Thursday, 8 September 2022

The Shabbos Parsha is Parashas Ki Seitzei and the Haftorah for this Parasha or those who read the Shabbos Rosh Chodesh Parsha when Parashas Re'eh was read , now read for this Parsha of Ki Seitzei , Yeshayahu Isaiah 54 : 1 - 55 : 5 . This Haftorah is one of the Haftorahs of comfort after the period of Tisha B'Av and Speaks Of HaShem Returning To us To Save us And HaShem Reminds us that we are not forgotten And That HaShem's Kindness Will Not Be Removed from us And HaShem , Our One And Only Redeemer , Will Eternally Show us Kindness And Mercy , as a Jewish People . Our Shabbos Parsha Ki Seitzei , begins speaking of the " Yefas Toar , " - " The Woman of Beautiful form , " where a Jewish soldier goes out to battle and while in the enemy's territory , sees among them a woman , a foreign woman , not of Israel , not a Jew , a woman of beautiful form , among its captives and he desires her . The Sedra mentions that he can take her for a wife , but certain things need be done first . It was the way of the nations at the time , to dress their women up very beautifully in times of war so as to attract and catch the eyes of the other army's male soldiers . HaShem Understands That at a time of war , a man's Yetzer Horah may be heightened and so , Mercifully Permits him a way of overcoming it , But At No Time Does HaShem Ever Agree With a Jewish Soldier doing this , for a true proselyte is one who comes to Judaism , for the love of G-D , not for the physical-only love of a partner , as would be in this case at a heightened time of war , which is only a physical desire for the sake of physical reasons which is certainly not a holy and correct reason to become Jewish . We see that in this Parsha , the opinion of the " Beautiful form , " is only in the eyes of the man that is taken by what he sees And This Is Why HaShem Commands That when she is taken back to the Israelite Camp , she is to shave her head and let her nails grow , thus making herself less desirable , in the hopes that the Jewish soldier's desire might lessen so that he changes his mind about wanting to marry her for the possible reasons he may have wanted her in the first place out of physical desire only , which is heightened in times of war and which will hopefully dissipate when he sees her afterwards , away from the war situation and with her less physically made up appearance . She shall live in his house and mourn for her Father and her Mother for a month and thereafter be converted to Judaism and marry him if he still desires to marry her . But if he does not desire marriage with her , then he is to send her on her own and he may not enslave her or sell her as a slave , but he is at all times to treat her with respect . HaShem Wants us Jews to follow His Laws and not seek out foreign women that will lead us astray to their own nation's idol worshiping ways . However HaShem Looks Most Kindly upon a true and genuine Ger Proselyte Convert , who chooses with full love , The True Ways Of HaShem and Full Torah Judaism . HaShem So Much Respected the true Proselyte , That He Even Put The Sedra of The Ten Commandments in the Parsha of Yisro , who became a Righteous Proselyte . The case here of a " Yefas Toar " - " A Woman of Beautiful Form , " surely teaches us many lessons that we are not to just judge by the physical , but to look deeper , because Physicality Changes , but the goodness within is the True Gem . HaShem , as I mentioned , Prefers that soldiers do not get taken in by Physical Beauty , skin deep , but rather that the Jew and the Jewish soldier should keep holy , for the Jewish Army is to be unlike other armies , where a lot of negative things take place in some of the secular Nation's armies . The Jewish Army is to be different . The Jewish Army is to be comprised of Learned Holy Men , like King David's general and nephew Yoav ben Zeruyah was and careful selection would take place , as we learned before in Torah about how the Jewish army was spoken to by the Kohein anointed for war and officers , before they would go out to the battle , for the Jewish Army walked With HaShem Before them and was to be most holy . So such an action of the " Yefas Toar , " was certainly not encouraged among the Jewish Army . Our Sages taught that a " Yefas Toar " and the very action of marrying a " Yefas Toar " starts a roller - coaster of problems that lead to the very next Law mentioned in this Parsha , the case of possibly such a Father who married a Yefas Toar , putting the son of the woman that was a Yefas Toar , before his firstborn son of the original wife , for he may have more physical desire for the new wife and this then may lead to the next Law mentioned in the Parsha , the case of the wayward and rebellious son , who comes from the result of a " Yefas Toar , " marrying for physical desire reasons and not the right holy reasons and this could then lead to hanging and burial of this resultant rebellious son , so teach our Rabbis , who tell us that this is possibly why HaShem Put these Laws one after the other in the Torah . Such an idea was certainly proved , in the case of the happenings of Dovid Ha Melech , who went out to war and in fact married a " Yefas Toar " called Ma'acha , daughter of Talmai of Geshur , who was the Mother of Avshalom and Tamar . Exactly as Torah Teaches us in this Sedra of what will happen in cases like this , Avshalom rebelled against his Father King David , where everyday that King David would go and Judge the people , Avshalom would stand outside and turn the people away from his Father and it got so bad , that Dovid Ha Melech and his wife Bas-Sheva and their son Shlomo had to run from their own palace because of Avshalom , who even took his Father's Concubines ( as many concubines , as spear thrusts that were put into Avshalom at his death by King David's General , when Avshalom was running away and got his hair caught in a tree ) . Torah Talks of Hanging and so Avshalom faced the result of his own actions . Avshalom , who was a most beloved son of Dovid Ha Melech , where Dovid Ha Melech looked up to Avshalom at times , before his other sons ( like the Torah Parsha Tells us will happen ) , ended up hanging as he was riding away on his steed . The physicality of the whole story of the " Yefas Toar , " certainly came out in this happening with Dovid Ha Melech , for Avshalom spent much time on his looks and prided himself on his physicality , where he even became a Nazarite , not wanting to cut his hair , the very hair that ended up entangling him when he was fleeing from Yoav . The same physicality came out in his sister Tamar ( daughter of Ma'acha the " Yefas Toar " ) , who also prided herself on her looks , spending much time on her hair and physicality , which ended up attracting David's other son Amnon , where she was very over friendly with Amnon , beyond the Tznius of a part sister and the results were sadly very tragic , for Amnon wrongfully forced himself upon her at the end and so is the results of a " Yefas Toar , " - marrying a foreign woman just for her physicality . Such are the risks and dangers of going out from Holy Judaism . In the case of the rebellious son , this is the case where the son becomes a glutton and a drunkard and shows by his behaviour , that he must already be of an age to become accountable for Aveirahs and such actions at such an early age , show that when he becomes an adult , he will very likely get worse and commit robbery and so he is brought for judgement . Also is mentioned are the Laws with regards to hanging and the Jewish Laws of not leaving a body hanging over night , for it is an affront to HaShem , Whose Image , HaShem Gives to each human being . HaShem Then In The Parsha Teaches how we are to respect another's property and if we find an article belonging to our neighbour , we are to return it to them and if they are not near , we are to keep their article in our home until they ask for it and then return it . If we see the donkey of our brother or his ox falling on the road , we are to go and help ease the burden . Our Rabbis say that if we come across two people we know and their donkeys are struggling and one of the people we like and the other person we do not like , we are to help the one we dislike first ( the one that is a bigger attack on our Yetzer Horah ) . If it be a case of both people that we like , we are to help the one with the most burdened animal , for we are to be kind to animals . HaShem Commands That a man and woman shall not wear each other's garb . Such is an abomination to HaShem . HaShem Created each of us with our own special and specific roles in Creation and we are to totally respect that . Thus things that are known to be women's garments or of things they do for their own physicality , a man is forbidden to do and women are forbidden things that are pertaining to a man . HaShem Commands about the Chok of " Shiluach Ha Kein , " the Law of sending away the Mother Bird " And Then HaShem Commands us that if we are building a new house , we are to make a fence for the roof to protect anyone from harm . Such Is The Beauty Of Judaism , that we must not just think for the here and now or just for ourselves , but we are to act only in ways that always can lead to goodness and not act in any way that can later on , cause harm to others , Chas Ve Shalom . HaShem Commands us Again About our Holy Garments of Tzitzis and then the Sedra Talks of defaming a married woman . Torah then mentions the very heinous crime of Adultery , for faithfulness between a couple , is very important to HaShem , just like The Faithfulness that we are to keep to HaShem . HaShem Even Compares the two as being alike , in the beginning of the Book of the Prophet Hoseah . Faithfulness between a couple is so important To HaShem , That HaShem Even Allows His Own Holy Name to be erased in the test of fidelity and faithfulness , In HaShem's Law Of The Test of the Sotah . HaShem In Torah Then Discusses the Betrothed Maiden and the sanctity of Marriage and Betrothal . HaShem Cautions us not to behave like the other nations that at times married incestuously and even HaShem's Dislike and Law against the forbidden Marriage and those that come from it , are mentioned in this Sedra , where according to The Holy Torah , Mamzerim may not ever marry into the congregation Of HaShem . Nor are we to ever let a Moabite or Ammonite male ever enter into the Congregation Of HaShem , as a Jew , for the Moabite men made the plot to entice the Jewish People to sin using the women , this wicked plan put forward by Bilaam ; and the Ammonite Men , never showed us a drop of kindness when we Jews were coming forth from Egypt and they never even gave us bread and water . Kindness is to HaShem , Very Important and a Nation that displays no kindness , cannot be a part of the Jewish People . Our holy Fore-Father Avraham was known for his sweet trait of Chessed kindness , constantly offering wayfairers lodging and even had his tent open on all four sides so as to accommodate guests coming from all four directions and would offer them a meal and have them thank and acknowledge HaShem The One And Only True Creator . We are reminded to allow an Edomite ( our brother ) and an Egyptian ( in whose land we sojourned ) in the third generation , to allow them to enter into the congregation of HaShem . We are to keep our camps holy and pure , even of waste , to keep our Camp pure , For G-D Walks In The Midst of our Camp . Should a Slave be rescued from his master and thus escape his master to you , we shall not return him and we are to let him stay in our midst and not taunt him . Our Jewish women are to be holy and pure and not promiscuous , but they are to be filled with Tznius and modesty . We shall not take interest from our fellow Jew , not interest in money or food or even in emotional ways . When we make a vow , we are to keep to it , whatever emerges from our lips , we are to keep . We are also to respect the poor in our land and as Boaz did with Ruth and those whom he used to allow to glean in his field , we are to permit them to glean and pick up the fallen stalks or left bundles , or unpicked grapes left after harvesting . We are not to mix two kinds when planting and we are not to mix wool and linen in garments ( Shaatnez ) and we not to mix two kinds of animals . The mixing of garments among some of the other Laws are Chukkim , Laws that have a deeper reason for their keeping , a reason or reasons beyond just logic . Our Rabbis have put forward that a possible reason for the Law forbidding the mixture of wool and linen , may go right back to Kayin and Hevel , where Hevel Abel offered the firstlings of the flock , their choicest ( allied to the wool ) , while Kayin Cain offered the fruit of the ground - that which had already become overripe and that had already fallen on the ground , termed as fruit of the ground being allied to flax linen and so acts of generosity and selfless giving should not be mixed with acts of greed and selfishness . Also , the mixing of different species to make a new one , is very wrong , For The Way HaShem Made Creation , Is Perfect As It Is and with no more species needed in Creation , Than HaShem Created . HaShem Alone Knows all that Creation needs , to be perfect . HaShem Allows for Divorce and Gives the Laws regarding it and one that has divorced a woman , shall not after marrying another and divorcing her , return again to the first wife . A Husband who wants to divorce his wife , shall write her a " Get " - " A Bill of Divorce Document . " One is not to take a Millstone as a pledge , nothing that is the man's food , for it is like taking his life , Chas Ve Shalom . HaShem Feels Very Strongly about kidnapping another person and the punishment for that , is death . HaShem Strongly Warns us against Loshon Horah Slander , Reminding us That HaShem Gave us the Tongue and Mouth to speak words of Torah and Kindness and not to down talk and slander others , Chas Ve Shalom . HaShem Created the Creation Via Speaking And His Holy Hebrew Alphabet and so Speech is there to make holiness around us . HaShem Put the tongue behind the guard of the teeth , to keep it in check and so we must always watch our words . When we lend to someone , we are not to enter their home to take security for it , but must , with dignity for them , wait outside for them to bring the security and return it to them when the sun sets . We are not to cheat people and we are to always be honest to those working for us , native or proselyte and we are to pay them on their day . No man is to die for the sin of another . No man is to come to die for the sins of the World , For HaShem Tells us , " Father shall not be put to death because of sons , and sons shall not be put to death because of Father , a man shall be put to death for his own sin " Devarim Deuteronomy 24 : 16 . HaShem Forbids human sacrifices for the sin of others , for human sacrifices and ideas of a human dying for the sins of the world , comes only from and originates only from pagan beliefs . HaShem The One And Only Is our One And Only Savior ( Hoseah 13 : 4 and Isaiah 45 :21 ) . HaShem Commands That we Not pervert the judgement of a proselyte or orphan . Torah Commands about Lashes that need to be given and the amount by the count , not a single one more . We shall not muzzle the ox in its threshing , which would be cruel to prevent an animal working around food and wheat , to prevent it from nuzzling too . HaShem Then Commands about the Law of Levirate Marriage , where a man who dies childless , his brother is to marry his wife , referred to as the " Yevamah " performing " Yibum " , so as to bring up children in the deceased brother's name and if he decides not to marry her , a ceremony called Chalitzah - the Removing of the Shoe , is performed , for as our Rabbis say , he becomes like a mourner , not bringing up children in his late brother's name . HaShem Is Strict on the Laws of Embarrassing another And On keeping strict fair weights and measures and it is even an Aveirah to keep such things in the home , even if they are not used to cheat people . The Parsha ends with a reminder to Remember Amalek , who struck down our rear weaker ones when we had left Egypt and were on our way to Canaan . HaShem Says " And He ( Amalek ) did not fear G-D . " HaShem Tells us this , for at the time when we left Egypt , all the other nations at least acknowledged HaShem's Miracles And The Power Of HaShem , but Amalek did not , making light of HaShem And His Miracles . It was only Amalek that put HaShem Down as if trying to lessen The Value Of HaShem , Chas Ve Shalom , which no one can ever actually do , for Amalek would like to try to completely eradicate HaShem from existence , Chas Ve Shalom , which they could never actually do and no one else could ever actually do . Thus Amalek , is a direct attack to G-D Himself And HaShem Has Made It A Direct Commandment To us Jews , to Remember what Amalek did to us ( which we fulfill just before Purim by reading these verses - that is a true story of Amalek and Haman , who wanted to wipe us out completely But HaShem Turned it around and they lost ) and we are never to forget . We are Commanded That Even When HaShem Has Given us rest from all our enemies all around , in the Land That HaShem Our G-D Has Given us as an inheritance to possess it , that we are to wipe out the memory of Amalek , from under the Heaven - we shall not forget . Had our first Jewish King , King Saul , listened to HaShem and destroyed Agag and Amalek totally , we would have overcome them long ago , but now we will have to wait until the End of Days , to destroy them , for their ' Sar ' - ' their defending Angel above , ' who is ' Samael , ' the Angel that tempted Chava Eve in Gan Eiden , will only be destroyed at the End of Days . Until then , we are Commanded to wipe them out , wherever they rear their ugly head . May it come soon in our days . So ends the Parsha . This Parsha is called Parashas " Ki Seitzei " - " When you will go out " and these words so deeply and aptly say so much , for when we go out from The Protection Of HaShem And His Holy Torah Laws , we will encounter much strife and problem . The first thing mentioned is " going out to war , " so when we go out from HaShem , Chas Ve Shalom , to foreign ways , Chas Ve Shalom , we will encounter war , of different types , strife and enemies will abound . We will then be enticed further from HaShem , Chas Ve Shalom , with their foreign ways and marry out of the faith and lose our Judaism , Chas Ve Shalom . This will surely lead to loss of our Land and possessions and we will become very wayward , drifting adrift without proper truth and direction , among wayward and rebellious people , who rebel even more against HaShem's Ways . And where will this eventually lead ? To hanging and death and burial . That is the result of " Ki Seitzei " - " Going Out " from HaShem And His Holy Commandments , His Holy Torah and His Holy Ways . Being enticed by worthless physicalities which lead nowhere . They have no long lasting worth and disappear with the wind . Destruction is their only result and that is as clear as can be . The following Parsha after this one , is called " Ki Savo " - " When you enter / Come in " and Speaks of the rewards for following HaShem And His Holy Torah And His Holy Commandments And His Holy True Path Of Holy Light . " Ki Savo " - " Coming in , " toward HaShem , brings us Light and Life , but as this week's Parsha " Ki Seitzei " teaches , going out from HaShem's Light , Chas Ve Shalom , leads us to Darkness and Death and Destruction . How Clear And Beautiful Is HaShem And His Holy Torah . The Choice , HaShem Gives To us . As we learned in last week's Parsha and in the week before , in Parashas Shoftim and Parashas Re'eh , that we are given a choice to choose the good or the bad , to correctly choose HaShem , or to wrongly choose negativity and here in this and next week's Parsha , the results of our choice , are most plain to see . A good choice leads us to HaShem , His Holy Light And Life Eternal , but a bad choice leads us to war and worthless physicalities , loss of the physical Blessings HaShem Blesses us With , a Home Land , homes and rights , our very selves and our True and Only Path To HaShem and a wrong choice sadly results in our complete loss of Life and our very destruction . The Right Choice leads to HaShem's Sweet Holy Light in Gan Eiden Shamayim . Torah Is HaShem's Holy Gift To us . It is our Lighthouse Home to The Shore Of True And Everlasting Light And Life . It Is our Passage Home To HaShem . Torah , just like the Clouds of Glory That Surrounded us and our Jewish Camp in the Wilderness , Is our Protection from the " Ki Seitzei , " - the results of what will happen if we Chas Ve Shalom " Go Out " from HaShem . While we were within the Clouds of Glory , We were Protected , but when we strayed , we left HaShem's Protection and as happened to those hinder-most outside The Clouds of Glory , they were attacked by Amalek . The answer is so clear and so sweet . We must always stay Within HaShem's Loving Arms And HaShem's Holy Gift Of HaShem's Holy Torah and then Gan Eiden will be our Final home With HaShem's Beauty And Sweetness And Love , Within The Loving And Protective Arms Of HaShem Ha Kadosh Baruch Hu , HaShem The Holy One Blessed Be He . I wish Most Beloved Most Holy HaShem With Everlasting And Forever Sweetest Love , A Most Beautiful And Special And Sweet Shabbos Kodesh With Forever Love and to all my fellow Jews and to all of Creation , a most Beautiful and Special and Sweet Shabbos Kodesh with love .

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