Ki Teitzei 5774:          Separation

By Rabbi Joshua (potentially known as The Hoffer) Hoffman

Parshas Ki Tetzel consists of many mitzvos, positive commandments, and aveiros, prohibitions, which are bound together by the principle of causality, known as mitzvah goreres mitzvah and aveirah goreres aveirah, or a positive mitzvah brings in its wake another positive mitzvah and a sin drags along another sin. The Maharal explains that the idea behind this principle is that the Torah constitutes one unified whole, so that fulfillment of one part leads to fulfillment of another part, and transgression of one part leads to the transgression of another part. My teacher, Rav Aharon Soloveitchik, zt”l, noted that the parsha moves back and forth from mitzvos between man and God, and mitzvos between man and his fellow man, to demonstrate that they are connected, and are two parts of the same Torah. Thus, we see an inner progression of the parsha from one mitzvah, or prohibition, to the next.  Based on a teaching of Rav Yosef Dov Soloveitchik, zt”l, I believe that we can find a general theme to the parsha, linking its beginning to its end, and applying to many of the mitzvos in-between. 

Among the prohibitions listed in our parsha is that of sha’atnez, of wearing clothing made of linen and wool that are attached together (Devarim 22:11). This prohibition is part of the general category of kilayim, which prohibits other types of mixing of diverse species, such as seeds and animals, which prohibitions are mentioned in our parsha, as, well.  Rav Soloveitchik, zt”l, in his Darash Yosef, says that these prohibitions are a matter of setting boundaries. God created the world and its natural laws, and that process set boundaries for the different species. Blurring boundaries is an act of rebellion against God. We may add that there are a number of other prohibitions in the parsha that reflect this principle, such as the blurring of the boundaries between man and woman, as seen in the prohibition of a man wearing a woman’s clothing, and vice versa (Devarim 22:5).

Based on this principle of maintaining the boundaries that God set at creation, Rav Soloveitchik, zt”l, offers a homiletic interpretation of the opening verses of our parsha, which speaks of the solder who sees a beautiful woman taken captive in war, a yefas toar, and wishes to take her as his wife. He says that the war symbolizes the spiritual war between the Jewish people and the other nations. Those nations may appear, externally, to be beautiful, but, beneath the outer layer, we may find cruelty and egoism. Although we may learn legitimate and genuine knowledge from other cultures, we must learn to distinguish between the pure and the impure. For this reason, a process of separation is necessary before the captive woman, the culture of the other nations, is permitted. Taking in the culture of the foreign nation without first going through this process, without differentiating between the pure and the impure, can lead to the prohibition of kilayim, of improperly integrating diverse species.

Following Rav Soloveitchik’s approach, we can also explain the mitzvos that appear at the end of the parsha – those of remembering what Amalek did to the Jewish people, and of blotting Amalek out. On a practical level, as pointed out by Rav Moshe Feinstein in his Darash Moshe, we are unable to wipe out Amalek today, even though the Rambam lists it as a mitzvah that is still applicable. Still, says Rav Moshe, zt”l, we need to remember what Amalek did, as a reminder of what we as individuals are capable of. Amalek attacked the Jewish people after they left Egypt even though they saw the great miracles that God had done for them. This teaches us that a person is capable of committing the most obvious wrongs, such as theft and even murder, even though he is well aware that it is wrong to do so. That is why, on Yom Kippur, after a day of prayer and repentance, we ask that God help us refrain from theft, which is obviously wrong, but which we still have the capacity to commit. The recognition of this capacity to sink so low should bring us to a great appreciation of God’s great kindness in redeeming us from the depravity of Egypt and giving us the Torah, which teaches us to set boundaries that separate us from our baser instincts, and enable us to reach a higher level of purity and spirituality.