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Parshat Ki Tetze
2005
Cultivating the Field One Student at a Time
In this week's parsha, Ki Tetze (literally, when you go out), Moses continues his final speech to the Israelites by outlining 74 of the Torah's 613 mitzvot (commandments). The majority of the laws outlined are concerned with moral values, ethics and the creation of a just society. The parsha also includes laws concerning inheritance, dignified burials of the dead, fair treatment of the debtor, the laborer and the unloved wife, and judicial procedures and penalties for adultery, rape and false accusations. In Ki Tetze we also find the commandment to wear tassels, later interpreted to be talit or tzitzit, on our four-cornered garments. Ki Tetze concludes with the obligation to remember "what Amalek did to you on the road, on your way out of Egypt."
Among the long list of mitzvot in Ki Tetze is a commandment that states, "You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together" (Deut. 22:10). While this statement may not seem applicable to many of our lives today, the meaning behind this commandment conveys an important modern-day message for the Jewish community.
Ibn Ezra, a medieval Jewish commentator, explains that this commandment demonstrates that "the smaller donkey is unequal in strength to the mighty ox and is unable to pull a plow with the same force. Yoking them together would cause the donkey to exert itself beyond its natural capacity, and is therefore forbidden." Others believe that plowing and bounding the two animals together would be an unfair strain on the ox, which would take on much more of the burden and would overexert itself. What both interpretations demonstrate are the differences between the ox and the donkey.
While the ox and the donkey are two distinct animals, each with their own skill sets and strengths, they are both strong. Each animal is capable in its own way of pulling the plow and manages to get the job done. While we are commanded to separate the two and recognize their individuality, we also must not forget the end result, a field that has been successfully plowed by the strengths of each individual.
While many of us no longer live in an agriculturally dependent society, ideas of individuality and communal achievement still resonate in the Jewish community today. The Jewish community is a diverse one, comprised of uniquely talented individuals. It is impossible today to generalize about what Jewish people do or do not do, where a Jewish person might live, or even what a Jewish person looks like. As Hillel professionals we recognize the wide variety of Jewish people, and through this diversity we strive to enrich the lives of Jewish students around the world. We offer countless creative opportunities for students to express their individuality and to connect to the Jewish community in their own ways.
Rashi, another medieval Jewish commentator comments on this mitzvah as well when he says, "This law applies to [merely] leading them together when they are bound to each other as a pair, for transporting any load." For Rashi, the issue is not simply about finishing the job of plowing the field, but that the individual's differences must be taken into consideration when moving along on a journey. Just as the ox and donkey are not able to make a journey in the same way, our students are on distinctive journeys of personal Jewish discovery. As Hillel professionals, we are challenged to create environments where students are not only comfortable expressing their Jewish identities in unique and exciting ways, but where students are also inspired to grow, learn more and continue on their journey.
Unlike the ox and donkey that would hinder each other's progress by working and traveling together, the individuals that create the Jewish community can learn a great deal from one another. Conversations among our staff and students and common understandings about our differences and similarities can only make our community stronger. Much like the ox and the donkey plowing the field in their own ways, no member of the Jewish community can be seen as stronger or more important. Each individual approach to Judaism should be celebrated equally, creating a space where everyone feels proud to express their Jewish identity in their own unique style, and where we are excited to learn from each others approaches. What our students individually bring to our community are essential components to creating and strengthening a vibrant, welcoming and ever-growing Jewish community.
Prepared by Julie Finkelstein, Hochberg Israel education fellow
Learn More
Additional commentaries and text studies on Ki Tetze at MyJewishLearning.com.
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