Your Daily Pesuk Aug. 20, 2018

Parashat Ki Teitzei / פרשת כי־תצא

• Mon, 20 August 2018 = 9th of Elul, 5778
• ט׳ בֶּאֱלוּל תשע״ח

Deuteronomy 21:22-22:7 (9 p'sukim)

Deuteronomy 21:22-22:7 Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Hung on a Tree

22 “Suppose a man is guilty of a sin with a death sentence and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree. 23 His body is not to remain all night on the tree—instead you must certainly bury him the same day, for anyone hanged is a curse of God. You must not defile your land that Adonai your God is giving you as an inheritance.

Love in Practice

22 “You are not to watch your brother’s ox or sheep going astray and ignore them—you must certainly bring them back to your brother. 2 If your brother is not near you or if you do not know him, then you should bring it into your house and it will remain with you until your brother comes searching for it and you return it to him. 3 You are to do the same with his donkey or his coat or anything lost by your brother, that may be lost by him and you find—you may not ignore them. 4 You must not watch your brother’s donkey or ox fall down on the road and ignore it—you must certainly help him lift it up again.

5 “A man’s apparel is not to be on a woman, nor is a man to wear woman’s clothing—for whoever does these things is detestable to Adonai your God.

6 “If there happens to be a bird’s nest in front of you along the road, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs and the hen sitting on the young or on the eggs, you are not to take the hen with the young. 7 You must certainly let the hen go, but the young you may take for yourself so that it may go well with you and you may prolong your days.

22 וְכִֽי־יִהְיֶ֣ה בְאִ֗ישׁ חֵ֛טְא מִשְׁפַּט־מָ֖וֶת וְהוּמָ֑ת וְתָלִ֥יתָ אֹת֖וֹ עַל־עֵֽץ׃

23 לֹא־תָלִ֨ין נִבְלָת֜וֹ עַל־הָעֵ֗ץ כִּֽי־קָב֤וֹר תִּקְבְּרֶ֙נּוּ֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא כִּֽי־קִלְלַ֥ת אֱלֹהִ֖ים תָּל֑וּי וְלֹ֤א תְטַמֵּא֙ אֶת־אַדְמָ֣תְךָ֔ אֲשֶׁר֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ נַחֲלָֽה׃ ס

22 לֹֽא־תִרְאֶה֩ אֶת־שׁ֨וֹר אָחִ֜יךָ א֤וֹ אֶת־שֵׂיוֹ֙ נִדָּחִ֔ים וְהִתְעַלַּמְתָּ֖ מֵהֶ֑ם הָשֵׁ֥ב תְּשִׁיבֵ֖ם לְאָחִֽיךָ׃

2 וְאִם־לֹ֨א קָר֥וֹב אָחִ֛יךָ אֵלֶ֖יךָ וְלֹ֣א יְדַעְתּ֑וֹ וַאֲסַפְתּוֹ֙ אֶל־תּ֣וֹךְ בֵּיתֶ֔ךָ וְהָיָ֣ה עִמְּךָ֗ עַ֣ד דְּרֹ֤שׁ אָחִ֙יךָ֙ אֹת֔וֹ וַהֲשֵׁבֹת֖וֹ לֽוֹ׃

3 וְכֵ֧ן תַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה לַחֲמֹר֗וֹ וְכֵ֣ן תַּעֲשֶׂה֮ לְשִׂמְלָתוֹ֒ וְכֵ֣ן תַּעֲשֶׂ֜ה לְכָל־אֲבֵדַ֥ת אָחִ֛יךָ אֲשֶׁר־תֹּאבַ֥ד מִמֶּ֖נּוּ וּמְצָאתָ֑הּ לֹ֥א תוּכַ֖ל לְהִתְעַלֵּֽם׃ ס

4 לֹא־תִרְאֶה֩ אֶת־חֲמ֨וֹר אָחִ֜יךָ א֤וֹ שׁוֹרוֹ֙ נֹפְלִ֣ים בַּדֶּ֔רֶךְ וְהִתְעַלַּמְתָּ֖ מֵהֶ֑ם הָקֵ֥ם תָּקִ֖ים עִמּֽוֹ׃ ס

5 לֹא־יִהְיֶ֤ה כְלִי־גֶ֙בֶר֙ עַל־אִשָּׁ֔ה וְלֹא־יִלְבַּ֥שׁ גֶּ֖בֶר שִׂמְלַ֣ת אִשָּׁ֑ה כִּ֧י תוֹעֲבַ֛ת יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ כָּל־עֹ֥שֵׂה אֵֽלֶּה׃ פ

6 כִּ֣י יִקָּרֵ֣א קַן־צִפּ֣וֹר׀ לְפָנֶ֡יךָ בַּדֶּ֜רֶךְ בְּכָל־עֵ֣ץ׀ א֣וֹ עַל־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֶפְרֹחִים֙ א֣וֹ בֵיצִ֔ים וְהָאֵ֤ם רֹבֶ֙צֶת֙ עַל־הָֽאֶפְרֹחִ֔ים א֖וֹ עַל־הַבֵּיצִ֑ים לֹא־תִקַּ֥ח הָאֵ֖ם עַל־הַבָּנִֽים׃

7 שַׁלֵּ֤חַ תְּשַׁלַּח֙ אֶת־הָאֵ֔ם וְאֶת־הַבָּנִ֖ים תִּֽקַּֽח־לָ֑ךְ לְמַ֙עַן֙ יִ֣יטַב לָ֔ךְ וְהַאֲרַכְתָּ֖ יָמִֽים׃ ס

The pesukim today are "rich" beginning with the commandments regarding a man who was condemned by capital punishment and who is hung on a tree.  These mitzvot foreshadow our Messiah specifically in this way...

2 Corinthians 5:21 Tree of Life Version (TLV)
21 He made the One who knew no sin to become a sin offering on our behalf, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.

Galatians 3:13 Tree of Life Version (TLV)
13 Messiah liberated us from Torah’s curse, having become a curse for us (for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”

The pesuk I'd like to focus on however today is 22:5, because it is extremely relevant for our culture today here in 21st century here where we live.  As well all know, at least if  you are over 20 years old; that cultures shift and change, sometimes rapidly.  There was a day, not that long ago when cross-dressing, coming out "gay", and identifying as "trans" were all taboo.  Today that is not the case.  Interestingly however, the Torah, which is at least 3300 years old; had something to say on this subject.  Nothing is really new, people crossed dressed even in ancient Biblical times.

Why though does God consider this an abomination?  If we go back 150 years to the 19th Century, to a time before Feminism and Women's Sufferage; we find an interesting commentary on this pesuk from a Hebraist scholar, whom I often quote, Franz Delitzsch:

Delitzsch says on Deuteronomy 22:5

"As the property of a neighbour was to be sacred in the estimation of an Israelite, so also the divine distinction of the sexes, which was kept sacred in civil life by the clothing peculiar to each sex, was to be not less but even more sacredly observed. “ There shall not be man's things upon a woman, and a man shall not put on a woman's clothes .” כּלי does not signify clothing merely, nor arms only, but includes every kind of domestic and other utensils (as in Exodus 22:6; Leviticus 11:32; Leviticus 13:49). The immediate design of this prohibition was not to prevent licentiousness, or to oppose idolatrous practices (the proofs which Spencer has adduced of the existence of such usages among heathen nations are very far-fetched); but to maintain the sanctity of that distinction of the sexes which was established by the creation of man and woman, and in relation to which Israel was not to sin. Every violation or wiping out of this distinction - such even, for example, as the emancipation of a woman - was unnatural, and therefore an abomination in the sight of God."

Of course when we consider 150 year old commentaries like this we must understand the time and culture and political atmosphere in which it was written.  In Jewish tradition, throughout Israel's history, women were always considered equal to the men.  In fact the rabbis teach that the reason men are required to wear tzit tzit and tefillin, and being in the synagogue 3 times a day was not because they were "superior", but rather because men are spiritually "INFERIOR" to women.  Whereas women have a natural innate sense of spiritual reality around them (i.e. they are more spiritually in tune) whereas men are often oblivious to what is happening around themselves spiritually); this explains why men need the physical stimulation and are required to do more of the outward expressions within the rituals of Judaism.  Furthermore, this is why God used women in about every major critical event in Israel's history.  Sarah's barrenness, Rebecca's idea to use Jacob to deceive Isaac and capture the blessing, Rachel's competition with her sister Leah, then there is Deborah, Ruth and Esther!  All are examples of God using women at critical times when the future of the nation was dependent on their actions and faithfulness to God.  They are our Matriarchs, and we look to them for inspiration just as we do our forefathers.

In the Gentile world however, women are not treated with equal dignity throughout the history of the nations.  Often they are treated as "property".  Hence, we find Delitzsch's comments about women's emancipation used as an example of something "unnatural"; recalling that this was a time before women were "emancipated" in Europe, as Delitzsch was German and all his commentaries originally were written in German. 

Regardless of the cultural difference we have today between 19th Century Europeans and 21st Century Americans; the point he makes about the Sanctity of the Distinction of the Sexes; survives the test of time as well as the test of Biblical Law. 

God did not create women from Adam's head or his foot - it was from his side.  He said she is bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh.  Completely Equal - yet "Distinct"; having a distinct purpose in perfect compliment to the character of man.

The bottom line is that the Torah makes distinctions between Israel and the nations, between Cohanim and Levites, between Levites and Israelites, and while there is a purpose for all these groups, God created them for their special purposes and desires all nations to call upon His Name. He made a distinction between a man and a woman and those distinctions should not be "blurred" or messed with.

Shaliach Shaul made this clear to us in his Igret Ha Galatim:

Galatians 3:26 For you are all sons of God through trusting in Messiah Yeshua. 27 For all of you who were immersed in Messiah have clothed yourselves with Messiah. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female—for you are all one in Messiah Yeshua. 29 And if you belong to Messiah, then you are Abraham’s seed—heirs according to the promise.

This Apostolic Messianic halachic teaching was not an endorsement on "cross dressing" and "transgender identity".  Jews and non-Jews each have their purpose in this world, so do men and women.

Matthew 5:18 Amen, I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or serif shall ever pass away from the Torah until all things come to pass.

Amen