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זכור את אשר עשה לך עמלק... ואתה עיף ויגע ולא ירא אלקים

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Ki Seitzei, 5775

Remember what Amalek did to you… when you were faint and exhausted, and he did not fear G-d. (25:17,19)

Amalek was not the only nation that attacked the Jews. The Canaanites, Sichon and Og also acted in much the same reprehensible manner. Yet, Amalek is the only one about whom the Torah attests was V’lo yarei Elokim, “And he did not fear G-d.” Why is Amalek singled out more than any other one of our enemies, in terms of being unafraid of G-d? The Brisker Rav, zl, explains this, basing his thesis on a statement of Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai in the Talmud Bava Kamma 79b. The students of the great Tanna asked him why the Torah is more…

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Home -> 5775 -> Ki Seitzei

כי יהיה ריב בין אנשים ונגשו אל המשפט

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Ki Seitzei, 5775

When there will be a dispute between people, and they have recourse to judgment. (25:1)

Rashi explains that, when there is a dispute, their end will be to have to recourse to judgment. On the basis of this pasuk, you should say/deduce that peace does not emerge from dispute. Maharal explains that the Torah could have simply written, “When men will have recourse to judgment.” “When there will be a dispute” is seemingly superfluous. Thus, we derive that the natural outcome of a dispute is a din Torah, recourse to judgment. The disputants will not come to an agreement on their own. Rashi adds, “What caused Lot to separate from the righteous Avraham Avinu, his…

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Home -> 5775 -> Ki Seitzei

השב תשיבם לאחיך... לא תוכל להתעלם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Ki Seitzei, 5775

You shall surely return them to your brother… you shall not hide yourself. (22:1,3)

We wonder why certain mitzvos are included in the Torah. Any decent person knows that if he finds an object belonging to someone else, he should proceed to return it to the rightful owner. People, however, are lazy and greedy. We are not often inclined to go out of our way to search for the owner. This is especially true when we find an object of great value, whose owner is not readily identifiable. Thus, between the time involved and the value of the item, the finder rationalizes that he does not have to return the item. A mitzvah is…

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Home -> 5775 -> Ki Seitzei

כי תצא למלחמה על אויביך... וראית בשביה אשת יפת תאר וחשקת בה ולקחת לך לאשה

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum
In Ki Seitzei, 5775

When you will go out to war against your enemies…And you will see among its captivity a woman who is beautiful of form, and you will desire her, you may take her to yourself for a wife. (21:10, 11)

The law concerning the yefas toar, captive woman, whose physical beauty captivates the Jewish soldier, is not to be taken lightly. If the Torah permits what is considered a prohibited liaison, it is for a specific reason: It is responding to the inflamed passion of the Jewish soldier while in battle. War affects the mind and heart of a soldier. Leaving home, family and friends–relegated to fighting an enemy in which one wrong move means serious injury and even death–can have an adverse effect upon even the most rational mind, causing it to think irrationally. The Torah recognizes that the…

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