B"H

Thursday, Elul 11, 5781 / August 19, 2021

One of the mitzvot in this week's Parsha, Ki Teitzei, is the commandment-mitzvah of "Hashavat Aveidah" - "returning a lost object" to its rightful owner.  

The Torah states: "When you see your brother's ox or sheep go astray you cannot hide yourself from them. You shall bring them back to your brother.  If your brother is not close to you or you don't know him, then you shall bring it into your own house, and it shall be with you until your brother seeks it and you shall give it back to him." 

Q.  Parshat Ki Teitzei is always read in the month of Elul – the month in which we prepare for the New Year. The Torah reading each week conveys a message related to that time of the year. What is the message from this mitzvah to each of us for the month of Elul?

A.  "Hashavat Aveidah" - "returning a lost object" in a spiritual sense refers to "Teshuvah" -repentance. The word “Teshuvah” comes from the word “Hashavah” – to return. 

Elul is the month of "Teshuvah" when we must "return" and restore our G-dly soul (which may at times have gone astray, during the past year), to its original form of holiness and purity.  

Here is another lesson for the month of Elul from the name of the Parsha, Ki Teitzei.  The Parsha begins, "Ki Teitzei" - "when you will go to war on your enemies…" Ki Teitzei is written in the singular as if the Torah speaks to a single person going to battle.  Doesn’t it take an army of many divisions and soldiers to fight a war?

Our sages in the Talmud tell us that King Achav and the people of Israel in his time sinned by worshipping idols, which is one of the worst sins of all. 

Yet, when they went to war, they were victorious. Why did G-d help them when they were idol worshippers? The answer is that although they sinned against G-d by worshipping idols, they displayed a tremendous level of unity amongst themselves. They cared for one another.

Thus, "Ki Teitzei" is written in the singular to tell us that the secret of victory can come only when Jews are "united" as one person. This is a lesson for the month of Elul when we need to exhibit Jewish unity.

There was a wise man who had twelve sons.  Before he died, his children asked him for advice on how to succeed in life.  He told each of them to go out and bring back one twig.  He took each twig individually and broke it effortlessly. He then told each of them to bring him one more twig. He tied the twelve twigs together and challenged each one of his sons to break it. Yet, as much as they tried, they couldn’t break it. 

“This is my last and lasting advice to you,” he said.  “As individuals you can easily be broken, but as ONE, no one can break you.  Just “stick” together as one!” 

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY & A HAPPY, HEALTHY NEW YEAR