Ki Tetzei - RSS Feed https://shiur.com/article.php?c=ki-tetzei&page=1 Your Online Yeshiva // Where Learning Never Stops. Watch a great shiur, a Torah lecture on any Torah topic. Lectures are given by known rabbis in 13+ languages. Read an essay with a great Torah insight. The Fight of Two Men https://shiur.com/article-read.php?a=133 I will start with a disclaimer: I am simply sharing my opinion and how I understand the verses. Some may not agree, but again, this is just my opinion. 

In Parashat Ki Tetzeh 25:11-12 says: "כִּֽי־יִנָּצ֨וּ אֲנָשִׁ֤ים יַחְדָּו֙ אִ֣ישׁ וְאָחִ֔יו וְקָֽרְבָה֙ אֵ֣שֶׁת הָֽאֶחָ֔ד לְהַצִּ֥יל אֶת־אִישָׁ֖הּ מִיַּ֣ד מַכֵּ֑הוּ וְשָׁלְחָ֣ה יָדָ֔הּ וְהֶחֱזִ֖יקָה בִּמְבֻשָֽׁיו׃  - If two parties are fighting—one man with another—and the wife of one comes up to save her husband from his opponent and puts out her hand and seizes him by his genitals,  וְקַצֹּתָ֖ה אֶת־כַּפָּ֑הּ לֹ֥א תָח֖וֹס עֵינֶֽךָ׃ - you shall cut off her hand; show no pity."

The words that raise a red flag for me would be the words ְוְשָׁלְחָ֣ה יָדָ֔הּ - VeShalkha Yada - She sent her hand - the word Yada has a dagesh, and the word אֶת־אִישָׁ֖הּ - Et Yisha has a dagesh - a DOT in the letter הּ - Hey. Why? 

To understand the above statement, let's look at another statement in the Torah, and then I believe the above will make sense.

I believe Adam made another mistake. I believe it was swept under the rug. I believe it has received little "media attention" or discussion over the centuries. And I think it is the key to unlocking the above pasuk. 

In Parashat Bereshit 3:6, Chava gave Adam HaRishon a fruit from the Tree of Knowledge, and he ate it. It says: "וַתֵּ֣רֶא הָֽאִשָּׁ֡ה כִּ֣י טוֹב֩ הָעֵ֨ץ לְמַאֲכָ֜ל וְכִ֧י תַֽאֲוָה־ה֣וּא לָעֵינַ֗יִם וְנֶחְמָ֤ד הָעֵץ֙ לְהַשְׂכִּ֔יל וַתִּקַּ֥ח מִפִּרְי֖וֹ וַתֹּאכַ֑ל וַתִּתֵּ֧ן גַּם־לְאִישָׁ֛הּ עִמָּ֖הּ וַיֹּאכַֽל׃  - When the woman saw that the tree was good for eating and a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable as a source of wisdom, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband, and he ate." 

Per our Oral Torah tradition, the word לְאִישָׁ֛הּ - Le Yisha is translated as to her husband, due to a dagesh in the Hey - a dot in the last letter Hey. But as you know, when the text is written in the Sefer Torah scroll, it has no vowels and no Dagesh in the word לאישה - Le Yisha is written, so this word can also be translated as To a Woman. 

So, here goes my question: Is there a connection between the woman in the case of two men fighting and Chava, when she gave the fruit to Adam?

I strongly believe there's one. 

When G-d told Adam HaRishon not to eat from the Tree of Knowledge, Adam told his wife not to touch the tree in order to prevent his wife from breaking the word of G-d and from eating the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. Persuaded by the snake, Chavah ate from the tree and made Adam eat it. But what drove her to do this? Besides the snake, it was her Chutzpah.

A quick search in the dictionary gave the following definition:

Chutzpah: 
Utter nerve; haughtiness.
Nearly arrogant courage; utter audacity, supreme self-confidence; exaggerated self-opinion;
(Yiddish) unbelievable gall; insolence; audacity.

For Chavah, Adam's word and the word of G-d - did not mean much, and this led her to listen to the Snake and eat from the Tree. 

The same behavior is noticed in the incident of two men fighting. A woman must be loyal to her husband no matter the situation, but this woman, driven by the desire to save her husband, had the Chutzpah to grab her husband's opponent by his private part, thus going against the laws of modesty given by G-d, and did it right there in the presence of her husband.

The Torah continues: "You shall cut off her hand; show no pity." This trait of behavior: Chutzpah was noticed in Chavah and later in the above-mentioned woman, who still carried that same trait.

As a remedy, the Torah introduces us to the Holy Scroll.


PS: But this would be a half-baked idea to leave this essay without a finishing touch. So, please allow me to end it, à la my style. 

Above, we understand how the atonement of Chavah happens when a similar trait is found in other women; every time a woman portrays a trait similar to Chavah's, Torah tells us what to do and how to fix the situation.

But, how about Adam?

Since, per our Oral Torah tradition, the word לְאִישָׁ֛הּ - Le Yisha found in Parashat Bereshit 3:6 is translated as to her husband, due to a dagesh in the Hey - a dot in the last letter Hey. But in the Torah scroll, this word is לאישה - Le Yisha, translated as To a Woman, and not as To Her Husband. 

Hashem doesn't leave these types of clues for no reason. What do we do with this piece of information? I can't keep on ignoring it anymore, and I can't live with: this is the tradition, and this is how we learn it.

If you ask around, what is the Original Sin, or the sin that Adam and Eve are known for, everyone will say that they ate the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge. But if you ask me, Adam took fruit from Chava's hands and ate it, fully knowing it was forbidden, since G-d told him not to eat it; he fell for it without putting up a fight. I believe the Original Sin, or the First Sin this couple should be known for in order of events, is Chava giving the fruit to Adam, and Adam taking and eating it with no resistance on his part. 

I have been saying all along about Aher, and how Aher was wronged, and how my opinion on this whole story differs. So, here's another one: Adam HaRishon - how and who has atoned for Adam? By the way, the atonement has already happened!!

Gentlemen, this is HUGE!!

This would be another piece of none: in my opinion, or I believe - I bet everything on it that everyone has missed it, and I know the answer... but I will share it on that day. 

Till then, au revoir - goodbye, and thank you for reading some things that bother me.

Shmuel Katanov

]]> Fri, 21 Aug 2026 14:53:26 -0400 https://shiur.com/article-read.php?a=133 The Rejected Trio https://shiur.com/article-read.php?a=120 In Parashat Ki Tetzeh, we are told of a ceremony called Yibum, also known as levirate marriage. If the man does not want to marry his brother's widow, the ceremony that releases him from this obligation is called Khalitzah.

As always, everything that is about to follow is strictly how I view the verses in the Torah, and is my opinion, and with that said, let's go!!

So, why is the khalitza performed? And why does the woman take off his shoe and spit on his face? I assume you are familiar with the laws and details of this ceremony, so I will proceed directly.

It may all be related to the incident involving The Brothers and Yosef. The Brothers sold the young Yosef and bought shoes with that money. Brothers denied Yosef the opportunity to have his own family, a bright future, and to leave sons after himself, so they sold him to Egypt at a young age. The same is the brother who doesn’t want to take the wife of his deceased brother-in-law, in the ceremony of Khalitzah, denies his dead brother an opportunity to continue his name and leave a descendant in his name, since the one who passed on died childless. 

Why does the woman need to spit on his face? The Brothers didn’t - do the selling - with a smile; they did it through anger, screaming, and spit flying from their mouths. The same way a woman needs to spit on his face, as it says in the Parashat Ki Tetzeh 25:9, and in my opinion, this would atone in some way the anger shown by The Brothers, for their spits that flew onto Yosef's face.

Since the whole nation comes from the Brothers, the whole nation needs to atone for this situation. Shoes are not worn during Tisha Be Av, as the money made from their sale was spent on them. 

Problems between people often lead to someone "getting sold", or to put it more politely, being thrown out of the community, as happened to Bar Kamzta, which eventually led to the destruction of the Bet Hamikdash. But in reality, on Tisha Be Av, we atone for that same sin of The Brothers, which repeats itself centuries later - a similar scenario, only it played out a bit differently - but still the same old plot where we have failed once again.

It feels like centuries come and go, but we have never graduated or fixed that situation. 

But let’s take it a bit further:

Hashem has made a way for us to atone for The Brothers through the couples that have a hard time bringing children into this world, but why through them?

Since Yosef was denied by The Brothers to have a family and was sold to Egypt, Hashem puts the couples - the descendants of The Brothers, and denies them children for some time, thus atoning for what The Brothers did to Yosef HaTzaddik. They experience pain as if like Yosef, who went through his hardships during the time when he was alone and childless - the time before he got married.

The wife in the Khalitza process spits at the brother, since the brother behaves as The Brothers did and causes her not to have a child, and she is in pain. She went through this childless marriage, just buried her husband, and now even this brother denies her a child, and brazenly continues to deny her this last opportunity.

But you may say that Sarah and Rachel also didn’t have children, are they also atoning for Yosef? They are not. That’s why Hashem explicitly says - And Hashem remembered Sarah(Vayera 21:1) and Rachel(Vayetzei 30:22) and gave them children, after that Hashem didn’t remember anyone, He either spoke via an angel to Shimshon’s mother(Judges 13), or Chana - via a prophet (Samuel 1). The rest of the people are atoning for Yosef HaTzaddik till our time.

Hashem hand-picks those couples and awards them to do an atonement for The Brothers, and in the process, Hashem draws them close to Himself. Besides the children, whether they get it or not, their spiritual leap in the process is unbelievably huge and is their highest spiritual reward.

So, if you think about it, we have Yosef HaTzaddik, who was thrown out from the family, then Bar Kamtza was thrown out from the community, and there’s a third personality in the End of Days, the Son of David, with a similar plot. 

Every day, the Nation has problems, and will continue to have problems for as long as the situation is not fixed with the Son of David. 

There were significant mistakes made with Bar Kamtza and Yosef HaTzaddik.

It says in the Book of Midrash, after the family has united in Egypt, Yosef ate separately from the rest of The Brothers, since Yaakov Avinu didn't make peace between The Brothers, thus Hashem made them go through a hard and bitter Galut later, and on top of it had to punish the ten rabbis in order to atone for The Brothers.

Bar Kamtza had no one on his side - not a single rabbi, and he did what he did, where the Bet Hamikdash got destroyed, millions died, and millions were taken into captivity. 

Same way is Mashiach - "He is despised, and isolated from men, a man of pains, and accustomed to illness. As one who hid his face from us; he was despised, and we had no regard for him." as it says in Prophet Isaiah 53:3, an outsider, despised and isolated from men and will be so until he is reinstated into the community. And then, and only then, the problems will stop, and the atonement of the Rejected Trio will be made - Yosef HaTzaddik, Bar Kamtza, and Mashiach Tzidkenu - and then The Brothers will be set Free.

So, Gentlemen - Let's Find This Guy & Let’s Bring The Redemption!!



- Part 2  -

But as always, let's go even deeper.

The question is, why does the widow need to remove the shoe from her Brother-in-law?
The Parashat Mikeitz says that the brothers took off the Ketonet Pasim from Yosef, and now the widow - the descendant of The Brothers, needs to take off the shoe from the brother's foot, and he will be called as - the one whose shoe was removed, as if marking him with a title that he has behaved like The Brothers who took off the Ketonet Pasim from Yosef.


But why Hashem makes the lady suffer, and why is she left without a child?
The widow is atoning for Reuven, who suggested throwing Yosef into the pit, hoping to save him later; he should have saved him right then and there. When Reuven came back, the child, Yosef, was gone, and Reuven had no child to bring back to his father. So is the widow, at the mercy of her Brother-in-law, who refuses to marry her; thus, she walks away without a child.

Why does her husband die childless?
The husband dies, since The Brothers removed the Ketonet Pasim and sold Yosef with anger, they showed their evil side, thus ensuring that he won’t have descendants, and the atonement for this is death.

Why, in all of this, does the widow seem to be suffering the most? 
In a previous article, we discussed the mistake Adam made. (Below is just a snippet, but please refer to the full essay located at this address, for context and whole idea behind every word presented.)

“In Parashat Bereshit, Chava gave Adam HaRishon a fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, and he ate it. In Bereshit 3:6 says, "וַתֵּ֣רֶא הָֽאִשָּׁ֡ה כִּ֣י טוֹב֩ הָעֵ֨ץ לְמַאֲכָ֜ל וְכִ֧י תַֽאֲוָה־ה֣וּא לָעֵינַ֗יִם וְנֶחְמָ֤ד הָעֵץ֙ לְהַשְׂכִּ֔יל וַתִּקַּ֥ח מִפִּרְי֖וֹ וַתֹּאכַ֑ל וַתִּתֵּ֧ן גַּם־לְאִישָׁ֛הּ עִמָּ֖הּ וַיֹּאכַֽל׃  - When the woman saw that the tree was good for eating and a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable as a source of wisdom, she took of its fruit and ate. She also gave some to her husband, and he ate." 

Per Oral Torah tradition, the word לְאִישָׁ֛הּ - Le Yisha is translated as to her husband, due to a dagesh in the Hey - a dot in the last letter Hey. But as you know, when the text is written in the Sefer Torah, it has no vowels and no dagesh is written there, and the word לאישה - Le Yisha could also be translated as To a Woman, as if Chavah passed the fruit to a woman.

 

To me, it seems that Hashem belittled Adam HaRishon because he thoughtlessly agreed with his wife and went along with her, not standing up to her, not protesting, and eating when she offered him the fruit. That exact fruit from the tree that Hashem told him not to eat from. He had only this one commandment to keep, but he went along and sinned and went against the word of G-d.”


The widow is atoning for Chava, since she was the cause of Adam's fall. Reuven has followed in the footsteps of Adam HaRishon and has fallen, just like Adam did. Adam HaRishon thoughtlessly, without giving it too much thought, has taken the fruit from Chava, while ignoring the word of Hashem. In the same way, Reuven thoughtlessly moved the bed of Yaakov Avinu, without thinking of his father's response and its consequences.

I call upon all of the Reuvenites of Today, who thoughtlessly and carelessly break the word of G-d, be it towards them and G-d, or them and other people.  When or how will you atone for your thoughtless and evil schemes of the past? 

How serious are these thoughtless sins, you ask? As a punishment, Reuven has lost it all - birthright, priesthood, and kingship.

So, what do we stand to lose?? 

Shmuel Katanov

]]> Wed, 10 Sep 2025 00:46:11 -0400 https://shiur.com/article-read.php?a=120 Из-за Денег или Аз Баҳри Пул https://shiur.com/article-read.php?a=57 В Книге Деварим 21:1-2 говорится:
וְיָצְא֥וּ זְקֵנֶ֖יךָ וְשֹׁפְטֶ֑יךָ וּמָדְדוּ֙ אֶל־הֶ֣עָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר סְבִיבֹ֥ת הֶחָלָֽל׃ כִּי־יִמָּצֵ֣א חָלָ֗ל בָּאֲדָמָה֙ אֲשֶׁר֩ הי אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ נֹתֵ֤ן לְךָ֙ לְרִשְׁתָּ֔הּ נֹפֵ֖ל בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה לֹ֥א נוֹדַ֖ע מִ֥י הִכָּֽהוּ׃ - "На земле которую даст вам Г-сподь, если вы найдёте тело которое лежит в открытом поле, и вы не знаете кто убийца, то старейшины города должны выйти и определить к какому городу тело лежит ближе, и значит тот город является виноватым в убийстве этого человека."

Почему Тора считает город виноватым в смерти этого человека?

Чтоб ответить на этот вопрос, давайте посмотрим что произошло с этим человеком.

Чужеземец пришел в город, и чтобы найти себе на пропитание пошёл на базар. Проходя по базару, прося милостыню у прохожих и заходя в лавки к торговцам, он не получил от них не единого гроша, куска хлеба или глотка воды. Уставший от скитаний, проголодавшись и утомлённый жаждой, он вспомнил что по дороге в этот город он проходил по полю которое находилось между двумя городами, и он решил собраться с последними силами и пойти в соседний город с надеждой получить там свой кусок хлеба.

Как говорится в произведении Ильяс Малаева, песня исполненая Авраам Толмасовым - Бахри Пул:

Пул набошад дар барат, ҳеч кас намедиҳад салом,
На ки меҳмондўстию, на ҳурмату, на эҳтиром,
На зиёфат, на муроъат, на ки чою на таом,
Дойимо барпо шавад ҳар муддао аз баҳри пул.

И вот он в пути в другой город за куском хлеба. Иссякая силами, уставший и голодный, еле еле он плетётся в другой город, но не дойдя до цели, он падает и умирает на пол-пути в поле.

Тахтаю тобут пулу, гўру кафан ҳам пул, бидон,
Мурдашўю сангу гўрков-пул, ба ғайри мункирон,
Дар барат гар пул набошад вақти мурдан, ногаҳон,
Мурдаат дар кўча монад бенигоҳ, аз баҳри пул.

И вот его тело лежит в открытом поле одно без присмотра и его находит другой прохожий, проходивший мимо, зовёт старейшин чтоб те позаботились об умершем.

Закон гласит - что старейшины должны измерить расстояние от тела до ближе лежащего к нему города. И тот город к которому тело ближе находится, старейшины должны оповестить его о том что они всецело виноваты и на них кровь этого человека. Тогда старейшины города из которого вышел этот бедняк, приведут с собой молодого телёнка который в первом году жизни и которого хозяин ещё не эксплуатировал. Они ломают шею телёнка топором, моют над ним руки провозглашая - "Прости нас странник, что мы не знали что ты был в нашем городе, что ты нуждался, и хотел есть и пить, и прости нашу молодёжь которая была на рынке и к которой ты подошёл, но они не ответили на твой зов и не услышали твой крик о помощи и не помогли тебе. Если бы мы знали что ты в городе и видели бы тебя, то конечно мы помогли бы тебе, накормили и напоили бы тебя, и дали бы в дорогу денег. Пожалуйста прости нас, наших детей и всех жителей нашего города." Только проделав этот обряд, Тора говорит что душа умершего находит покой и это будет правильно в глазах Г-спода и этот акт уберёт вину от людей всего города, как сказано в Деварим 21:1-9.


Господа - на нас лежит ответственность за наших стариков и тех семей нуждающихся в материальной помощи. Мудрецы уже дали нам самые оптимальные способы как это сделать. Человеку нужна работа - помогите ему устроиться на работу - сделав пару звонков и став его гарантом, кто-то хочет открыть своё дело но не имеет достаточно средств - станьте его партнёром и наставником в этом деле, семьям не хватает с пропитанием - помогите и там.

Велика заслуга человека который денежно помогает но не знает кто получит его добро, а те в свою очередь принимают но не знают от кого оно. Этим сохраняя достоинство и не унижая честь человека которым необходима помощь. Любая оказанная помощь, возвращается дающему и его потомству многократно. И награда этой мицвы гарантированна самим Вс-вышним и Он призывает нас испытать Его в этом.

Таърифи он шахси пулдор ки, саховатпеша шуд,
Меҳри худ дар мардумон доду, худаш дилреша шуд,
Маст нагашту, соҳиби хоксорию андеша шуд,
Дон ки, ў гашт одами ақли расо аз баҳри пул.

Дўсти ҷонӣ, дўсти пул ҳеч вақт нагардад дар ҷаҳон,
Фарқи дўсту, фарқи пулро, аз ҳама афзал бидон,
Сер шавад инсон, зи обе қатраю, як бурда нон,
Баҳри ин, Илёс бигўяд:“Ҳар хато аз баҳри пул“

- Шмуэль Катанов

]]> Mon, 11 Feb 2019 13:28:19 -0500 https://shiur.com/article-read.php?a=57