Parshat Ki Seitzei 5785
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in this week’s parsha about a man having relations with a נערה מאורשה, a woman who received Kiddushin from another man. This woman is an אשת איש, and the punishment for such an act is death. But the Torah makes a distinction in the outcome between whether the encounter took place in the city or in a field. If this occurred in the city, they are both killed. The man is guilty for having relations with a married woman. And the woman is also guilty, as the pasuk says (Chapter 22, Pasuk 24), על דבר אשר לא צעקה בעיר. She could have cried out and been saved since she was in the city. Therefore, she is also punished with death, as she is assumed to have agreed.
But in the field, only he is killed. The pasuk says (Pasuk 26), ולנערה לא תעשה דבר, the young woman is not punished. And as the next pasuk states, כי בשדה מצאה צעקה הנערה המארשה ואין מושיע לה. She was in the field and she cried out; but there was no one there to save her. The Ramban teaches that the city and the field are just the common examples. But the guiding principle is, were there others around who could have saved her. If there was no one around to save her, then even in the city she is innocent; her calling out would not have helped. And if there were people she could have called out to and she didn’t, then even in the field she is liable.
The Sfas Emes learns that the distinction between the city and the field is meant to teach us the significance of צעקה, of calling out in prayer. When a Jew is under duress, he needs to pray. This is a special ability that every Jew has, inherited form our father Yaakov Avinu. As the Medrash Rabbah on parshat Balak teaches (20,4), אין כחו אלא בפיו. Therefore, a Jew in distress is never considered as an אונס; he is never considered as being in a situation beyond his control. He can always call out in a prayer. The punishment is because על דבר אשר לא צעקה בעיר. She (or he) didn’t call out to Hashem.
But why precisely in the city? The Sfas Emes learns that the city is a metaphor for Yerushalayim and the Beis Hamikdash. When the Beis Hamikdash was standing, then one can always call out to Hashem and be answered. But this changed with the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash. The Gemara in Berachos 32B teaches in the name of Rabbi Elazar, מיום שחרב בית המקדש ננעלו שערי תפלה; from that point on the gates of Tefillah were closed. And the pasuk in Eichah states (Chapter 3, Pasuk 8), גם כי אזעק ואשוע שתם תפלתי.
The term שדה refers to galus. The Medrash Rabbah on parshat Toldos (65, 23) on the pasuk (Chapter 27, Pasuk 27), ראה ריח בני כריח שדה אשר ברכו ד', teaches that Hashem showed Yitzchak the Beis Hamikdash built up, destroyed, and then built up again. ריח בני references the Beis Hamikdash built with the ריח ניחוח of sacrifices, ריח שדה references the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash, as the pasuk says in sefer Michah (Chapter 3, Pasuk 12) ציון שדה תחרש. And the Mishnah in Ta’anis 26B teaches that on Tisha B’Av נחרשה העיר; the destruction of Yerushalayim was completed when it was plowed over. This is a reference to the second Beis Hamikdash destroyed by the Romans. I heard many years ago from Rav Moshe Shapiro zt”l that this was the Beis Hamikdash which corresponded to Yitzchak Avinu. And the Gemara in Pesachim teaches that Yitzchak referred to the Beis Hamikdash as a שדה, as the pasuk says (Chapter 24, Pasuk 63), ויצא יצחק לשוח בשדה. Hence, the total destruction of this Beis Hamikdash is referred to as the area being plowed over like a field. And finally, אשר ברכו ד', is a reference to BE”H the rebuilding of the Beis Hamikdash.
In the שדה, in galus, the gates of prayer are closed, as the Gemara above teaches. Hence, the pasuk says צעקה הנערה המארשה ואין מושיע לה. When one calls out in the field, there is no one to save us. Yet, the Gemara in Sanhedrin 83A learns from here that there is a way out. הא יש מושיע, ניתן להצילה בנפשו; if there is someone who can save her, he can save her by killing her attacker. Even in the galus, one must cry out first, צעקה הנערה, and then there is a possibility of being saved.
This situation, a נערה מאורשה being under attack, is a case of יהרג ואל יעבור. One must be willing to be Moser Nefesh, to give their life. When one is willing to be מוסר נפש then his prayers are answered.
Chazal established Tefillah three times a day after the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash. Though we are in galus, we still need to call out in prayer. But before we daven the Shemoneh Esrei and call out in prayer, we say Keriyas Shema. Keriyas Shema is where we say that we are willing to give our life to Hashem. ואהבת את ד' אלוקיך בכל לבבך ובכל נפשך ובכל מאודך. After that, we can daven and our prayers will be heard. This is the way to ensure that though we are in the שדה we will merit a response of הא מושיע לה. With the right attitude our prayers will be answered.
Good Shabbos
Print this article