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Ki-Teitzei (2025)

Shabbat Parshat Ki-Teitzei

Dvar Torah - Cultivating a caring mindset
This week’s parsha teaches the mitzvah of Shichecha (lit. “forgotten”) - that farmers must leave forgotten bundles in the field for the poor, adding a promise “so that G-d will bless you in all your work” (Deu. 24:19). Normally, the Torah does not spell out the reward for mitzvot, but Rashi explains that here the Torah highlights this blessing to teach us that even an unintentional mitzvah – done simply by forgetting – still merits reward.
But why should something unintentional merit reward? Perhaps an answer can be found in Rav Hirsch who explains that Shichecha is meant to change us as people, conditioning our state of mind away from our natural inclination to amass wealth, to one of largesse towards the poor.
When we live our lives in a mindset of contribution and care, even deeds we do unintentionally are inspired by a sense of awareness for the needs of others and are surely meritorious.

Some good news from Israel
This Monday (Sep 1) was the unofficial national holiday celebrating the first day of school. It's an exciting time in Israel with the streets filled with children specially dressed in white shirts for the big day and national headlines showing excited children heading into the classrooms. In the spirit of Israeli optimism, a widely covered story was the re-opening of the kindergarten in Moshav Zarit on the Lebanese border which had been closed for over 20 years due to the Moshav's aging population. Following the war up north, a number of young families decided to make their home there and the kindergarten opened with 13 children!

Shabbat in/out times
Yerushalayim 18:22/19:34
Tel Aviv 18:37/19:36
Perth 17:44/18:40
Dubai 18:15/19:07
Berlin 19:26/20:36
Paris 20:06/21:11
NYC 19:03/20:01
Sao Paulo 17:39/18:32
More times here

Shabbat Shalom! 


 

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