Parshat Ki Tetze 5777
Rabbi Jablinowitz
We read in the beginning of this week's parsha about the Yefas To'ar. The Torah gives us specific instructions for how a man may take a non-Jewish woman captured in the midst of a war. Though in regular circumstances this woman is prohibited to him, during wartime and when done according to the Torah, it is permitted. Rashi explains this surprising Halacha according to the adage, Lo Dibrah Torah Elah K'Neged Yetzer Hara. The Torah understood that during wartime one's yetzer hara might be stronger, therefore the Torah permitted something normal prohibited given the changed circumstances of the soldier, albeit with certain restrictions. As Rashi continues and explains, if the Torah wouldn't permit this woman to him, he would marry her in a prohibited manner.
The Sfas Emes asks why the Torah permits this woman, the Yefas To'ar, to those in battle. Why didn't Hashem help those going out to war and reduce their yetzer hara rather than permit something which is otherwise prohibited?
The Medrash Rabbah on our parsha (6, 3) quotes the pasuk from Mishlei (Chapter 1, Pasuk 9), Ki Livyas Chein Heim L'Roshecha. The Medrash darshens the pasuk to mean, Lechol Makom She'Telech Hamitzvos Melavos Oscha, wherever you go the mitzvos will accompany you. When you build a house, the Torah obligates you to put up a ma'akeh, a fence on the roof. When you build the doorway to your home, there is a mitzvah to place a mezuzah. When you buy clothes, you must insure it doesn't contain shatnez. These mitzvos brought in our parsha all indicate that whatever mundane activity a person is involved with, there is an accompanying mitzvah which prescribes and limits the physical activity he is involved in.
The Sfas Emes explains this Medrash on a deeper level. When one is involved in the physical world, building a house, buying clothes, there is a possibility of being drawn towards desire and temptation and away from Gd. The fact that the Torah commands mitzvos for all the permitted activity of this world allows one to become closer to Hashem even as he is involved in mundane, physical activities. The fact that he fulfills mitzvos of the Torah while he is building in the world, allows him to connect to the light of the Torah which is experienced through the fulfillment of the mitzvos.
The Ohr Gedalyahu quotes a similar Medrash at the end of parshat Shelach (17, 5) and takes this idea a step further. Not only do we have mitzvos to connect us to Hashem while we are involved in the physical world, but whenever we move further away from the source, we have more mitzvos to connect us. After man takes the wheat that grew in the field and changes it by harvesting, he has mitzvos to give tithes. He grinds the wheat and turns it into dough, he is obligated to take Challah. Every step of the way of our involvement in the physical world we have ways to keep us connected to the source, to Hakadosh Baruch Hu.
The Sfas Emes explains that when something is Asur, it means that a person who violates the Issur becomes Asur himself; he becomes chained to the yetzer hara contained within the sin. And Rashi teaches us that when someone takes for himself a Yefas To'ar, the Torah is telling us that in the end he will despise her; hence the following parsha of one who loves one wife and hates the other. Therefore, by not making the Yefas To'ar Asur the Torah is allowing the soldier in battle to not become bound up by the yetzer hara. If he wants her, he must follow the steps proscribed by the Torah, and even then he will hate her. In the end, he will be drawn closer to Hashem and not be drawn in to his physical desires, despite the fact that being in the battle is an extreme case of being involved in the physical. Our parsha begins with the woman captured in battle because it sets the tone for the rest of the parsha as well. We may be involved in the physical world but that involvement must be accompanied by the performance of mitzvos. And in fulfilling these mitzvos we are ensured that rather than pull us further away, the mitzvos of the Torah enable us to feel the light of Hashem even while being involved in the most mundane of activities.
Good Shabbos
Print this article