struggles holy and worthwhile.
I wish to thank the many of you that expressed your condolences to me on
the passing of my father, of blessed memory. May we only know good tidings
one from another.
Shabat Shalom.
Rabbi Berel Wein
Text Copyright © 2004 by Rabbi Berel Wein and Torah.org
Visit www.rabbiwein.com for a complete selection of Rabbi Wein's books and tapes.
