Parashat Ki Tetze by Cantor Adam Stotland
This week’s parsha of Ki Tetze may hold the record for the most mitzvot in any given section of the Torah. From the morality of war and certain laws of marriage to the famous commandment to remember what Amalek did to us as we left Egypt.
Perhaps one Mitzvah that gets glossed over is the Mitzvah of Shiluach Haken, the commandment to send away the mother bird before taking her eggs. Our sages point out that we do this out of sensitivity to the mother bird, with the innate understanding that no mother should have to see her eggs taken from her.
The lesson I take from this Mitzvah is one of compassion. We are commanded by our Torah to perform acts of compassion for others. Although we are hungry, we feel for the mother bird deeply enough to spare her from being present when her eggs are taken.
We are in the month of Elul and leading up to the High Holidays. If this is not a time for compassion, when is it? It’s today, it’s this week, it’s all year, through every interaction we have with every living soul.
It’s putting ourselves aside, in the shadows, where we reflect on what is bringing someone else down, what is the cause of their suffering? It’s the understanding that we all struggle on different levels throughout our lifetimes. If we can show compassion, kindness, and send the message, “I’ve got your back”, to those who surround us; there would be so much more love in this world.
Let us reflect upon this Mitzvah and enter this season with a compassionate and open heart.
Shabbat Shalom.