Ki Teitzei
Deuteronomy 21:10 – 25:19

By Torah Blogger, Jen Smith

Ki Teitzei is overwhelming. It contains more mitzvot than almost any other portion (74, in fact.) Reading through them is like scrolling through an ancient rulebook: lost property, fair wages, limits on punishment, laws of family life, kindness to animals, proper building codes. It seems like a laundry list of dos and don’ts.

But the mystics noticed something. The portion begins: Ki teitzei lamilchama – when you go out to war (Deut. 21:10.) The Baal Shem Tov[1] asked: why begin here? He explained that this “war” is not only about Israel on a battlefield; it’s about the inner battlefield we all carry. Each day, each person “goes out to war” with their yetzer hara – their selfish impulses, their greed, their anger.

Through that lens, every mitzvah in Ki Teitzei becomes more than legal code. It becomes a strategy for inner transformation.

Take the mitzvah of returning lost objects. On the surface: if your neighbor loses their ox, you return it. Spiritually: when you see someone has “lost” their way, their hope, their dignity, your job is to help return it.

Take the mitzvah of paying workers promptly. On the surface: economic justice. Spiritually: don’t withhold light from others. Don’t delay giving someone the respect or kindness they deserve.

Take the mitzvah about shooing away the mother bird before taking her chicks. On the surface: animal compassion. Spiritually: soften your heart. Practice empathy even in the smallest encounters with creation.

Current events make this urgent. We live in a time when wars are raging, not only in Ukraine, Israel, or other faraway conflict zones, but in our headlines, our politics, and even our social media feeds. Every day feels like a battle for truth, dignity, hope, and compassion.

Ki Teitzei is a cosmic reminder that, while there are real wars outside of us, we should never neglect the war within. Building a just society is so much more than military might – this begins the moment we decide to confront – and prevail over – the battles within ourselves first.

Jewish mysticism teaches that say that every mitzvah carries with it a spark, and each time we perform a mitzvah, we ignite a tiny unique flame of divine light. If we ignore the chance to perform a mitzvah, the unique flame stays hidden, robbing the world of what could be the one tiny spark the world needs.

The Baal Shem Tov taught that our task is to find and gather these hidden sparks, to redeem them, until the world itself shines from within.

Far from a goodie bag of random obligations, the laws of Ki Teitzei become a strategic plan for creating a soul, a community, and a society filled with love and holiness. Maybe we should spend less time winning wars and more time winning peace.

As we go forth to face the battles outside where they are political, personal, spiritual, the Torah gives us all the tools we need by inviting us to engage in the magic of small acts of kindness, compassion, integrity, and fairness. When we use these tools, we are not simply preserving and obeying ancient laws, we are winning battles that are far more important than any war: we are winning victories of light over darkness and of blessing over curse.

Shabbat Shalom.

[1] The Baal Shem Tov (literally, “Master of the Good Name”), was born Israel ben Eliezer around 1698 in (what is now) Ukraine. He later became the founder of Hasidic Judaism.