Parsha Talk - Ki Tetzei 5781

Parashat Ki Tetze [Deuteronomy 21:10-25:19] has more commandments than any other parashah, what Eliot refers to as the greatest mitzvah density. With well over 10% of the rabbinic count of 613 commandments, we could hardly do justice to all of them. We spend a good chunk of time on the first 3: the law of the captive wife [21:10-14], the law of inheritance for the children of 2 different wives [21:15-17], and the law of the stubborn and rebellious son [21:18-21], discussing the laws individually as well as trying to ascertain what they have in common. We also talk about the sending of the mother bird away from her nest of fledglings or eggs before taking them [22:6-7]. While other laws came up, I hope this is enough to whet your appetite! Shabbat Shalom! Rabbis Eliot Malomet, Jeremy Kalmanofsky and Barry Chesler