Ki Tetze 
Deut. 21:10–25:19 

By Jen Smith, Guest Torah Blogger 

In this week’s Parshat Ki Tetze, Moses continues his marathon farewell speech. Imagine Moses, the ultimate motivational speaker, standing before the Israelites as he delivers one last dose of wisdom before they cross into the Promised Land. I imagine Moses may have been much like a biblical basketball coach: he’s calling a huddle at half time, giving his team the playbook for the second half of the game. He’s not inspiring them to merely survive; he’s hyping them up to thrive! 

Ki Tetzi means “when you go out,” and comes from a key phrase in the portion, Ki tetze la’milchama, meaning, when you go out to war. This is about more than just swords and literal battles. Our rabbis teach us that this phrase not only refers to the battles the people face with the other tribes they’ll encounter, it’s also about the daily struggles they’ll encounter as a community and as individuals. Whether it’s the challenge of living a moral life in a complicated world, the battles we wage on behalf of those who cannot fight for themselves, or the tireless fight against our own worst instincts (yetzer hora) or self-sabotage, the people are reminded that while they made it to the Promised Land geographically, the real Promised Land is finding peace within ourselves, our community, and with God. That Promised Land is a lifelong journey; more of a practice – not a destination. 

The Torah doesn’t just focus on our grand gestures of spirituality. Instead, it reminds us of the mitzvah and the importance of inviting holiness into our lives on earth, infusing our existence with the divine, and leveraging our unique divine sparks to help us cope during even the most difficult of times. Most of all, we are reminded that our law is a living Torah; from the treatment of prisoners of war and the proper steps for addressing theft of property and animals, to employee compensation and guidelines for managing divorce, this portion offers a roadmap to Peoplehood. Ki Tetze reminds us once more than God is not only found in the Temple or the modern synagogue, but also on the street, in the faces of strangers, in our workplace, and in our relationships with our friends and family. 

The beauty of Ki Tetze is that it gives us, God’s people, a mandate to “go out” and find the connection we want with God. That connection is not waiting for us in a distant land, nor can it be found through a connection with another person. The connection we long for is inside of us; it is waiting for us in our daily lives and in our choices and actions as we struggle to overcome the realities of a finite world. Every time we act from a place of love – love of ourselves, our neighbors, or our communities – we effectively elevate even the most difficult of circumstances into an opportunity to deepen our relationship with God. From this, we learn that caring for each other – either physically, spiritually, or with our time – is an important form of Divine Service.  

So, what’s Moses’ underlying message in Ki Tetze?  For me, it comes down to this: Life is a series of small, yet important, battles. It is not solely about preparing for the Promised Land; it’s about how well we live as we traverse the wilderness of life. As we “go out” into the week ahead, may we be inspired to unlock the power within to transform every moment, every word, every interaction, into an act of holiness. Instead of pushing through our daily grind, let’s fight the mundane with sacred weapons: infusing daily life with meaning, kindness, gratitude, and a little humor. After all, as Moses knew, the Promised Land is already here if we choose to see it. 

Shabbat Shalom!