ב ס ״ ד Torah All the Mitzvos in Ki Teitzei concludes with the material world, it is confronted obligation to remember “what by challenges that may require Weekly Parshat Ki Teitzei Amalek did to you on the road, it to engage in battle. Seventy-four of the Torah’s on your way out of Egypt. For there are two aspects to August 15-21 2021 (mitzvot) material existence. Our world 7 Elul – 13 Elul, 5781 are in the Parshah of Ki Teitzei. was created because G-d : These include the laws of the “desired a dwelling in the lower Ki Teitzei: Deuteronomy 21:10 - beautiful captive, the War and Peace: Will a worlds,” i.e., the physical 26:19 inheritance rights of the Haftarah: Dove Grow Claws? universe can serve as a dwelling Isaiah 54:1-54:10 firstborn, the wayward and for G-d, a place where His rebellious son, burial and Every day, we conclude essence is revealed. But as the

dignity of the dead, returning a the Shemoneh Esreh prayers by term “lower worlds” implies, PARSHAT Ki Teitzei praising G-d “who blesses His lost object, sending away the G-d’s existence is not readily We have Jewish mother bird before taking her people Israel with peace.” And apparent in our environment. when describing the

Calendars. If you young, the duty to erect a safety On the contrary, the material would like one, fence around the roof of one’s blessings G-d will bestow upon nature of the world appears to please send us a home, and the various forms of us if we follow His will, our preclude holiness. An attempt letter and we will kilayim (forbidden plant and Sages state, “peace is to resolve these two equivalent to all other send you one, or animal hybrids). contradictory thrusts is thus Also recounted are the judicial blessings.” Indeed, our Sages often characterized by conflict.

Calendars ask the procedures and penalties for explain that Shalom, Hebrew /Chaplain to for “peace,” is one of the names This is the Torah’s conception adultery, for the rape or of war, a struggle to transform contact us. of G-d Himself. seduction of an unmarried girl, even the lowest elements of Do you have family and for a husband who falsely Why does peace play such a existence into a dwelling for on the outside accuses his wife of infidelity. fundamental part in our Jewish G-d. For this reason, the Torah struggling? The following cannot marry a heritage? Every man’s soul is commanded the to fight to Please contact or person of Jewish lineage: a “an actual part of G-d from conquer the Land of Canaan, have them contact mamzer (someone born from above.” Therefore he possesses and thereby turn a land which a natural desire to allow that our office to learn an adulterous or incestuous was notorious for its relationship); a male of G-dly spark an opportunity to more about our depravity into Eretz Yisrael, a Moabite or Ammonite descent; express itself. He seeks to grow land of which it is said “the eyes family programs. a first- or second-generation in understanding in a You and they are of the L-rd, your G-d, are upon Edomite or Egyptian. harmonious environment it from the beginning of the Family Programs not alone, we are Our Parshah also includes laws without being confronted by year until the end of the year.” here to help. external challenges.

governing the purity of the Furthermore, even when there military camp; the prohibition Unfortunately, this is not is no explicit command for war, We offer free Grape against turning in an escaped always possible. We live in a the potential is there to Juice and Matzoh slave; the duty to pay a worker material world which by nature forcefully extend the for you to be able to on time, and to allow anyone encourages selfishness and the boundaries of holiness and make the blessings working for you—man or quest for personal gratification. enable it to encompass areas every Shabbos. animal—to “eat on the job”; the In such a world, the search for which were previously Please have your proper treatment of a debtor, spiritual growth may often lead governed by worldliness. and the prohibition against to conflicts of interest, and at chaplain / Rabbi Discovering our Resources contact us to enroll charging interest on a loan; the times, actual conflict. (available to all laws of divorce (from which are Waging War A person need not fear also derived many of the laws undertaking such efforts; on the Grape Juice & Matzah prisons). These concepts are alluded to in

of marriage); the penalty of contrary, he is assured Divine the name of this Hyman & Martha Rogal Center thirty-nine lashes for blessing. This is alluded to by transgression of a Torah week’s Torah reading, Parshas the Hebrew translated as 5804 Beacon Street KiSeitzei which Pittsburgh, PA 15217 prohibition; and the procedures “against your enemies,” in the 412-421-0111 for yibbum (“levirate begins: “When you go out to verse cited above. Literally the battle against your enemies.” In Fax: 412-521-5948 marriage”) of the wife of a phrase means “above your the soul’s natural environment, www.alephne.org deceased childless brother, or enemies,” conveying the [email protected] chalitzah (“removing of the the spiritual worlds above there promise that even as the soul is no conflict. When, however, shoe”) in the case that the descends into our material brother-in-law does not wish to the soul “goes out” from that world and confronts challenges, marry her. setting and descends to our it always possesses the power to

IN August 15-21, 2021 7 Elul 5781- 13 Elul 5781 overcome them. Since the more than a commitment to soul is “an actual part of gradual progress. “Serving Elul Observances G-d,” it is always above As the last month of the Jewish year, Elul is traditionally a time of introspection and G-d,” involved breaking our stocktaking -- a time to review one's deeds and spiritual progress over the past year and worldly influence and has individual natures, and showing prepare for the upcoming "Days of Awe" of Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. the power to overcome all that there is no limit to our As the month of Divine Mercy and Forgiveness) it is a most opportune time for teshuvah obstacles and transform commitment to Him. ("return" to G-d), prayer, charity, and increased Ahavat Yisrael (love for a fellow ) its environment. in the quest for self-improvement and coming closer to G-d. Chassidic master Rabbi This endeavor involves constant Schneur Zalman of Liadi likens the month of Elul to a time when "the king is in the Moreover, it is the struggle. A person cannot reach a field" and, in contrast to when he is in the royal palace, "everyone who so desires is challenge of “battle” that level of spiritual achievement permitted to meet him, and he receives them all with a cheerful countenance and shows brings out the essential and then “rest on his laurels.” a smiling face to them all." Specific Elul customs include the daily sounding of the shofar (ram's horn) as a call to power which the soul Instead, he must continuously strive to advance further. repentance. The Baal Shem Tov instituted the custom of reciting three additional possesses. For such chapters of Psalms each day, from the 1st of Elul until Yom Kippur confrontation compels a The Ultimate Battles person to draw on his Because the task of refining the Sunday August 15, 7 Elul Moses' parents remarry (1394 BCE) Amram and Jocheved had separated because of Pharaoh's decree that all inner strength. This world is often compared to a male Jewish babies be killed. Prompted by their six-year-old daughter Miriam's rebuke search for strength in turn battle, one of the criteria given to ("Pharaoh decreed against the males; you decreed against the males and the females") brings an awareness of identify Mashiach the leader they remarried on the 7th of Elul of the year 2367 from creation (1394 BCE). Moses one’s inner G-dly nature. who will motivate mankind to was born six months and one day later on Adar 7, 2368 (Talmud, Sotah 12b). And when that G-dly core accomplish its purpose is that he Monday, August 16, 1790 Washington Responds to Newport Jews (1790) is aroused, a person can will “wage the wars of G-d.” For The sexton of the Hebrew Congregation of Newport, Rhode Island, wrote a overcome any challenges, it is possible that the task of heartwarming letter to George Washington, on behalf of the Jewish community and spread G-dliness in refining the world will require welcoming the President on his visit to Newport. In his letter, he expressed a vision of all settings. In this way, actual conflict, so an American government that would permit all religions to live side by side in harmony, giving all its citizens the freedom to practice their religions he becomes G-d’s that Mashiach must “fill the world with justice” by On August 18, 1790, President Washington responded: The Citizens of the United partner, making manifest States of America have a right to applaud themselves for having given to mankind G-d’s purpose in creation. “destroying the power of the examples of an enlarged and liberal policy: a policy worthy of imitation. All possess wicked and waging the wars of alike liberty of conscience and immunities of citizenship. It is now no more that Inner Conflicts G-d.” toleration is spoken of, as if it was by the indulgence of one class of people, that The concept of battle is This, however, is merely a stage. another enjoyed the exercise of their inherent natural rights. For happily the relevant to within out own Government of the United States, which gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no Ultimately, Mashiach will assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection should demean lives as well. Commenting “vanquish all the nations themselves as good citizens, in giving it on all occasions their effectual support. on the verse, “And you surrounding him… and perfect ...May the Children of the Stock of Abraham, who dwell in this land, continue to merit shall ….see the difference the entire world, [motivating all and enjoy the good will of the other Inhabitants; while everyone shall sit in safety between one who serves the nations] to serve G-d under his own vine and fig tree, and there shall be none to make him afraid... G-d and one who does not together,” thus initiating the era serve Him” (Malachi 3:18) Tuesday, August 17, 9 ElulNachmanides Renews Jerusalem community (1267) when “there will be neither (Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman, 1194-1270) arrived in Jerusalem, after Our sages define, “one famine nor war, neither envy nor being forced to flee his native Spain and renewed its Jewish community there. The who serves G-d” as “one competition… [and] the he established is functional today, having been restored following the who reviews his subject occupation of the entire world liberation of the Old City during the Six-Day War in 1967. matter 101 times,” and one will be solely to know G-d.” who does not serve Him” Wednesday August 18, 10 Elul Noah Dispatches Raven (2105 BCE) By Eli Touger On the 10th of Elul of the year 1656 from creation (2105 BCE), as the Great Flood as “one who reviews his neared its end, Noah opened the window of the Ark and dispatched a raven to subject matter only 100 determine if the flood waters had begun receding. times.” In the Tanya the Alter Thursday August 18, 11 Elul Completion of Beit Yosef (1542) In 1522, Rabbi Yosef Caro started writing the Beit Yosef, his famous commentary Rebbe explains that, in that on the Arba Turim, Yaakov Ben Asher’s comprehensive Halachic code. He started era, it was customary for writing this commentary in Adrianople, Turkey, and continued for the next twenty students to review their years, during which time he relocated to , Israel. He completed the subject matter 100 times. monumental work on the 11th of Elul. It took another ten years for the writings to Therefore, it as the one be published. hundred and first time that Friday August 19, 12 Elul Sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe visits US (1929) the person went beyond the On the 12th of Elul (September 16) of 1929, two years after escaping a death normal practice which sentence imposed upon him by the Russian Communist regime and his subsequent distinguished him as “one departure from that country, the sixth Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak who serves God.” For only Schneersohn, arrived in New York for a ten-month tour of the United States. one who struggles to rise above his nature merits Shabbat August 20, 13 Elul R. Yosef Yitzchak's marriage (1897) Marriage of the 6th Rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch, Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn such a title. (1880-1950), to Nechamah Dinah (1882-1971). A person must challenge Passing of Ben Ish Chai (1909) himself; and this means Elul 13 is the yahrtzeit of Rabbi Yosef Chaim of Baghdad (1835-1909), the renowned Sephardic Halachic authority and Kabbalist, known as "Ben Ish Chai" after his work by that name.