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Yitro: Is Shabbat about God, Others or Ourselves?
The 613 mitzvot—commandments—in the Torah are typically divided into two categories, mitzvot bein adam la-makom—mitzvot between ourselves and God, and mitzvot bein adam le-chavero—mitzvot between one person and another. The question is, to which category does Shabbat—the Sabbath—belong and why?
The Holocaust and October 7
As we mark Yom HaShoah, it is difficult to ignore the comparisons that have emerged over the past year and a half between the Holocaust and the Hamas massacre of October 7. The sheer hatred exhibited by the Hamas terrorists, the savage brutality of their assault, their indiscriminate torture and murder of men, women, the elderly, children, and even infants—along with their grotesque celebration of these acts—evoked haunting echoes of the darkest atrocities committed by the Nazis.
While there are chilling parallels between these two horrors, one critical distinction must be underscored: the scale.Ki Teitzei: Returning Our Lost Optimism
Life in Israel has been unimaginably difficult since October 7, but in recent weeks I have felt a particular heaviness. Much of my struggle has centered on Israel’s decision to take control of Gaza City.On the one hand, the case for taking Gaza City seems compelling. As the largest urban center in the Strip and the nerve center of Hamas’ rule, it houses the group’s military headquarters, its underground tunnels, and its command-and-control infrastructure. Without breaking Hamas’ grip on the city, the organization will regroup, rearm, and, sooner or later, attempt another October 7. For many Israelis—including bereaved families of soldiers who fell in battle—the war cannot truly end with Hamas still entrenched. Moreover, capturing Gaza City may be the only way to secure the release of all the hostages, rather than just some. On the other hand, Gaza City is home to nearly a million civilians packed into dense neighborhoods, with roughly 10,000 Hamas operatives embedded among them and shielded by an extensive tunnel network. Taking control requires the mobilization of 60,000 exhausted reservists already bearing the weight of a war approaching its second year. The toll would almost certainly be high, with further casualties, and the hostages—many already suffering from malnutrition—would be placed in even greater danger. In short, every path forward is fraught, each option carrying unbearable consequences.
Re’eh: The Danger of Becoming Separate Tribes
This week’s parasha contains a prohibition whose significance, according to Chazal, reaches far beyond its original context:בָּנִים אַתֶּם לַה׳ אֱלֹהֵיכֶם, לֹא תִתְגֹּדְדוּ””, “You are children of the Lord your God; (lo titgodedu) you shall not cut yourselves” (Deuteronomy 14:1). According to the straightforward meaning of the verse, the Torah forbids cutting or lacerating the body as an expression of mourning. Such practices were common in the ancient world, but the Torah insists that even in moments of grief, human beings must not surrender to despair or mutilate the body that God has given them. The Sages, however, hear an additional meaning in the words ״לֹא תִתְגּוֹדְדוּ״ — לֹא תֵּעָשׂוּ אֲגוּדּוֹת אֲגוּדּוֹת, “Do not divide yourselves into separate factions” (Yevamot 13b-14a).
