Parshat Ki Tetzeh

Defending the Indefensible

This week's parsha has many actions that are forbidden on moral grounds. We have discussed two of them in previous Sedra Shorts (see The Beautiful captive Woman and The Stubborn and Rebellious Son, below).

This week I would like to discuss the following three cases:

• If a man has two sons from two different wives, he may not give the younger one the first-born rights, even though he may be the first-born of the favorite wife.

• Girls may not be used in religious prostitution ceremonies (kedesha).

• A person should marry wife of a deceased brother if she had no children (yibum).

I bring these three cases because we see Biblical heroes of the Jewish people actually doing these things.

Firstly, Yaakov had two main wives: Rachel and Leah. He loved Rachel while Leah was hated (See Bereshit 29:31). Leah was the first to give birth (Reuven). Rachel eventually had Yoseph. So while Yoseph was the first-born for Rachel, Reuven was Yaakov's first born.

Yet, Reuven did not receive the double portion of tribes that he should have inherited. Shortly before his death, Yaakov took Yoseph's two sons, Ephraim and Menashe, and said: "they are my sons" (ibid 48:8). Essentially, Yoseph became two tribes. He was given the rights of the first born and Reuven was disinherited.

A number of years earlier, we see Yehuda, the father of the tribe that brought Israel its kings, violating the rules of yibum. Two of his sons, Er and Onan died childless. According to the laws of yibum, Tamar, their wife, should have married his third son, Shela. However, Yehuda refused this relationship (See ibid 38:11)

This led to a violation of the third law. In order to induce a child, Tamar dressed herself up as holy prostitute and tempted Yehuda to be intimate with her (ibid 21).

How do we handle these violations of basic moral laws by our heroes? The same way the Bible does.

The Torah does not shy away from difficult decisions our ancestors took – whether it was the ones we just mentioned or Avraham calling Sarah his sister to protect himself, or whether it is King David's adultery and his committing of murder.

We accept that our heroes were human with human failings who sometimes made major mistakes. They were not angels or demi-gods who were flawless. Indeed they achieved greatness despite their flaws – that is what makes them great.

This message is a comforting message for us. We all are human. We all have weaknesses. We all make mistakes. Despite this, we can overcome this and we can achieve greatness.

Last year's Sedra Short on Parshat Ki Tetseh entitled: "The Beautiful Captive Woman" appears at http://parshablog.blogspot.com/2008/09/parshat-ki-tetsei-beautiful-captive.html.

Another Sedra Short on Parshat Ki Tetseh entitled: "The Stubborn and Rebellious Son" appears athttp://parshablog.blogspot.com/2007/08/parshat-ki-tetseh-stubborn-and.html.

A further Sedra Short on Parshat Ki Tetseh entitled: "The Impaled Criminal" appears at http://parshablog.blogspot.com/2006/08/parshat-ki-tetseh-impaled-criminal-in.html.

Parshat Bemidbar

Counting the Levi'im

This week's parsha begins with two censuses – one where all Israel besides the tribe of Levi was counted and the other where only Levi was counted.

While the instruction to count Levi appears immediately after Israel had been counted, it is likely that the instruction to count them and the actual counting occurred simultaneously with the ret of Israel.

The purpose of both censuses is obvious. While it turned out that Israel remained in the wilderness for forty years, this was not the original plan. Israel's sojourn in the wilderness was meant to be short.

Now that the Mishkan had been built, Israel was ready to enter the Promised Land. To do this they needed to have an operational army.

Therefore, Moshe counts Israel in order to assemble an army. Therefore, Moshe is instructed: "From twenty years old and upwards, all who are fit to go out to the army in Israel, you shall count them by their legions you and Aaron" (Bemidbar 1:3).

Indeed, their formation around the Mishkan is a military formation. Israel is preparing for war.

However, they are also preparing for conquest. Once Canaan has been conquered, Israel will need to settle it. Therefore it is crucial that they know the size of each tribe so that the land can be divided since "To the large [tribe] you shall give a larger inheritance and to a smaller tribe you shall give a smaller inheritance, each person shall be given an inheritance according to his number" (ibid 26:64).

It is therefore, also obvious why Levi is not counted together with the rest of Israel. Levi does not receive any land, and does not fight for his portion is the Lord's.

So why is Levi counted at all then? Now that the Mishkan has been built, the Levi'im must be divided into groupings so that their levitical roles can be organized.

However they are counted differently. While Israel is counted from the age of twenty, Levi is counted from the age of one month. At first glance this does not make sense since their levitical duties only began once they be came 25. It would make sense to count them from that age.

The Levites were chosen to replace the firstborns: "As for Me I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel in place of all firstborns among the children of Israel who have opened the womb, and the Levites shall be Mine (ibid 3:12).

The firstborns belong to God from the moment they are born. Therefore, they have to be redeemed. This is done after 3 days, since only then is the child considered to be a "bar kayama", a child that will live (in the ancient world newborns had a mortality rate – if an infant survived 30 days it was considered to be living child).
Now that the Levites are replacing the firstborns, they are dedicated to God from the moment they are born. Therefore, they are counted from the age of one month.

Last years' Sedra Short on Parshat Bemidbar, entitled: The Levites appears at: http://parshablog.blogspot.com/2007_05_01_archive.html.

Another Sedra Short on Parshat Bemidbar entitled: "Re’uel or De’uel?" appears at http://parshablog.blogspot.com/2006_05_01_archive.html.