Rabbi Frand on Parshas Ki Seitzei
These divrei Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissocher
Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Tapes on the weekly portion: Tape # 293, "Get
Me'useh": The Problem of the "Forced Get." Good Shabbos!
Setting Aside A "Yerach Yomim" For Mourning Our Past:
A "Beautiful" Insight Into "Yefas Toar"
In the beginning of this week's parsha, the Torah teaches us a Halacha
[Jewish Law] that is one of the most difficult Halachos to understand -- the
Halacha of the "Yefas Toar" (beautiful captive woman). The Torah, under
certain circumstances, gives permission to the soldier who falls in love with
a beautiful non-Jewish woman on the battlefield to take her as his wife,
provided that she converts to Judaism. The conversion process involves the
following: She is brought into his house, her head is shaved, her clothes of
captivity are removed, and she mourns for her parents for 30 days. After this
process the soldier is allowed to marry her.
The Zohar, on this parsha, says that the 30-day period in which the woman
cries for the loss of her parents is the month of Elul. [Elul, which began
this past Friday, is the Hebrew month preceding Rosh HaShana.] What is the
connection between the mourning of the "Yefas Toar" for her parents and the
month of Elul?
The pasuk [verse] uses interesting terminology to describe the 30-day
period. The pasuk calls this period "Yerach Yamim" (literally a moon's worth
of days). The more common term would be a Chodesh (a month).
There is an interesting halachic practice -- when a Kesuvah (marriage
document) is dated, the date is specified as being of a certain Chodesh;
however when a Get (divorce document) is dated, the date is specified as
being of a certain Yerach. The reason for this difference is that in the
Hebrew language the word Yerach has the connotation of "ending" a month;
while the word Chodesh (related to chadash -- new) has the connotation of
the "beginning" of a month.
That is why the Torah uses the term "Yerach Yamim". The Torah is telling her
that if she wishes to convert to Judaism and begin a new life, she must
close the chapter on her last life. The Zohar tells us that "her father and
her mother" refers to her idolatry. She must contemplate her past
association with idolatry and say good-bye to it. Before she can contemplate
the new beginning, she must regret the fallacy of the false gods and
meaningless pagan worship. That is how she is to spend this entire closing
month - Yerach.
What is the significance of the month of Elul? Elul is that special month
that a person needs in order to contemplate beginning the New Year and the
impending Rosh Hashanna. A person cannot just begin the New Year without
preparation. Rosh Hashanna must be preceded by a month of contemplation and
reflection. We must look back at the previous year -- asking ourselves,
"Where did we go wrong?" "Where did that year go?" "What happened to that
year?"
So what does the Zohar mean when he says that mourning for her father and
mother "a Yerach Yamim" refers to the month of Elul? It is meaningless for
this captive woman to enter Judaism without going through a period of
mourning, contemplation, and introspection. Similarly, it is meaningless for
us to contemplate "Tik'u b'Chodesh Shofar - Blow the Shofar on the
(beginning of) the New Month (Rosh Hashanna)" unless there is some
preparation and contemplation about the year that was. If not, we cannot
hold out much hope for the beginning of the New Year.
Of all the Jewish Holidays, it is the Yomim Noraim (Days of Awe) that
require the greatest preparation. We cannot just arrive in shul on the Eve
of Rosh Hashanna and say, "Now is the time to start repenting." It cannot
happen all of a sudden like that. We cannot spiritually turn around on a
dime. It requires a process -- a Yerach Yomim, a chodesh Elul.
Unfortunately, for those of us in the working world with all the
distractions of making a living, the beginning of school, and all the other
things that divert our attention - this is so difficult. Most of us are not
in Yeshiva anymore, we are not able to have a Mussar Seder (a fixed daily
period for studying ethical works), we can not sit and think, we do not have
the time to daven properly, as Yeshiva students do.
However, it is a necessity that we all have to try to prepare properly for
the Yomim Noraim. We need that Yerach Yomim so we can properly arrive at
"Tik'u b'Chodesh Shofar" - the blowing of the Shofar on Rosh Hashanna.
This week's write-up is adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi Yissochar
Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Torah Tapes on the weekly Torah portion (#293).
The corresponding halachic portion for this tape is: "Get Me'useh": The
Prohibition of the "Forced Get". The other halachic portions for Parshas Ki
Seitzei from the Commuter Chavrusah Series are:
Also Available: Mesorah / Artscroll has published a collection
of Rabbi Frand's essays. The book is entitled:
and is available through your local Hebrew book store or from
Project Genesis, 1-410-654-1799.
