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Rabbi Sacks on Parshat Ki Teitzei ARTSCROLL 1046 HERTZ 840 Our Parsha Contains More Not Love” Or “Unloved” Is Deciding to Whom to Hand It Laws Than Any Other

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Rabbi Sacks on Parshat Ki Teitzei ARTSCROLL 1046 HERTZ 840 Our Parsha Contains More Not Love” Or “Unloved” Is Deciding to Whom to Hand It Laws Than Any Other Dedicated in memory of Alice Setton Parshat Ki Teitzei August 21, 2021 13 Elul, 5781 TORAH Rabbi Sacks on Parshat Ki Teitzei ARTSCROLL 1046 HERTZ 840 Our parsha contains more not love” or “unloved” is deciding to whom to hand it 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 family members, and the On the face of it, this is a HERTZ 857 two at the beginning, the community and society that straightforward, logical law. It law of the captive woman are damaged by family tells us that love must not Bar Mitzvah and that of the “stubborn disputes. The Torah here override justice. The firstborn, of and rebellious son.” There draws a line, acknowledging in ancient Israel and elsewhere, is, however, one law that the rights of the biological Charlie Sassoon have special rights, especially deserves much more firstborn and circumscribing in connection with inheritance. attention than it has the rights of the father. Aufruf In most societies they tended generally received, of to succeed to their father’s The law as such is namely the one placed position. That was the case in straightforward. What Joshua Frumkin between these two. It Israel in relation to kingship makes it remarkable is that concerns the laws of and priesthood. They did not it reads as if it were directed Times inheritance: If a man has inherit all the father’s property, against a specific biblical two wives, and he loves but they did inherit twice as figure, namely Jacob. One Weekly Times one but not the other, much as the other children. It connection is linguistic. The Mon. & Thurs. 6:35/7:45 am and both bear him sons 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 like the above to avoid opposition between ahuvah, son of the wife he does damaging family splits every “loved,” and senuah, Sunday 8:30 am not love, when he wills time a death occurred or was “hated/unloved.” This his property to his sons, imminent. The Torah gives us a opposition occurs ten times Mincha 7:30 pm he must not give the graphic example of the court in the Torah. Three have to rights of the firstborn to intrigue that went on, as David do with the relationship Shabbat Times the son of the wife he lay dying, as to which of his between us and God: “those Friday Night 7:00 pm loves in preference to his children should be his heir. who hate Me and those who Mincha actual firstborn, the son More recently, lehavdil, there love Me.” That leaves seven of the wife he does not Candle Lighting 7:27 pm have been several examples of other cases. Four are in the love. He must Hassidic dynasties irreparably paragraph above. The other Hashkama 8:00 am acknowledge the son of torn apart because different three are all about Jacob: his unloved wife as the Parsha Shiur 8:30 am groups wanted different two of them about his love firstborn by giving him a individuals to inherit the for Rachel in preference to Main Sanctuary 9:00 am double share of all he leadership. Leah (Genesis 29:30-31, 32 has. That son is the first Beit Midrash 9:15 am -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 had devastating Shabbat Ends 8:33 pm here translated as “does with it what I like, including 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 26 Old Mill Road, Great Neck, NY 11023 (516) 487-6100 Shabbat Announcements Ki Teitzei 5781 run. This is how the Torah describes Jacob’s feelings for Reuben and Simeon. (Gen. 48:5) Later in the same chapter, Rachel: Jacob loved Rachel and said, “I’ll work for you he says: “I am about to die; but God will be with you and (Laban) seven years in return for your younger daughter bring you back to the land of your fathers. And now, I Rachel.” So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, but they assign you one portion more than to your brothers, which I seemed like only a few days to him because of his love for wrested from the Amorites with my sword and bow” (Gen. her…And Jacob cohabited with Rachel also; indeed, he loved 48:21-22). There are many interpretations of this verse, Rachel more than Leah. And he served him (Laban) another but according to Rashi, “This refers to the birthright, that seven years. (Genesis 29:18-30) And this is its description Joseph’s children should receive two portions when Canaan of the impact it had on Leah: When the Lord saw that Leah would be divided amongst the tribes.” Jacob’s other children was hated, He enabled her to conceive, but Rachel remained would receive one portion, while Joseph would receive two, childless. Leah conceived and bore a son, and named him one for each of his sons Ephraim and Manasseh. Reuben; for she declared, “It means: ‘The Lord has seen my It is against this practice that the law in our parsha is affliction’; it also means: ‘Now my husband will love me.’” directed. That is what is extraordinary. Jacob/Israel is the She conceived again and bore a son, and declared, “This is father of our people. But specifically in this respect, his because the Lord heard that I was hated and has given me conduct must not be taken as a precedent. We are this one also,” so she named him Simeon. (Gen. 29:31-33) forbidden to act as he did. The Torah is not telling us that I have translated the word senuah here as “hated” simply to Jacob did wrong. There are all sorts of explanations that give a sense of the shock of the text as it is in Hebrew. We reconcile his behavior with later law. Jacob did not keep the also understand why this word is used. Leah was, as the Torah except in the land of Israel (Ramban), and his gift of text says, loved less than Rachel. Jacob did not hate her, a double portion to Joseph happened in Egypt. We are but she felt hated, because less loved, thus unloved. This forbidden to transfer the birthright on grounds of love feeling dominated her marriage as we see in the names she alone, but we may do so if we believe that the firstborn has gave her eldest children. The rivalry continues and significant character deficiencies, which Jacob believed to be intensifies in the next generation: When his brothers saw true of Reuben (Gen. 49:3-4; Abarbanel). that their father loved him (Joseph) more than any of his But the law is telling us something very profound indeed. brothers, they hated him and could not speak a peaceful Love is the highest of emotions. We are commanded to love word to him. (Genesis 37:4) Less loved, the brothers felt God with all our heart, soul and might. But it is also, in hated, and so they hated the more loved Joseph. Love family contexts, fraught with danger. Love ruined Jacob’s generates conflict, even though none of the parties want life, time and again: in his relationship with Esau (Isaac conflict. Jacob didn’t hate Leah or her sons or the sons of loved Esau, Rebecca loved Jacob), in the relationship the handmaids. He did not deliberately decide to love Rachel between Leah and Rachel, and in the relationship between and later Joseph. Love doesn’t work like that. It happens to Joseph and his brothers. Love brings joy. It also brings us, usually not of our choosing. Yet those outside the tears. It brings some people close, but makes others feel relationship can feel excluded and unloved. This feels like distanced, rejected. Therefore, says the Torah, in our being hated. The Torah uses the word senuah to tell us how command: when love is likely to be the cause of conflict, it serious the feeling is. It is not enough to say “I love you must take second place to justice. Love is partial, justice is too,” when every act, every word, every look says, “I love impartial. Love is for someone specific; justice is for someone else more.” everyone. Love brings personal satisfaction; justice brings Which brings us to inheritance. Joseph was the eleventh of social order. Jacob’s twelve sons, but the firstborn of Jacob’s beloved Judaism is the most effective attempt in history to provide Rachel.
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