Deuteronomy 21:10 - 25:19 Parashat Ki Teitzei / פרשת כי־תצא

READING 1: 21:10-21 (12 p'sukim)

READING 2: 21:22-22:7 (9 p'sukim)


The case (and curse) of a man put on a tree

(כב) וְכִֽי־יִהְיֶ֣ה בְאִ֗ישׁ חֵ֛טְא מִשְׁפַּט־מָ֖וֶת וְהוּמָ֑ת וְתָלִ֥יתָ אֹת֖וֹ עַל־עֵֽץ׃ (כג) 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) If a man is guilty of a capital offense and is put to death, and you impale him on a stake, (23) you must not let his corpse remain on the stake overnight, but must bury him the same day. For an impaled body is an affront to God: you shall not defile the land that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.

TARGUMS

וַאֲרוּם אִין יְהֵי בִּגְבַר חוֹבַת דִּין קְטוֹל וְיִתְחַיֵּיב אַטְלוּת אַבְנִין וּבָתַר כְּדֵין יִצְלְבוּן יָתֵיהּ עַל קֵיסָא
When a man hath become guilty of the judgment of death, and is condemned to be stoned, and they afterwards hang him on a beam,
לָא תָבִית נִבְלַת גּוּשְׁמֵיהּ עַל קֵיסָא אֲרוּם מִקְבַּר תִּקְבְּרוּנֵיהּ בְּיוֹמָא הַהוּא אֲרוּם קִילוּתָא קֳדָם אֱלָהָא לְמִצְלוֹב גְּבַר אֱלָהֵן חוֹבוֹי גָרְמוּ לֵיהּ וּמִן בִּגְלַל דִּבְדִיוּקְנָא דַיְיָ אִתְעֲבֵד תְּקַבְּרוּנֵיהּ עִם מִטְמוֹעַ שִׁמְשָׁא דְּלָא יְקִילִין בִּרְיָיתָא בֵּיהּ וְלָא תְטוּפוּן בִּנְבֵילְתְּהוֹן דְּחַיָּיבָא יַת אַרְעֲכוֹן דַּיְיָ אֱלָהָכוֹן יָהִיב לְכוֹן אַחֲסָנָא

his dead body shall not remain upon the beam, but he shall be certainly buried on the same day; for it is execrable before God to hang a man, but that his guilt gave occasion for it; and because he was made in the image of God, you shall bury him at the going down of the sun, lest wild beasts abuse him, and lest you overspread your land, which the Lord your God giveth you to possess, with the dead bodies of criminals.

qll verb C qll vb. a/a to be light G 1 to be light Com. --(a) to be made light of Sam, JBA. --(b) to be lenient Gal. 2 to be swift Syr. 3 to vanish Syr. --(a) to be lacking Syr. --(b) to abate PTA. 4 to be little, few, unimportant Sam. 5 to curse Gal. D 1 to lighten Com. --(a) to alleviate Sam. --(b) to make a lenient ruling Gal. 2 to revile Syr. 3 to curse OfA-Pers, Gal, Sam. C 1 to make something lighter, remove a burden JLAtg, Syr, LJLA. --(a) to act in a lax manner Gal. --(b) to alleviate Sam, JBA. 2 to treat lightly Gal, JBAg. --(a) to rule leniently JBA. (a.1) to exonerate Syr. --(b) to degrade, dishonor JLAtg, Sam. (b.1) w. ܥܠ‏ : to scorn Syr. --(c) to overcome Syr. --(d) ܥܲܠ‏ : to despise Syr. 3 to hasten Syr. 4 to curse JLAtg, Gal, Sam, LJLA. Dt 1 to abate, become diminished PTA. --(a) to be made light, alleviated Syr. 2 to be despised Syr. 3 to be cursed Sam. ethpolal, ethpay/wcel 1 אתקולל ‏ : to abate, become diminished LJLA. quad T 1 to be spoiled Sam.

RELATED CROSS REFERENCES

(א) וַיֵּ֥שֶׁב יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל בַּשִּׁטִּ֑ים וַיָּ֣חֶל הָעָ֔ם לִזְנ֖וֹת אֶל־בְּנ֥וֹת מוֹאָֽב׃ (ב) וַתִּקְרֶ֣אןָ לָעָ֔ם לְזִבְחֵ֖י אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֑ן וַיֹּ֣אכַל הָעָ֔ם וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲוּ֖וּ לֵֽאלֹהֵיהֶֽן׃ (ג) וַיִּצָּ֥מֶד יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לְבַ֣עַל פְּע֑וֹר וַיִּֽחַר־אַ֥ף יְהוָ֖ה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (ד) וַיֹּ֨אמֶר יְהוָ֜ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֗ה קַ֚ח אֶת־כָּל־רָאשֵׁ֣י הָעָ֔ם וְהוֹקַ֥ע אוֹתָ֛ם לַיהוָ֖ה נֶ֣גֶד הַשָּׁ֑מֶשׁ וְיָשֹׁ֛ב חֲר֥וֹן אַף־יְהוָ֖ה מִיִּשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ (ה) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֶל־שֹׁפְטֵ֖י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל הִרְגוּ֙ אִ֣ישׁ אֲנָשָׁ֔יו הַנִּצְמָדִ֖ים לְבַ֥עַל פְּעֽוֹר׃
(1) While Israel was staying at Shittim, the people profaned themselves by whoring with the Moabite women, (2) who invited the people to the sacrifices for their god. The people partook of them and worshiped that god. (3) Thus Israel attached itself to Baal-peor, and the LORD was incensed with Israel. (4) The LORD said to Moses, “Take all the ringleaders and have them publicly impaled before the LORD, so that the LORD’s wrath may turn away from Israel.” (5) So Moses said to Israel’s officials, “Each of you slay those of his men who attached themselves to Baal-peor.”

Numbers 25:1–5 (LEB)

1 When Israel dwelled in Shittim, the people began to prostitute themselves with the daughters of Moab. 2 And they invited the people to the sacrifices of their gods, and the people ate and worshiped their gods. 3 So Israel was joined together to Baal Peor, and Yahweh became angry with Israel. 4 Yahweh said to Moses, “Take all the leaders of the people and kill them before the sun, so the fierce anger of Yahweh will turn from Israel.” 5 So Moses said to the judges of Israel, “Each of you kill his men who are joined together with Baal Peor.”

וַאֲמַר מֵימְרָא דַיְיָ לְמשֶׁה סַב יַת כָּל רֵישֵׁי עַמָא וְאוֹקִים יַתְהוֹן סַנְהֶדְרִין קֳדָם יְיָ וִיהַוְיַן צְלָבִין כָּל מַן דְמִתְחַיֵיב לְמִתְקַטְלָא וְעִם מַעֲלֵי שִׁמְשָׁא יֶהֱוְיַן מַחְתִין נִבְלָתֵיהּ וְקַבְרִין בְּכֵן יַחֲזוֹר תְּקוֹף רוּגְזָא דַיְיָ מִן יִשְרָאֵל:

And the Word of the Lord said to Mosheh, Take all the chiefs of the people and set them for a Sanhedrin before the Lord, and let them hang all who are worthy of death; and at sunset take down their bodies and bury them, that so may be averted the strong anger of the Lord from Israel.

וַאֲמַר יְיָ לְמשֶׁה סַב יַת כָּל רֵישֵׁי עַמָא וּמַנֵי יַתְהוֹן דַיָינִין וִידוֹנוּן דִינִין דִקְטוֹלִין יַת עַמָא דְטָעוּ בָּתַר פְּעוֹר וְתִצְלוֹב יַתְהוֹן קֳדָם מֵימְרָא דַיְיָ עַל קִיסָא קֳבֵיל שִׁמְשָׁא בִּקְרִיצְתָּא וְעִם מִטְמוֹעַ שִׁמְשָׁא תָּחוֹת יַתְהוֹן וְתִקְבְּרִינוּן וִיתוּב תְּקוֹף רוּגְזָא דַיְיָ מִיִשְרָאֵל
And the Lord said to Mosheh, Take all the chiefs of the people, and appoint them for judges, and let them give judgment to put to death the people who have gone astray after Peor, and hang them before the Word of the Lord upon the wood over against the morning sun, and at the departure of the sun take them down and bury them and turn away the strong anger of the Lord from Israel.

Numbers 25:4 (NET)

4 The Lord said to Moses, “Arrest all the leaders of the people, and hang them up before the Lord in broad daylight, so that the fierce anger of the Lord may be turned away from Israel.”

Numbers 25:4 (ESV)

4 And the Lord said to Moses, “Take all the chiefs of the people and hang them in the sun before the Lord, that the fierce anger of the Lord may turn away from Israel.”

1 Samuel 31:9–13 (LEB)

9 So they cut off his head and stripped off his armor. Then they sent messengers around in the land of the Philistines to proclaim victory in the temples of their idols and to the people. 10 And they put his armor in the temple of the Ashtoreth, and they fastened his corpse to the wall of Beth Shan. 11 When the inhabitants of Jabesh Gilead heard about it, what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all of the valiant men set out and went all night and took the corpse of Saul and the corpses of his sons from the wall of Beth Shan, and they came to Jabesh and burned them there. 13 Then they took their bones and buried them under the tamarisk in Jabesh, and they fasted for seven days.

English

READING 3: 22:8-23:7 (29 p'sukim)

READING 4: 23:8-24 (17 p'sukim)

Do not commit adultery and the battlefield.

(י) כִּֽי־תֵצֵ֥א מַחֲנֶ֖ה עַל־אֹיְבֶ֑יךָ וְנִ֨שְׁמַרְתָּ֔ מִכֹּ֖ל דָּבָ֥ר רָֽע׃ (יא) כִּֽי־יִהְיֶ֤ה בְךָ֙ אִ֔ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֛ר לֹא־יִהְיֶ֥ה טָה֖וֹר מִקְּרֵה־לָ֑יְלָה וְיָצָא֙ אֶל־מִח֣וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֔ה לֹ֥א יָבֹ֖א אֶל־תּ֥וֹךְ הַֽמַּחֲנֶֽה׃ (יב) וְהָיָ֥ה לִפְנֽוֹת־עֶ֖רֶב יִרְחַ֣ץ בַּמָּ֑יִם וּכְבֹ֣א הַשֶּׁ֔מֶשׁ יָבֹ֖א אֶל־תּ֥וֹךְ הַֽמַּחֲנֶה׃ (יג) וְיָד֙ תִּהְיֶ֣ה לְךָ֔ מִח֖וּץ לַֽמַּחֲנֶ֑ה וְיָצָ֥אתָ שָׁ֖מָּה חֽוּץ׃ (יד) וְיָתֵ֛ד תִּהְיֶ֥ה לְךָ֖ עַל־אֲזֵנֶ֑ךָ וְהָיָה֙ בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֣ ח֔וּץ וְחָפַרְתָּ֣ה בָ֔הּ וְשַׁבְתָּ֖ וְכִסִּ֥יתָ אֶת־צֵאָתֶֽךָ׃ (טו) כִּי֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ מִתְהַלֵּ֣ךְ ׀ בְּקֶ֣רֶב מַחֲנֶ֗ךָ לְהַצִּֽילְךָ֙ וְלָתֵ֤ת אֹיְבֶ֙יךָ֙ לְפָנֶ֔יךָ וְהָיָ֥ה מַחֲנֶ֖יךָ קָד֑וֹשׁ וְלֹֽא־יִרְאֶ֤ה בְךָ֙ עֶרְוַ֣ת דָּבָ֔ר וְשָׁ֖ב מֵאַחֲרֶֽיךָ׃ (ס)
(10) When you go out as a troop against your enemies, be on your guard against anything untoward. (11) If anyone among you has been rendered unclean by a nocturnal emission, he must leave the camp, and he must not reenter the camp. (12) Toward evening he shall bathe in water, and at sundown he may reenter the camp. (13) Further, there shall be an area for you outside the camp, where you may relieve yourself. (14) With your gear you shall have a spike, and when you have squatted you shall dig a hole with it and cover up your excrement. (15) Since the LORD your God moves about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you, let your camp be holy; let Him not find anything unseemly among you and turn away from you.

READING 5: 23:25-24:4 (6 p'sukim)

There is an added emphasis in the Targum on the children she will bear.

לֵית לֵיהּ רְשׁוּת לְבַעֲלָהּ קַמָּאָה דְפַטְרָהּ מִן שֵׁירוּיָא לִמְתוֹב לְמִסְבָּהּ לְמֶהֱוֵי לֵיהּ לְאִנְתּוּ מִן בָּתַר דְּאִיסְתְּאָבַת אֲרוּם מְרַחֲקָא הִיא קֳדָם יְיָ וְלָא מְרַחֲקִין בְּנָהָא דְתֵלִיד מִנֵּיהּ וְלָא תְחַיֵּיב חוֹבַת מוֹתָנָא יַת אַרְעָא דַיְיָ אֱלָהָכוֹן יָהֵיב לְכוֹן אַחְסָנָא

it shall not be in the power of the first husband who dismissed her at the beginning to return and take her to be with him as his wife, after that she hath been defiled; for that is an abomination before the Lord: for the children whom she might bear should not be made abominable, or the land which the Lord your God giveth you to inherit become obnoxious to the plague.

The children being pointed out demonstrates that the meturgeman was also aware of the 7th commandment's emphasis not only on the relationship of the husband and wife, but the TELOS of the relationship of the husband and wife: godly seed.

(ד) לֹא־יוּכַ֣ל בַּעְלָ֣הּ הָרִאשׁ֣וֹן אֲשֶֽׁר־שִׁ֠לְּחָהּ לָשׁ֨וּב לְקַחְתָּ֜הּ לִהְי֧וֹת ל֣וֹ לְאִשָּׁ֗ה אַחֲרֵי֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֻטַּמָּ֔אָה כִּֽי־תוֹעֵבָ֥ה הִ֖וא לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וְלֹ֤א תַחֲטִיא֙ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ נַחֲלָֽה׃ (ס)
(4) Then the first husband who divorced her shall not take her to wife again, since she has been defiled—for that would be abhorrent to the LORD. You must not bring sin upon the land that the LORD your God is giving you as a heritage.
וְיָצְאָ֖ה מִבֵּית֑וֹ וְהָלְכָ֖ה וְהָיְתָ֥ה לְאִישׁ־אַחֵֽר׃ וּשְׂנֵאָהּ֮ הָאִ֣ישׁ הָאַחֲרוֹן֒ וְכָ֨תַב לָ֜הּ סֵ֤פֶר כְּרִיתֻת֙ וְנָתַ֣ן בְּיָדָ֔הּ וְשִׁלְּחָ֖הּ מִבֵּית֑וֹ א֣וֹ כִ֤י יָמוּת֙ הָאִ֣ישׁ הָאַחֲר֔וֹן אֲשֶׁר־לְקָחָ֥הּ ל֖וֹ לְאִשָּֽׁה׃ לֹא־יוּכַ֣ל בַּעְלָ֣הּ הָרִאשׁ֣וֹן אֲשֶֽׁר־שִׁ֠לְּחָהּ לָשׁ֨וּב לְקַחְתָּ֜הּ לִהְי֧וֹת ל֣וֹ לְאִשָּׁ֗ה אַחֲרֵי֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֻטַּמָּ֔אָה כִּֽי־תוֹעֵבָ֥ה הִ֖וא לִפְנֵ֣י יְהוָ֑ה וְלֹ֤א תַחֲטִיא֙ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ נַחֲלָֽה׃ (ס)
she leaves his household and becomes the wife of another man; then this latter man rejects her, writes her a bill of divorcement, hands it to her, and sends her away from his house; or the man who married her last dies. Then the first husband who divorced her shall not take her to wife again, since she has been defiled—for that would be abhorrent to the LORD. You must not bring sin upon the land that the LORD your God is giving you as a heritage.

The Rabbi Yeshua and his reading of this text.

Matthew 19:1–12 (LEB)

1 And it happened that when Jesus had finished these statements, he went away from Galilee and came into the region of Judea on the other side of the Jordan. 2 And large crowds followed him, and he healed them there. 3 And Pharisees came up to him in order to test him, and asked if it was permitted for a man to divorce his wife for any cause. 4 And he answered and said, “Have you not read that the one who created them from the beginning made them male and female 5 and said, ‘On account of this a man will leave his father and his mother and will be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? 6 So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, man must not separate.” 7 They said to him, “Why then did Moses command us to give a document—a certificate of divorce—and to divorce her?” 8 He said to them, “Moses, with reference to your hardness of heart, permitted you to divorce your wives, but from the beginning it was not like this. 9 Now I say to you that whoever divorces his wife, except on the basis of sexual immorality, and marries another commits adultery, and whoever marries her who is divorced commits adultery.” 10 The disciples said to him, “If this is the case of a man with his wife, it would be better not to marry!” 11 But he said to them, “Not everyone can accept this saying but those to whom it has been given. 12 For there are eunuchs who were born as such from their mother’s womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by people, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. The one who is able to accept this, let him accept it.”

pay attention to how Rabbi Yeshua answers the question regarding that which is permitted (that which is loosed versus that which is bound). His answer first employs the Torah. He regards a question concerning whether or not an action is permitted as a question of Torah. He doesn't cite an ecstatic prophetic experience. He doesn't appeal to things he's heard or seen in prayer. He cites the Torah.

(כז) וַיִּבְרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ אֶת־הָֽאָדָם֙ בְּצַלְמ֔וֹ בְּצֶ֥לֶם אֱלֹהִ֖ים בָּרָ֣א אֹת֑וֹ זָכָ֥ר וּנְקֵבָ֖ה בָּרָ֥א אֹתָֽם׃

(27) And God created man in His image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

READING 6: 24:5-13 (9 p'sukim)

(כד) עַל־כֵּן֙ יַֽעֲזָב־אִ֔ישׁ אֶת־אָבִ֖יו וְאֶת־אִמּ֑וֹ וְדָבַ֣ק בְּאִשְׁתּ֔וֹ וְהָי֖וּ לְבָשָׂ֥ר אֶחָֽד׃
(24) Hence a man leaves his father and mother and clings to his wife, so that they become one flesh.

READING 7: 24:14-25:19 (28 p'sukim)

וַיַּ֣רְא יְהוָ֔ה כִּ֥י רַבָּ֛ה רָעַ֥ת הָאָדָ֖ם בָּאָ֑רֶץ וְכָל־יֵ֙צֶר֙ מַחְשְׁבֹ֣ת לִבּ֔וֹ רַ֥ק רַ֖ע כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃
The LORD saw how great was man’s wickedness on earth, and how every plan devised by his mind was nothing but evil all the time.