WRJ Voices: Ki Teitzei

Our parashah this week, Ki Teitzei (Deuteronomy 21:10–25:19), is a compendium of laws, laws, and more laws that Moses lays out, sometimes (to me, at least) in a seemingly random and occasionally repetitive order.

I have to be honest. Some of the laws are difficult to read and relate to in our current era. For example, “a woman must not put on man’s apparel, nor shall a man wear woman’s clothing; for whoever does these things is abhorrent to the Eternal your God.”

Moreover, there’s one for appropriate behavior for when you capture your enemy’s beautiful woman, whom you desire. You clean her up, give her a month to grieve her losses, and take her as your wife. If, though, you then change your mind, you can’t sell her. You must release her outright. No slavery. I can agree with that part.

And did you know that you shall not plow with an ox and an ass together? Or wear clothing combining wool and linen?

There are descriptions of acts requiring stoning to death including lack of virginity discovered upon lying with your new husband, adulterous lovers, or a wayward son, who won’t heed his parents, even after discipline. Thus, you will sweep out evil from your midst and all Israel will hear and be afraid.

There also plenty of laws regarding kindness to your neighbors and how to live justly and fairly, and with compassion in a society, including how to treat animals and others’ belongings. “You shall not muzzle an ox while it is threshing.”

There are laws about how to harvest your fields and trees and leave some for your neighbors and about not deducting interest from loans to your fellow Israelites - but you may to foreigners. “You must have completely honest weights and measures. You must pay wages on the same day, before the sun sets, for the worker is needy and urgently depends on it.”

This last law, in particular, has long had my attention whenever I think of fair wages and timely payment to workers. I have never been in a leadership role in an organization which has had difficulty meeting payroll and doing so on time, but I have always been especially diligent in making sure this happens. I once worked for someone who thanked me every day when we said goodbye to one another. He would say, “Thank you for your work today.” – and he meant it. Whenever I’ve handed out paychecks or stubs to employees since, I’ve always made sure to look them in the eye, smile, and thank them for their contributions. It seems to be a well-appreciated touch. Try it, if you get a chance!

Of course, some of this is just window dressing if we are not ensuring that our employees are fairly compensated for their time, efforts, skills, and experience.

If you have been following WRJ’s initiatives and resolutions over the past couple of years, you know that we are working on bringing pay equity to everyone, starting within the Reform movement.

Many of us are in positions of leadership, whether in our professional lives or as volunteers with organizations. We often sit on the boards and executive committees of our congregations. We must ask ourselves and our colleagues if, indeed, we are compensating each of our staffers fairly.

This is an area where our text clearly informs us and guides us in putting our money where our mouths are, quite literally. This is a concrete example of our Reform Jewish values at work. For more information on WRJ’s work in the area of pay equity, I invite you to study https://wrj.org/reform-pay-equity-initiative.

I wish you a sweet and peaceful Shabbat, full of all that is good and just and kind and compassionate. Plenty of fruit from your vines – enough to share with others, and obedient children!

Rozan Anderson is a member of the WRJ Chai Society, having recently ended a long tenure on the WRJ Board and Executive Committee. She is president of her congregation, Temple Beth El in Madison, WI, and a past president of Temple Beth El Sisterhood. Rozan is also the incoming Vice President of Marketing & Communications for Midwest District.