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Dedicated in memory of Alice Setton

Parshat Ki Teitzei August 21, 2021 13 Elul, 5781

TORAH Rabbi Sacks on Parshat Ki Teitzei
ARTSCROLL 1046 Our parsha contains more not love” or “unloved” is deciding to whom to hand it
HERTZ 840 laws than any other. senuah, which normally means on.” But there is also the
Some of them have “hated.” We will see later why welfare of others, including
HAFTORAH generated much study this strong word is used. the other children, other
ARTSCROLL 1201 and debate, especially On the face of it, this is a family members, and the
HERTZ 857 two at the beginning, the straightforward, logical law. It community and society that
law of the captive woman are damaged by family
Bar Mitzvah and that of the “stubborn tells us that love must not disputes. The Torah here
override justice. The firstborn,
of and rebellious son.” There in ancient Israel and elsewhere, draws a line, acknowledging
Charlie Sassoon is, however, one law that have special rights, especially the rights of the biological
deserves much more in connection with inheritance. firstborn and circumscribing
Aufruf attention than it has In most societies they tended the rights of the father.
generally received,
of namely the one placed to succeed to their father’s The law as such is
Joshua Frumkin between these two. It position. That was the case in straightforward. What
concerns the laws of Israel in relation to kingship makes it remarkable is that
Times inheritance: If a man has and priesthood. They did not it reads as if it were directed
two wives, and he loves inherit all the father’s property, against a specific biblical
Weekly Times one but not the other, but they did inherit twice as figure, namely Jacob. One
5
/7
6
:3
5
Mon. & Thurs. am and both bear him sons much as the other children. It connection is linguistic. The
:
4
was important to have rules
key terms in our law are an
but the firstborn is the
Tues., Wed. & Fri. 6:45/7:45 am son of the wife he does like the above to avoid opposition between ahuvah,
Sunday 8:30 am not love, when he wills damaging family splits every “loved,” and senuah,
time a death occurred or was “hated/unloved.” This
his property to his sons,
Mincha 7:30 pm he must not give the imminent. The Torah gives us a opposition occurs ten times
in the Torah. Three have to
graphic example of the court
rights of the firstborn to
Shabbat Times the son of the wife he intrigue that went on, as David do with the relationship
Friday Night 7:00 pm loves in preference to his lay dying, as to which of his between us and God: “those
who hate Me and those who
Mincha actual firstborn, the son children should be his heir.
of the wife he does not More recently, lehavdil, there love Me.” That leaves seven
Candle Lighting 7:27 pm have been several examples of other cases. Four are in the
love. He must
Hashkama 8:00 am acknowledge the son of Hassidic dynasties irreparably paragraph above. The other
torn apart because different
three are all about Jacob:
Parsha Shiur 8:30 am his unloved wife as the groups wanted different two of them about his love
firstborn by giving him a
Main Sanctuary 9:00 am double share of all he individuals to inherit the for Rachel in preference to
Beit Midrash 9:15 am has. That son is the first leadership. Leah (Genesis 29:30-31, 32
-33), the third about his
sign of his father’s There is a tension between
Youth Minyan 9:45 am love for Joseph in preference
strength. The right of the individual liberty and the to the other sons (Genesis
Gemara Shiur 6:20 pm firstborn belongs to him. common good. Individual 37:4). Both caused great
(Deut. 21:15-17) Note liberty says, “This wealth is
Mincha/SS 7:20 pm grief within the family and
that the Hebrew word mine. I should be able to do
Shabbat Ends 8:33 pm here translated as “does with it what I like, including had devastating
consequences in the long
Latest Times for
Shema/Shemoneh Esrei Kiddush is sponsored by
August 21 9:34/10:42 am Aliza & Dov Sassoon
August 28 9:36/10:43 am in honor of the Bar Mitzvah of their son Charlie
Next Shabbat
Ki Tavo Bima Flowers are sponsored by
Mincha 7:00 pm Marcy & Daniel Aharon
Candle Lighting 7:16 pm in honor of the Bat Mitzvah of their daughter Nili