Parshat HaShavua Ki Seitzei
Shalom Uvracha
Enjoy and have a Shabbat full of rest and peace.
בס''ד
Parashas Ki Seitzei
I. Being Perceptive to Another's Needs
"You should not see the ox of your brother or his lamb lost, and hide
from them; surely you shall return them to your brother..." (Devarim 22:1)
The Torah commands us to return a lost ox or lamb, upon sighting them, to
their owner and warns us not to act as if we never saw the animal and
continue on our way. The Ibn Ezra (1089-1164) points out that this
obligation applies even when one is going to war. Imagine the tumult and
confusion as soldiers leave their families and rush, dressed in battle gear,
to the front. How could one be expected to notice that a lost lamb is
grazing by the side of the road? Shouldn't the Torah excuse someone acting
under such pressured and hectic circumstances from the performance of this
mitzvah?
By obligating us with this commandment, even when we are on the way to
battle, the Torah is testifying that we have the capability to notice the
needs of our friend and his property, even in the most trying of times. Our
minds may be preoccupied with our own survival; nevertheless, we can, and
must, be conscous of our neighbor's needs at all times. An example of this
constant awareness can easily be found. The mother of a large family spends
the day cooking, cleaning, shopping and perhaps even holding down a job. As
her last child is put to bed and her final chore is finished, she falls,
exhausted, into a deep sleep. Not a noise in the world could rouse her –
except for the sound of her baby crying softly in a distant bedroom. This
level of continuous sensitivity to the needs of others must be our goal.
When a child starts learning Gemara, he begins by studying the laws of
torts, property and contracts. Instead of spending hours discussing the
unlikely case of two people simultaneously finding and grabbing a tallis or
the case of one person's ox goring another's, why not teach the seemingly
more relevant laws of Shabbos or Pesach? The Vilna Gaon answers this
question: When the budding Talmudist sees page after page discussing every
intricacy of every possible case that deals with another person and his
property, he realizes the concern the Torah wants us to have for others. By
beginning with these topics, we are trying to transmit those feelings of
caring and concern to every cheder child.
Reb Yisrael Salanter founded a campaign to stress the learning of mussar
after a specific incident. One day, before Yom Kippur, Reb Yisrael passed
very pious and learned man who was deep in thought contemplating the
seriousness of the moment. Reb Yisrael asked the man for the time but the
man continued walking, totally oblivious to Reb Yisrael and his inquiry.
Reb Yisrael felt that the man was unjustified in his neglect of a chessed –
kindness. Had this man been involved in properly reflecting on teshuvah –
repentance – and self-betterment he would have become more aware of the
people around him who needed his help, not less aware.
With Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur almost upon us, we must learn the
lesson Reb Yisrael Salanter spent the rest of his life teaching. The manner
in which we act towards others is the ultimate manifestation of our
religiosity and our love of Hashem. Upgrading our level of chessed is a
fitting first step on our road to Yom Kippur and teshuvah.
II. Breaking Down the Protective Barriers
"Remember what Amalek did to you, on the way, as you were leaving Egypt
"…(Devarim 25:17)
The Torah, in describing the attack of Amalek against B'nai Yisrael
states אשר קרך בדרך. Rashi translates the word קרך as "he cooled you off".
He cites an analogy of a boiling hot bath into which allare afraid to enter,
until a rebellious individual jumps in. Although he suffers severe burns,
he has cooled off the bath in the eyes of the others. Similarly, the
nations of the world were in awe of B'nai Yisrael when they left Egypt .
Amalek, by daring to attack them, diminished this fear.
Yes, Amalek suffered a crushing defeat. The rebellious person was
severely burned. Why then were the others less afraid to follow suit
despite having witnessed Amalek's painful fate?
Chazal are revealing to us the inner dynamics of the human psyche.
Actions that are morally wrong or physically harmful are subconsciously
removed from the realm of possibility. (A normal, well-adjusted person)
does not even consider the possibility of placing his hand into a fire.)
This reaction is a protective mechanism, a fence which further removes a
person from danger. When the onlookers saw the reckless person jump into
the boiling bath, this protective barrier was broken down and the action
entered into the realm of possibility. The bath, although in reality still
boiling, had "cooled off" in their perspective ( See Sifsei Chachamim ibid.)
The Jews, as they left Egypt , were surrounded by an aura of
invincibility – "The nations heard and trembled" (Shmos 15:14). No army
dared attack Hashem's Chosen People. Amalek disregarded the danger and paid
a heavy price – but the damage was done, the barrier broken. The
unthinkable was now possible; Hashem's people were no longer untouchable.
This is the terrible sin of Amalek for which they deserve total
obliteration, even the children and cattle, even the very memory of Amalek.
We live in a society where conduct once considered unthinkable is now
commonplace. Acts of immorality, vulgarity and violence, deeds which the
Torah defines as abominations and only a generation ago were considered
unimaginable, are now paraded openly without shame.
Do we realize the effect our environment has upon us? Our neshamas are
holy and pure, created in Hashem's image and instilled with the sensitivity
of the Torah's moral standards. Every violent act we see, every improper
_expression we hear, breaks down our protective barriers and brings these
actions into the realm of possibility. Let us guard ourselves and our
families from negative influences and reinforce ourselves with the study of
Torah and mussar as we strive higher in the service of Hashem.
