Ki Seitzei – Page 11 – Peninim on the Torah

“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.” (21:11)

The Torah recognizes that war wreaks havoc on a person’s emotions. The anxiety and breakdown of normal life leaves a person in an unusually depressed state, emotionally fragile and susceptible to the blandishments of the yetzer hara, evil-inclination. Under such conditions, the Jewish soldier might defer to his base desires. Upon seeing a woman among the enemy, he might feel an uncontrollable desire for her. Rather than risk sin that may lead to further spiritual pollution, the Torah provides an outlet for the lustful soldier. There is a process that the female captive must undergo, after which he may marry…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Ki Seitzei, 5763

“He is unable to give the right of the firstborn to the son of the beloved one ahead of the son of the hated one, who is the firstborn.” (21:16)

The firstborn has an inviolable right to his share of his father’s inheritance. The Torah is teaching us that rivalries or animosities do not determine the laws of inheritance. There is a clearly defined halachah that the firstborn receive a double portion of his father’s inheritance. The fact that his father harbors a hatred for his mother does not give him license to deprive his firstborn son of his rightful share. In forbidding the father to give over a firstborn’s rights, the Torah uses a puzzling term. It says, lo yuchal, “He is unable to do so.” Why is the…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Ki Seitzei, 5763

“Do not plow with an ox and a donkey together.” (22:10)

Being sensitive to the feelings of another human being is a requisite for defining mentchlichkeit, humanness. While many of us go out of our way to be kind and thoughtful when it affects the feelings of a prominent individual, we often ignore the sensitivities of a common person. The Torah provides us with a penetrating insight regarding this inappropriate practice. We are adjured not to plow with an ox and a donkey together. Although the Torah does not suggest a reason, the Daas Zekeinim explains that these two animals have two diverse habits for digesting their food. Because an ox…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Ki Seitzei, 5762

“If a man will have a wayward and rebellious son.” (21:18)

The incident of the ben sorer u’moreh, wayward and rebellious son, is one of the most serious tragedies related in the Torah. A boy who rejects his parents and everything they have taught him, a boy who rejects everything his parents stand for, truly represents a tragedy of unparalleled proportion. Being a Jewish parent is an awesome responsibility. Parents are the link between the Jewish generations that precede us and those who will follow in the future. Ours is the privilege to maintain the faith of the past, to give meaning and value to the present, and to ensure that there…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Ki Seitzei, 5762

“If a man will have a wayward and rebellious son.” (21:18)

The law regarding the ben sorer u’moreh, wayward and rebellious son, is a difficult one to understand. Just because the boy devours a sizeable amount of meat and guzzles too much wine, does that make him guilty of a capital punishment? He is punished, however, because of what he will eventually do. Let him therefore be put to death now before he commits a serious crime. This is not a law that can be adjudicated by Bais Din, the earthly court system. The law of the ben sorer is from Hashem, who knows what this boy’s future will bring. The law,…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Ki Seitzei, 5762

“This son of ours is wayward and rebellious; he does not hearken to our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.” (21:20)

The ben sorer u’moreh, rebellious son, does not listen to his parents. Clearly, this is a reason to bring him to Bais Din. He is also a glutton and a drunkard. While this is certainly not complimentary, is it a reason to be put to death at such a young age? Horav Mordechai Ezrachi, Shlita, cites Horav Nachum Zev, z.l., m’Kelm who commented on Rav’s statement in the Talmud Berachos 17a. Chazal say, Maryela b’pumei d’Rav, “It was a familiar lesson in the mouth of Rav. The World to Come is not like this world. In the World to Come there…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Ki Seitzei, 5762

“If a man marries a woman… and it will be that she will not find favor in his eyes, for he found in her a matter of immorality, and he wrote her a bill of divorce.” (24:1)

According to the flow of the text, it is implied that she lost favor in his eyes and, therefore, he divorces her. Rashi adds that he should divorce her because of her immoral conduct. Even if he does not have witnesses to prove his allegations to the satisfaction of the court, the fact that she is guilty of immoral conduct should be reason enough for her to lose favor in his eyes. Horav Eliyahu Meir Bloch, z.l., derives an important lesson from Rashi. We are under the impression that “favor” is not dependent upon a person’s moral posture. If he is…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Ki Seitzei, 5762

“That he happened upon you on the way.” (25:18)

The pasuk seems to be addressing the nation as a whole. Why then does it switch to karcha, “it happened upon you,” in the singular? Horav Eliezer Elyakim Schlesinger, Shlita, explains that the Torah is teaching us a fundamental principle. He cites the Brisker Rav, z.l., who interprets the pasuk: “I quarrel with those who rise up against You!… I regard them as my own enemies” (Tehillim 139:21,22), in which David Hamelech is saying that Hashem’s enemies are his personal enemies. Anyone who rebels against Hashem cannot be David Ha’melech’s friend. Likewise, we are admonished here to view Amalek’s evil as…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Ki Seitzei, 5761

“When you will go out to war against your enemies, and Hashem, your G-d, will deliver him into your hand, and you will capture its captives.” (21:10)

The pasuk’s text is enigmatic. It begins by referring to our enemies in the plural, “your enemies,” – but then it changes to the singular, saying, “And Hashem, your G-d, will deliver him into your hand.” Horav Mordechai Gifter, z.l., addresses this question and derives a profound lesson from the pasuk. Whether we realize it or not, we enter battle daily against all sorts of enemies or, rather, one enemy in the guise of many different enemies. The yetzer hara, evil-inclination, man’s archenemy is extremely cunning and seeks ways to destroy our spiritual development. He attacks us from all sides,…

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Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Ki Seitzei, 5761

“And you will see among its captivity a woman who is beautiful of form… If a man will have two wives, one beloved and one hated… If a man will have a wayward and rebellious son.” (21:11,15,18)

Chazal derive a valuable lesson from the juxtaposition of the laws of the ben sorer u’moreh, the rebellious son, to the case of the man who has two wives, one of whom he hates, and to the incident of the beautiful captive, in which the Torah gives a dispensation, a concession to human weakness, allowing the Jewish soldier to marry this woman. Chazal perceive this marriage, which serves to prevent worse manifestations of the unbridled passions of man, as the precursor of the disobedient and rebellious son. A wife taken in a such a manner will probably ultimately become an…

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“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.” (21:11)

“He is unable to give the right of the firstborn to the son of the beloved one ahead of the son of the hated one, who is the firstborn.” (21:16)

“Do not plow with an ox and a donkey together.” (22:10)

“If a man will have a wayward and rebellious son.” (21:18)

“If a man will have a wayward and rebellious son.” (21:18)

“This son of ours is wayward and rebellious; he does not hearken to our voice; he is a glutton and a drunkard.” (21:20)

“If a man marries a woman… and it will be that she will not find favor in his eyes, for he found in her a matter of immorality, and he wrote her a bill of divorce.” (24:1)

“That he happened upon you on the way.” (25:18)

“When you will go out to war against your enemies, and Hashem, your G-d, will deliver him into your hand, and you will capture its captives.” (21:10)

“And you will see among its captivity a woman who is beautiful of form… If a man will have two wives, one beloved and one hated… If a man will have a wayward and rebellious son.” (21:11,15,18)

YEARS

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