Beth Elohim Messianic Synagogue
Parashah #49: Ki Tetze (When you go out) D’varim (Deuteronomy) 21:10-25:19
Haftarah: Yesha’yahu (Isaiah) 52:13-54:1-10
B’rit Chadashah: 1 Corinthians 9:4-18
This week’s parashah continues to reveal G-d’s “Blueprint” for the fledgling nation of Israel including rules for ethical warfare, family life, burial of the dead, property laws, ethical treatment of animals, fair labor practices, and the proper way to execute economic business transactions. In fact, 74 of the 613 commandments are presented in this parashah. Let’s look at these commandments in more detail.
I often tell my husband that I am fully aware I do not look the same physically as I did 20 years ago. But I tell him that perhaps this may be G-d’s way of clearing the way for the expression and focus on the developing “inner beauty” equating to a “Torah nature.” Instead of focusing on the fleeting physicality of an individual, may others come to know a believer by their expression of G-d’s love through their lifestyle. Indeed, this concept is described in Deut. 21:10-14 in a slightly different way. If an Israelite captured a prisoner of war that was an attractive woman, he was forbidden to satisfy his immediate desire for her. He was to have her head shaved, her clothes changed, and her nails cut, besides observing her mourning for a month. All of these changes would certainly decrease her physical beauty and squelch his animal desire for instant gratification. However, if he still wanted to marry her, he was brought before a Bet Din (court of law), and the judges would ask the woman if she was willing to convert and follow the G-d’s instructions. If she agreed, they were allowed to marry. If she disagreed, or if he was no longer interested in her after the 30-day period, he was required to release her. He was not permitted to treat her as a slave or sell her.
The rights of the firstborn son were now applied to a man who had two wives, loving one and not the other. G-d commanded that if the firstborn son was that of the unloved wife, the man was still obligated to pass on the rights inherent with that status.
The next command is sometimes difficult to absorb. A stubborn or rebellious son who drinks and lives wildly even after being disciplined by his parents was to be taken to the gates of his town where all the men of the town would stone him to death. For a detailed analysis of this command, the Chumash offers the following explanation:
Two teachings of the Sages are referred to as such “ the death penalty imposed on this youngster is not because of the gravity of any sins he actually performed, but because his behavior makes it clear that he will degenerate into a monstrous human being, ‘the wayward and rebellious son is put to death because of his [inevitable] end… let him die while he is innocent, and let him not die when he is guilty of capital crimes’(Sanhedrin 72a).
The second teaching of the Sages on this subject is that there were so many requirements using exegetical analysis that it was virtually impossible that any case ever actually occurred. The Sages stated that there was never a case of capital crimes for which a son was stoned to death (Sanhedrin 71).
Many commentators (not identified in the Chumash, maintain that the passage must be understood as an implied “heads up” for parents on the importance of bringing their children up according to G-d’s Torah. The parents must be consistent and unified in teaching their children so that there are no conflicts or contradictions in what is expected of the children. However, parents’ love of G-d must always take precedence over anyone or anything else. If a son met the criteria for being stoned, they must go through with it just as Avraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac.
The message is very clear and as important today as when G-d commanded such a result for the described rebellious son. Unless a society has values that come above our animal souls and desires for instant gratification, that society will fall, and children will become the enemies of what G-dly parents hold dear. The current condition of our society stands as a witness to this truth.
The Law of Moshe permitted that an individual who was to be executed could be hung or impaled, and exposed possibly to warn others. The exposed body had to be buried before sundown on the day of execution.
By hanging someone, that individual would have suffered shame and would not have been able to prostrate themselves in a final act of repentance before G-d. A person who was hanged was cursed by G-d leading us to the conclusion that Judas Iscariot was also cursed by G-d although Judas hung himself.
Recall that Yahshua was initially charged with blasphemy by the Pharisees (Matt. 26:65; Mark 14:64; John 10:33). This crime was punishable by stoning (Lev. 24:11-16) but the provision in the law that permitted the convicted individual sentenced to death to be hung on a tree was used to justify Yahshua’s sentence to be executed by crucifixion (Matt. 27:31; Mark 15:13-14; Luke 23:21; John 19:6,15).
Sha’ul understood the connection between the provision in G-d’s Torah and the salvation of the L-rd when he wrote “Mashiach redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us-for it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’ (Gal. 3:13). It is critical to understand that the “law” Sha’ul (Paul) was referring to was not G-d’s Law, his Torah. It was the law that those who were crucified are cursed by G-d. Christians misinterpret this scripture by being taught and believing that this verse underscores the redemption as a gift of grace only and that living by the commandments of G-d are no longer required even though John 14, Romans 1-3, and the seven-fold witness in the book of Revelation contradicts this Christian belief system.
Peter also understood this association when he wrote “The G-d of our fathers raised Yahshua, whom you killed by hanging him on a tree” (Acts 5:30) and “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed” (1 Peter 2:24). This verse informs us that we are no longer destined to die the “second death” which is eternal separation from G-d that all man inherited from the fall of Adam. We now have a way by accepting and exercising a “new nature” provided by Yahshua’s sacrifice and grace to become reconciled to G-d, receive forgiveness for our past sins (Rom. 3:25; 2 Pet.1:9) and begin our walk on the “King’s Highway” which is the narrow road to salvation and an eternity with G-d (Matt. 7:13-14).
There are several other laws and instructions encompassing safety, sexual immorality, punishment for falsely accusing a wife of not being a virgin after having sex with her, returning lost articles to their owners, not mixing two opposing things or animals such as an ox yoked with a donkey, mixing wool and linen, and not sowing two kinds of seed between rows of vines. Compassion is addressed through the example of not taking a mother bird with her chicks at the same time (Deut. 22:6-7). The command to wear tzitzit is also covered for a second time, the first time described in Numbers 15:38. There are several other commands/laws throughout the remainder of this chapter that are not covered in this lesson today but are just as important to examine and consider their applications to our lives today. I want to conclude this section of my commentary with the last verses of this parashah especially in light of the current events in Israel and the rest of the Middle East.
In Deuteronomy 25: 17-19 we see that no matter what the leadership of Israel does at this time in regard to Gaza and the West Bank, Hamas as part of the Amalek paradigm of evil and hatred for the nation Israel, Jews, and anyone with an affinity for Israel, will not be completely obliterated until “ Therefore, when Adonai your G-d has given you rest from all your surrounding enemies in the land Adonai your G-d is giving you as your inheritance to possess, you are to blot out all memory of ‘Amalek’ from under heaven. Don’t forget!”
The terrorist organizations of Hamas, Hezbollah, Houthis (Ansar Allah), Jihad, the ISS ( Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, Al-Queda are all part of the Amalek paradigm described by G-d in Deuteronomy 25:17-18 “ Remember what ‘Amalek did to you on the road as you were coming out of Egypt, how he met you by the road, attacked those in the rear, those who were exhausted and straggling behind when you were tired and weary. He did not fear G-d.” A perfect example of this brutal ideology was carried out October 7, 2023, when Hamas attacked southern Israel, attacking approximately 22 locations outside the Gaza strip, killing soldiers and civilians celebrating the last day of Sukkot which represents G-d’s provision for his people. I submit the timing of the attack has significant prophetic application evidenced by Deuteronomy 25:19. G-d will ultimately give his people rest from all their surrounding enemies! The best for Israel and G-d’s people is soon to come. The worst for G-d’s enemies is also soon to come! Ken yehi ratzon! (Indeed, may this be Your will!).
Haftarah: Isaiah 54:1-10
This haftarah is the fifth of seven “Haftarot of Consolation.” Forsaken Jerusalem is compared to a barren woman who grieves as she is bereft of children while watching other nations fawn over their broods. But G-d enjoins her to rejoice, for the time will soon come when the Jewish nation will return to the Land, be restored, and proliferate beyond her wildest dreams. She will be free of her surrounding enemies described in Deuteronomy 25:19. Isaiah assures the people that G-d has not forsaken them, even though He has momentarily hidden His face from them. He will gather them from their exile with mercy and will not miss one kernel (Amos 9:9). The haftarah compares the final Redemption to the pact G-d made with Noach. Just as He promised Noach there would never be another flood to cover the entire earth, He (G-d) will never rekindle anger toward Israel. Just as the matriarchs were barren before G-d intervened to bless their womb He holds the key to life, creation, sustenance, and restoration; all of which applies to the nation/children of Israel (Ps. 113:9; Isaiah 54:1).
B’rit Chadashah: Mark 12:18-27
Then some Tz’dukim came to him (Yahshua). They are the ones who say there is no such thing as resurrection, so they put to him a sh’eilah: ‘Rabbi, Moshe wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no child, his brother must take the wife and have children to preserve the man’s family line. There were seven brothers. The first one took a wife, and when he died, he left no children. Then the second one took her and died without leaving children, and the third likewise, and none of the seven left children. Last of all, the woman also died. In the Resurrection, whose wife will she be? For all seven had her as a wife.”
“Yahshua said to them, ‘Isn’t this the reason that you go astray? Because you are ignorant of both the Tanakh and of the power of G-d? For when people rise from the dead, neither men nor women marry- they are like angels in heaven. And as for the dead being raised, haven’t you read in the book of Moshe, in the passage about the bush, has G-d said to him, ‘I am the G-d of Avraham, the G-d of Isaac, and the G-d of Jacob?’ He is G-d not of the dead, but of the living! You are going far astray!”
This passage reminds us that no longer will marriage, gender, or ethnicity be an issue in the Resurrection. This applies to us regardless of whether we are resurrected to heaven or for hell. Our souls are a form of energy above and beyond the physical world and understanding of it. The focus of the saved will be to serve YHVH/Yahshua; the focus of the damned will be eternal torment.
Similar to a woman taken captive by an Israelite during war, we have a choice for now; remain in our pagan world with all the rituals and traditions or remove our superficial covering and examine our inner selves in isolation from all that is familiar to us, including our past religious teaching if it is inconsistent with G-d’s Torah. The captive woman had 30 days to consider her life and mourn for her family, separating herself from her reality. The man had 30 days to observe the woman as an appropriate mate. We have no idea how long we have to t’shuva (repent and turn) to the G-d of the living and allow him to prepare us as an acceptable bride for Yahshua. Let us take advantage of every day and submit ourselves for a total makeover to the Father of the Groom who can make us new and cloth us with the clean, white linen garments of repentance in preparation for the great wedding (Rev. 19:8). Indeed, seeing is not always believing! Let us focus on serving G-d and allow our “inner beauty”/Torah knowledge and wisdom from above flourish and supersede our physical appearance.
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Tamah Davis-Hart