Ziv: Parashat Ki tetsei

If you come across

This parasha is one of those that contains the most commandments in the Torah. In it we find, among others, that of letting a mother-bird go from its nest before taking its eggs, so that she does not suffer (Deuteronomy 22:6) This commandment is followed by a reward: you shall have a long life. Similar to the commandment to honor one’s father and mother (Deuteronomy 5:16). The Talmud poses a question: take, for example, a son whose father asks to climb up a tree to take the eggs of a nest after having let the mother go. The son obeys both commandments which promise a long life and happiness, he goes up, but as he is coming down with the eggs he falls and dies - where is the reward? under its provocative exterior, this question touches upon the problem of divine providence: how to understand certain situations that seems to contradict the promises? The answers are varied: one (Rabbi Jacob) explains that “long life”, is the world to come, and that we can therefore show the resurrection of the dead in the Torah. Another (Elisha Ben Abuyah), confronted with the presence of evil in the world, loses hope and doubts the very existence of God. Still others explain that one should not keep the commandments for the sake of reward…

Another commandment occupied the attention of the Sages: that of not planting other seeds in one’s vineyard (22:9-11). Rashi, who lived in the Champagne region of France, evidently wanted to know why peaches, or other trees, could not cohabitate with grapes. According to him, this is a commandment without a rational foundation - a “hoq” - like that of offering up a red heifer in order to make purification of water (Numbers 19:2-6). One has to accept to obey commandments where the foundation is not evident. For others, this is to emphasize the necessary distinction between living beings, a distinction that is at the origin of life: creation was done by separation. This would also be the reason why it is forbidden to mix linen and wool in the same fabric (Deuteronomy 22:11).

A third commandment is also a source of puzzlement: the rebellious and stubborn son that should be put to death (Deuteronomy 21:18-21). The Sages have shown in the text that there are so many obstacles to the practical execution of this commandment that we can say that it was never actually observed. In fact, one can think that this son would continue to behave badly and become a danger to society, but we cannot prove this and put him to death for the same of prevention. Man cannot take the place of the One who alone knows all things. Shabbat Shalom.