Table Talk

Ki Tetzeh means “When you will go.” It describes all the important lessons that will apply to the lives of Bnei Yisrael when they enter Eretz Yisrael.

In this parasha, there are 74 mitzvot, more than in any other parasha! Moshe reviews a wide variety of laws regarding family, animals, and property. Most of these mitzvot deal with moral values such as how we treat workers and always providing for the poor among us.

The parsha concludes with the obligation to remember Amalek and its evil act of ambushing Bnei Yisrael on their way out from Egypt.

I chose to talk about one mitzvah that the Torah teaches us this week called השבת אבידה, meaning “Returning lost property”. The Torah tells us that once you have seen a wandering animal or lost item, you have to return it to its owner, or take care of it with kindness until its owner comes. You cannot pretend you didn't see it and you must keep it safe. 

If the lost item is an animal, you must not endanger it. This relates to another mitzvah about how we must respect and care for all of Hashem’s creations. In Hebrew this mitzvah is called  כבוד הבריאות.

This mitzvah made me think about an event that happened to me last summer when I was on vacation. 
I found a really pretty bracelet at the beach. I wanted to keep it and wear it. However, this didn’t feel right. Instead, I decided to give it to my Mom so she could keep it safe while I searched for the person who might have dropped it.

Then I remembered that there was a girl who had a similar bracelet, and the next day I asked her if she recognized it. She said it was hers and she was so relieved and excited to get it back. This bracelet was very special to her. I immediately knew I had done the right thing.

Sometimes, you might want to keep something you find. It might be tempting, but if you try to return it, you will be doing a great mitzvah, and it will help you become an even more caring person!

Thank you and Shabbat Shalom!