* Translated by Janine Muller Sherr
1) This week’s parasha, Ki Teitze, is the fifth parasha in the Book of Devarim.
It is the continuation of Moshe Rabbeinu’s parting speech to the people before he dies in the desert and they enter into the land of Israel.
2) Parashat Ki Teitze features 74 out of the 613 mitzvot —more than any other parasha in the Torah!
3) This parasha demonstrates how the Torah encompasses every aspect of our lives. It discusses a vast array of topics, including: children’s education, sibling relationships, work, the prohibition against charging interest, charity, agriculture, burial, and the mitzvah of tzitzit. Our parasha also features the topic of oaths—emphasizing the importance of the words we say—and highlights the need for our military camps to be kept holy and pure. There are also basic safety rules: A person who builds a new house must erect a guard rail around his roof to prevent falls. This is just a “taste” of the many mitzvot that appear in our parasha.
4) Another topic presented in our parasha is “hashavat aveida”—the importance of making every effort to return a lost object to its rightful owner. According to our commentators, this mitzvah is speaking not only about returning a lost object but also returning those who feel spiritually lost. There are Jews who feel completely cut off from their identify, their heritage, and their people. It is our duty to help bring them home.
5) We read this parasha in the midst of Tishrei, a month dedicated to repentance and spiritual renewal.
The haftarah is one of the seven beautiful haftarot of consolation that are read after Tisha B’Av. In this moving passage, the prophet Isaiah reassures the people that one day their suffering will come to an end, and God will bring them greater comfort than they have ever known:
“For but a brief moment have I forsaken you,
But with abundant mercy I will bring you back.
With a slight wrath, for a moment,
I hid My face from you;
But with kindness everlasting
I will take you back in love.
—said God your Redeemer.”
