Voices of WRJ: Parashat Ki Teitzei

by Sherry Schwimmer This week’s Torah portion is Ki Teitzei from the book of Deuteronomy (21:10-25:19). Seventy-four of the 613 commandments are in this portion. There are laws dealing with privacy concerns, how a normal society is to live, sexual misconduct, and protecting the vulnerable. There are laws regarding soldiers, slaves, and prostitutes; commitments to God; and marriage. The majority of the laws are concerned with moral values and the creation of a just society. The portion ends with the obligation to eradicate the memory of Amalek. The beginning of the portion deals with family relations. It firmly states how soldiers are to treat women they hold captive, particularly if they desire to marry them, and women are given protection if they are later rejected by them. Inheritance rights of first-born sons are elaborated upon. It instructs how the community is to deal with disobedient sons after parents have exhausted all possible means of discipline. The next section focuses on neighbors, nature, and clothing. All the laws here deal with responsibility outside the home. Executed criminals are to be buried quickly. Individuals are required to return lost objects. Animals are to be treated humanely. Tassels are to be put on the four corners of the garment used to cover oneself. Laws regarding sexual misconduct deal with chastity, divorce, and consensual and non-consensual sex. Men having sex with unmarried women must marry them. Adulterers receive the death penalty. Husbands can divorce unfaithful wives without having to pay support, but must prove that the wife was unfaithful. Another section deals with forbidden relationships and other miscellaneous laws. A person is prohibited from marrying his father’s former wife. Both men and women are prohibited from becoming prostitutes. If you make a vow to God, you must fulfill it right away. You can eat from your neighbor’s fields, but are not allowed to take away any crops. Certain tools cannot be used as pawns. Kidnapping and selling a victim into slavery is defined as a capital offense. A lender cannot enter a borrower’s home to obtain repayment. Day workers must be paid in a timely manner. The common bond for all these laws is that they create a community where people are valued and respected. The laws provide the structure for dealing fairly with one another inside and outside the home. Above all, the laws provide a connection to one another. They create a community of interconnectedness where people can live in harmony and feel protected. Just as the Israelites created a caring and just community, WRJ does the same for women worldwide through its various programs and social justice work. When I first moved to Charleston, SC many years ago, the sisterhood was the community that embraced me. I felt valued and developed long-lasting friendships with women who share common bonds. Within my sisterhood community, I developed leadership and personal skills, and a deeper love for Reform Judaism. My varied interests allow me to be a part of many different communities. It is my WRJ community that brings me the most satisfaction and of which I am proud to be a member. Sherry Schwimmer is WRJ Southeast District President, a WRJ Board member, and a past president of Kahal Kadosh Beth Elohim Sisterhood in Charleston, SC.