Parashat Ki Teitzei—Miracles (and Mitzvot) are All Around
In the 1960s, Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel spoke to countless Jewish organizations. When delivering a lecture in the evening, he frequently began by saying, “Ladies and gentleman, a miracle just occurred.” After a pause, he continued: “The sun has just set.” A few people in the audience would understand, but most were confused, and some were dismissive. Was the rabbi trying to make a joke? If so, no one found it funny.
But he proceeded to talk about how religion encourages us to live with a sense of wonder. Is a sunset just a routine matter, best ignored—or is it a miracle to be recognized, appreciated and praised? The answer depends on our way of seeing the world. Judaism, according to Heschel, urges us to look for miracles; if we try, we can discover God’s fingerprints all over the place.
This week’s parashah, Ki Teitzei, contains a similar message with regards to mitzvot. It contains more of them than any other Torah portion—and when we study them, we see the world differently. Normally, we wouldn’t take much notice of a flat-roofed building, a field at harvest time, or a bird’s nest—but our parashah instructs us to build railings around the edges of flat-roofed houses to prevent injuries, to leave forgotten sheaves of wheat in the field for the poor, and to shoo the mother bird away from a nest before gathering the eggs. Seeing those objects through the Torah’s lens, we realize that everyday items are alive with potential. If a sunset is a chance to see God’s handiwork, a flat roof is a chance to do God’s work.
At Schechter, our students learn the science of sunsets, and the geometry of a flat roof; they understand the science. But they also learn to look at the world through spiritual lenses, finding miracles and mitzvot all around.
Shabbat shalom,
Rabbi Jonathan Berger
Head of School
Questions for the Shabbat table:
1. Why might the Torah ask us to build a railing around a flat-roofed house? What general principle is the Torah trying to teach us?
2. Can you think of a time when you said, “This is a miracle!” about something that you had previously ignored or not appreciated?