B"H

Thursday, Elul 9, 5784 / September 12, 2024

This week’s Parsha is Ki Teitzei - the sixth Parsha in the Book of Deuteronomy.  In this Parsha we find more mitzvot than in any other Parsha of the Torah (74 mitzvot). 

As mentioned yesterday, The 613 mitzvot of the Torah fall into two categories: 1) Mitzvot between one person and the other person; 2) Mitzvot which are between us and G-d.  Most of the mitzvot in this Parsha concern behavior between people. 

One of the mitzvot in this Parsha is to refrain from "Lashon Hara," derogatory talk about others.  The Torah states, "When you go out in battle against your enemies, you shall keep away from every evil thing."  In the Torah, there are no vowels. Words can be read in various ways. The two Hebrew words, "Davar Ra," can also be read as "Dibur Ra," meaning, you shall keep away from, "speaking evil."

Later in the Parsha, the Torah repeats this message.  The Torah commands: "Remember what the L-rd your G-d did to Miriam on the way when you came forth from Egypt." 

Miriam spoke to Aaron about their brother Moshe.  Although Miriam didn't mean any harm, yet, because she spoke about him in a derogatory way, she was punished. This further reminds us that gossiping and speaking evil about others is a grave sin. In fact, remembering what Miriam did, is one of the six remembrances which we recite each day, so that we will be careful not to speak about others.

Honoring a commitment is also in this Parsha. We are also commanded to honor our charitable commitments. The Torah says, "When you shall make a vow unto the L-rd your G-d you shall not be slack to pay it... That which has gone out of your lips you shall observe and do." 

The Talmud tells that Rabbi Alexandrai, would announce, "Who wants life?  Who wants life?"  Everyone would gather and reply, "We want life.  Give us life!"  

Rabbi Alexandrai would then recite the verse in Psalms 34: "Who desires life and who loves days of seeing only good?  Guard your tongue from evil, and your lips from speaking deceitfully."

In Proverbs, King Solomon gives the following advice, "Whoever watches his mouth and tongue, protects himself from troubles."

According to the Torah we must be as careful with speech, what we say and how we say it, as much as we have to be careful with our actions.  At times, words can be even more harmful.

The fact that this Parsha is always read in the month of Elul, the month in which we prepare for the New Year, teaches us that in preparation for the New Year, we must be especially careful in the mitzvot toward our fellow human beings.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY & SUCCESSFUL DAY

UNITED WE STAND WITH OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS IN CAPTIVITY. MAY THEY ALL BE RELEASED NOW