DIVREI TORAH ON PARSHAS KI TETZEI
There’s a well-known Halacha that people aren’t allowed to eat before feeding their animals. The Pele Yoeitz (in the essay titled Ba’alei Chaim) extends that Halacha, as follows: People must take care of anyone who relies on them for their needs. This includes their servants, children, and spouses.
The Pele Yoeitz’s addition to the Halacha should shatter the attitude that many people have, that those “under them” should serve them, versus the Torah’s concept that (in many areas of life) people must “serve” those who rely on them. People should remember that those who need them can easily feel neglected. It’s the responsibility of those who take care of others, to make sure that they feel wanted, and important, and don’t feel like second class people.
In this Parsha, the Posuk says: Lo Sa’ashouk Sochir Oni V’eveyon. Don’t hold back the wages of your worker. The Torah then explains why they shouldn’t. V’eilov Hu Nosei Es Nafsho, because he looks to the employer for his life. Since they rely on the employer, the employer becomes responsible to take care of their needs.
Everyone has at least one person, if not multiple people, who look to them for some form of support. This expectation alone creates a responsibility for them to take care of the others, even before they take care of themselves. Please don’t take this responsibility lightly.
The Pele Yoeitz’s addition to the Halacha should shatter the attitude that many people have, that those “under them” should serve them, versus the Torah’s concept that (in many areas of life) people must “serve” those who rely on them. People should remember that those who need them can easily feel neglected. It’s the responsibility of those who take care of others, to make sure that they feel wanted, and important, and don’t feel like second class people.
In this Parsha, the Posuk says: Lo Sa’ashouk Sochir Oni V’eveyon. Don’t hold back the wages of your worker. The Torah then explains why they shouldn’t. V’eilov Hu Nosei Es Nafsho, because he looks to the employer for his life. Since they rely on the employer, the employer becomes responsible to take care of their needs.
Everyone has at least one person, if not multiple people, who look to them for some form of support. This expectation alone creates a responsibility for them to take care of the others, even before they take care of themselves. Please don’t take this responsibility lightly.
The author can be contacted at shmuelgluck@areivim.com
One of the many Mitzvohs in this Parsha is the Mitzva of building a wall around any elevated area. The goal is to protect everyone from falling. I’d like to offer a thought, which is only slightly related to this Mitzvoh.
I had a grandfather who built a platform in his backyard with the singular goal of building a fence around it. He wanted the chance to fulfill a Mitzvah that he didn’t believe he would fulfill in the course of his regular life. He also purchased an animal, and waited for it to give birth to a Bechor, a first born. He “chased’ after multiple Mitzvohs most people never fulfill.
The question that came to my mind was, if he wanted to do more Mitzvohs, why didn’t he do additional acts of Chesed, or learn an hour more of Torah each day?
In Avos D’rav Noson, it describes how after people die, they’re asked by Hashem if they learned Chumosh. If they answer yes, they’re asked whether they learned Mishnayos, then Gemoro Bavli, then Yerushalmi, Sifri and so on.
People are asked whether they “tried everything” and how many hours of each they learned. Those who loved Torah would, naturally, want to “taste every type”. Being satisfied with learning only one type, indicates a limited interest, or belief, in its importance. For someone to say they love Torah but were never curious to see, for example, the Mechilta is impossible.
This same attitude applies to all Mitzvohs. If people truly believe that Mitzvohs will enhance their lives, they should be interested in trying everything. Building a fence over a platform, purchasing an animal that awaits a birth of a Bechor, is more than “chasing” an individual Mitzvoh. It defines the person and his relationship towards Hashem.
As we get closer to the Yomim Noroim, we should reflect on our attitude towards Mitzvohs. Are we obsessed with Mitzvohs? Is our attitude, the more the merrier? If it’s not, now’s the time to change ourselves, and our relationship with Hashem.
I had a grandfather who built a platform in his backyard with the singular goal of building a fence around it. He wanted the chance to fulfill a Mitzvah that he didn’t believe he would fulfill in the course of his regular life. He also purchased an animal, and waited for it to give birth to a Bechor, a first born. He “chased’ after multiple Mitzvohs most people never fulfill.
The question that came to my mind was, if he wanted to do more Mitzvohs, why didn’t he do additional acts of Chesed, or learn an hour more of Torah each day?
In Avos D’rav Noson, it describes how after people die, they’re asked by Hashem if they learned Chumosh. If they answer yes, they’re asked whether they learned Mishnayos, then Gemoro Bavli, then Yerushalmi, Sifri and so on.
People are asked whether they “tried everything” and how many hours of each they learned. Those who loved Torah would, naturally, want to “taste every type”. Being satisfied with learning only one type, indicates a limited interest, or belief, in its importance. For someone to say they love Torah but were never curious to see, for example, the Mechilta is impossible.
This same attitude applies to all Mitzvohs. If people truly believe that Mitzvohs will enhance their lives, they should be interested in trying everything. Building a fence over a platform, purchasing an animal that awaits a birth of a Bechor, is more than “chasing” an individual Mitzvoh. It defines the person and his relationship towards Hashem.
As we get closer to the Yomim Noroim, we should reflect on our attitude towards Mitzvohs. Are we obsessed with Mitzvohs? Is our attitude, the more the merrier? If it’s not, now’s the time to change ourselves, and our relationship with Hashem.
The author can be contacted at shmuelgluck@areivim.com
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