Parashat Ki Tetze is the 49th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish reading cycle and is found in the Book of Deuteronomy (Devarim) 21:10 – 25:19. It is known for containing a wide range of commandments, covering various aspects of daily life, ethical behavior, and legal principles. The portion’s name, “Ki Tetze,” translates to “when you go out,” referring to the Israelites’ entrance into the world after leaving Egypt and receiving the laws of God.
Within the Parashat Ki Tetze, there are a staggering 74 of the 613 commandments, or mitzvot, that are found in the Torah. These commandments cover a diverse array of topics, reflecting the Torah’s concern for the ethical, moral, and communal aspects of human existence.
Here are some of the notable themes and laws found in Parashat Ki Tetze:
1. Ethical Treatment of Captives: The portion begins with instructions on how to deal with a beautiful captive woman taken as spoils of war. It emphasizes the importance of respecting her feelings and giving her time to grieve her past before any marital relationship can be established.
2. Family and Social Ethics: Various laws address family relationships, including inheritance rights, the treatment of rebellious sons, and the rights of the firstborn. These laws emphasize the importance of maintaining familial bonds and responsibilities.
3. Marriage and Divorce: The parashah outlines laws pertaining to marriage, divorce, and remarriage. It establishes regulations for the proper process of divorce, ensuring that it is conducted with fairness and proper documentation.
4. Ethical Treatment of Workers and Animals: Parashat Ki Tetze includes laws about fair labor practices, such as paying workers promptly and not oppressing them. It also emphasizes the ethical treatment of animals, prohibiting the muzzling of an ox while it treads grain, allowing it to eat from what it’s working.
5. Kindness to Vulnerable Members of Society: The portion stresses the importance of compassion for the vulnerable, including widows, orphans, and strangers. It commands leaving parts of the harvest for them to collect, promoting a sense of communal support.
6. Honesty and Integrity: The parashah contains laws promoting honesty and accuracy in business practices, including the use of honest weights and measures, ensuring fair transactions and preventing deception.
7. Respect for Boundaries: Laws about respecting property boundaries and returning lost items emphasize principles of honesty, integrity, and respect for others’ possessions.
8. Laws of Warfare and Ethical Conduct: Parashat Ki Tetze includes rules for ethical conduct during times of war. For example, it prohibits cutting down fruit-bearing trees during a siege, demonstrating concern for the environment and the rights of future generations.
9. Prohibitions Against Injustice: Various prohibitions are outlined, such as not bearing false witness, not perverting justice, and not oppressing others. These laws underscore the importance of maintaining a just and equitable society.
10. Balancing Rights and Responsibilities: The parashah provides a comprehensive framework that balances personal rights with communal responsibilities, emphasizing the importance of living in harmony and fairness with others.
Parashat Ki Tetze challenges individuals to consider their actions and attitudes in various spheres of life, promoting ethical conduct, empathy, and a sense of community. Its teachings have continued to influence Jewish ethical thought and serve as a guide for navigating complex moral dilemmas in the modern world.
כי תצא
דברים כ״א:י׳-כ״ה:י״ט
Ki Tetze
Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19
ישעיהו
נ״ד:א׳-י׳
Isaiah
You who bore no child!
Shout aloud for joy,
You who did not travail!
For the children of the wife forlorn
Shall outnumber those of the espoused
—said GOD.
Extend the size of your dwelling,
Do not stint!
Lengthen the ropes, and drive the pegs firm.
Your offspring shall dispossess nations
And shall people the desolate towns.
Do not cringe, you shall not be disgraced.
For you shall forget
The reproach of your youth,
And remember no more
The shame of your widowhood.
Will espouse you.
The Holy One of Israel—who is called “God of all the Earth”—
Will redeem you.
As a wife forlorn and forsaken.
Can one cast off the wife of his youth?
—said your God.
But with vast love I will bring you back.
I hid My face from you;
But with kindness everlasting
I will take you back in love
—said GOD your Redeemer.
As I swore that the waters of Noah
Nevermore would flood the earth,
So I swear that I will not
Be angry with you or rebuke you.
And the hills be shaken,
But my loyalty shall never move from you,
Nor My covenant of friendship be shaken
—said GOD, who takes you back in love.
Ki Tetze
more on Parashat Parashat Ki Tetze: Laws of Conduct
Quick Guide: The Five Books of Moses
Genesis | Exodus | Leviticus | Numbers | Deuteronomy |
---|---|---|---|---|
Bereshit (1:1-6:8) |
Shemot (1:1-6:1) |
Vayikra (1:1-5:26) |
Bemidbar (1:1-4:20) |
Devarim (1:1-3:22) |
Noach (6:9-11:32) |
Va'era (6:2-9:35) |
Tzav (6:1-8:36) |
Naso (4:21-7:89) |
Va'etchanan (3:23-7:11) |
Lech Lecha (12:1-17:27) |
Bo (10:1-13:16) |
Shemini (9:1-11:47) |
Behaalotecha (8:1-12:16) |
Ekev (7:12-11:25) |
Vayera (18:1-22:24) |
Beshalach (13:17-17:16) |
Tazria (12:1-13:59) |
Shelach (13:1-15:41) |
Re'eh (11:26-16:17) |
Chaye Sarah (23:1-25:18) |
Yitro (18:1-20:23) |
Metzora (14:1-15:33) |
Korach (16:1-18:32) |
Shoftim (16:18-21:9) |
Toledot (25:19-28:9) |
Mishpatim (21:1-24:18) |
Achare Mot (16:1-18:30) |
Chukat (19:1-22:1) |
Ki Tetze (21:10-25:19) |
Vayetze (28:10-32:3) |
Teruma (25:1-27:19) |
Kedoshim (19:1-20:27) |
Balak (22:2-25:9) |
Ki Tavo (26:1-29:8) |
Vayishlach (32:4-36:43) |
Tetzave (27:20-30:10) |
Emor (21:1-24:23) |
Pinchas (25:10-30:1) |
Nitzavim (29:9-30:20) |
Vayeshev (37:1-40:23) |
Ki Tisa (30:11-34:35) |
Behar (25:1-26:2) |
Matot (30:2-32:42) |
Vayelech (31:1-30) |
Miketz (41:1-44:17) | Vayakhel (35:1-38:20) |
Bechukotai (26:3-27:34) |
Masei (33:1-36:13) |
Haazinu (32:1-52) |
Vayigash (44:18-47:27) |
Pekude (38:21-40:38) |
V'Zot HaBeracha (33:1-34:12) |
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Vayechi (47:28-50:26) |
Parashat Ki Tetze – English reading