Ki Teitzei
כי תצאThe Mitzvos of Daily Life
77 translated essays · 77 total
תרל"א(1870)
Capturing the Hidden Spark Within· Essay 1
כי תצא כו’ ונתנו ה”א בידך ושבית שביו. When you go.out to battle your enemy and HaShem your G-d will give him into your hand and you will capture and captive. This pasuk can also be referring to the internal battle that a person …
Permitted Acts Bind to Holiness· Essay 2
ברש”י לא דיברה תורה אלא נגד יצה”ר כו’ Rashi says that the reason why the Torah permitted a captive woman in battle, is because if the Torah wouldn’t allow it in a permitted fashion the person would succumb to the tem…
Mitzvos as Decree Not Mercy· Essay 3
במד’ בקן צפור The Midrash on the commandment of sending away the mother bird. נראה שאף שבאמת הוא רחמי הש”י מ”מ אין לאדם לעשות המצוה רק עבור גזירת המקום It would seem that even though one can truly see the mercy of HaShem i…
Gathering the Soul for War· Essay 4
כי תצא מחנה כו’ ונשמרת כו’ ה”א מתהלך כו’ ולא יראה בך ע”ד ושב כו’ When the pasuk (Devarim 23:10) commands the laws of going to battle, and how to act modestly in protecting oneself during moments of impuri…
תרל"ב(1871)
Permission Frees from Evil's Grip· Essay 1
במדרש לוית חן הם המצות מלוין האדם כו’. The Midrash quoting the pasuk in Mishlei (1:9) “The (mitzvot) are a beautiful wreath (לוית) for your head” The word לוית can also mean to accompany. שיש בכל דבר מצוה שיוכל האדם לדבק הכל ע”י…
Difficulty of the Lighter Mitzvah· Essay 2
במדרש שמצינו קלה שבקלות חמורה שבחמורות מתן שכרה שוה. The Midrash says that HaShem didn’t want to reveal the reward of the mitzvos, and therefore the only two that are revealed. One is a very easy mitzvah – shiluach haken sending away …
Bittul Through Self Diminishment· Essay 3
Regarding the pasuk "and let Him not see anything unseemly among you" (Devarim 23:15), Chazal expounded: "Let there not be seen in you" — that nothing in your heart should be void or empty before Hashem. The Sfas Emes reads Chazal's derasha…
תרל"ג(1872)
Awakening Hidden Chein Through Mitzvos· Essay 1
In the Midrash on the verse "they shall be a garland of grace [for your head]" (Mishlei 1:9) — that the mitzvos accompany you. For the fact that the mitzvos which Bnei Yisrael perform are accepted before Hashem, may He be blessed, The Sfas …
Guarding The Speaking Soul· Essay 2
"That which goes out of your lips you shall keep" (Devarim 23:24) refers to the guarding of one's speech, for the mouth is an even more inward organ, since all the vital breath and innermost essence of a person comes forth through the outle…
Ki Teitze תרל"ג
במדרש לוית חן הם כו’ המצות מלוין אותך כו’ (Mishlei 1:9) For they (the words of Torah) are a graceful wreath on your head”. The Midrash (Devarim Rabbah 6:3) explains that this is referring to the mitzovt which accompany מלוין one…
תרל"ד(1873)
Shame That Conquers Yetzer· Essay 1
My revered grandfather, master and teacher, of blessed memory, explained the verse "When you go out (to war)": when a person has gained some measure of freedom from the yetzer hara, only then is he ready to wage war against it, and this is …
The Unspoken Cry· Essay 2
From the pasuk "the maiden cried out" (Devarim 22:27) it is proven that whenever a person is able to save himself by crying out, his desire to do so is itself reckoned as if he acted upon it — for the Holy One, Blessed is He, hears the tefi…
Returning a Fellow Spiritually· Essay 3
"You shall not see your brother's ox... and ignore them; you shall surely return them" (Devarim 22:1). The Torah's command not to ignore a brother's lost ox but to return it is read as a charge concerning anyone who sees his fellow straying…
Treasuring the Little Good· Essay 4
"When you go out as a camp [against your enemies]" (Devarim 23:10) ... "and you shall guard yourself [from every evil thing]" ... "and you shall have a place [literally, a 'hand'] outside the camp" (Devarim 23:13). The Sfas Emes opens with …
Ki Tetze תרל"ד
אמו”ר זקני ז”ל פירש כי תצא כשיש קצת חירות מיצה”ר אז יהי’ למלחמה כו’ והוא כמ”ש והי’ בהניח כו’ לך כו’ תמחה כו’. The Chidushei Harim explained the pasuk “When you will go out to battl…
תרל"ה(1874)
Inborn Bond To Mitzvos· Essay 1
In the Midrash: One who is born already circumcised must still have a drop of bris-blood drawn, on account of the bris of Avraham Avinu, peace be upon him, as the pasuk says, "He shall surely be circumcised" (Bereishis 17:13). Even a baby b…
Sanctifying the Body· Essay 2
On the verse "And your camp shall be holy" (Devarim 23:15), in the name of my grandfather and teacher, of blessed memory, who explained "your camp" as referring to the limbs of a person, and so forth. The Sfas Emes cites his grandfather, th…
Returning the Rashas Portion· Essay 3
"You shall not see... you shall surely return them... it becomes lost from him and you find it..." (Devarim 22:1-3). The piece opens with the pesukim of hashavas aveidah - the mitzvah to return a lost object - which the Sfas Emes will read …
Nations Drawing Near Israel· Essay 4
"An Ammonite or a Moavite shall not enter" (Devarim 23:4), and the reason given is "on account of the fact that they did not greet you with bread and water" (Devarim 23:5), and "because he hired against you" (Devarim 23:5). The Sfas Emes op…
Ki Tetze תרל"ה
תרל”ה במדרש נולד מהול צריכין להטיף דם ברית מפני בריתו של אאע”ה המול ימול כו’. כי יש לבנ”י מצד עצם מדרגתם שייכות אל התורה ומצות. לכן קיים אברהם אבינו ע”ה המצות קודם הציוי כי הי’ מיוחד להתורה. כמ”ש אב…
תרל"ו(1875)
Redeeming Captive Sparks Through Teshuvah· Essay 1
"When you go out to war" against your enemies, "and Hashem your God will deliver him into your hand," "and you will take his captives" (Devarim 21:10). The piece opens by citing the opening verses of the parsha about going out to war, Hashe…
Fighting Within The Collective· Essay 2
In the Sifrei on parashas Ki Teitzei it is taught: "When you go out" — you only go out within a camp. The Sfas Emes opens with the Sifrei's reading of "when you go out": one only goes out to war as part of a camp, never as a lone individual…
Lifting Others Lifts Yourself· Essay 3
On the pasuk "Hakeim takim imo" — "You shall surely help him lift it up with him" (Devarim 22:4). The Sfas Emes opens with the mitzvah of helping one's fellow raise up his fallen burden, citing the words of the pasuk in Ki Teitzei. In the m…
Curse Turned Into Blessing· Essay 4
On the verse, "And he hired Bilam against you... but Hashem refused to listen... and He turned the curse into a blessing" (Devarim 23:5-6). The Sfas Emes opens with the verse describing how Bilam was hired to curse Bnei Yisrael, but Hashem …
Ki Tetze תרל"ו
תרל”ו כי תצא למלחמה כו’ ונתנו ה”א כו’ ושבית שביו. בהקדים דברי המד’ ע”פ כי לוית חן הם לראשך המצות מלוין אותך כו’. פי’ שבוודאי נמצא בכלל כל הבריאה וכן בכל פרט איזה נקודה המעלת חן לפני הקב”…
תרל"ז(1876)
Mitzvos Revealing Israel's Grace· Essay 1
The Midrash teaches on the verse "for they shall be a garland of grace (livyas chein) [for your head]" (Mishlei 1:9) — that the mitzvos accompany (melavin) a person. The Sfas Emes opens with the Midrash that compares mitzvos to a garland of…
Toil Reveals Torah Sweetness· Essay 2
Regarding the pasuk "When you come into your fellow's vineyard" (Devarim 23:25), the verse is speaking of a worker. The Sfas Emes opens by noting that this pasuk about entering a vineyard is, in its plain sense, speaking about a hired worke…
Ki Tetze תרל"ז
תרל”ז במדרש כי לוית חן הם כו’ מצות מלוין האדם כו’. כי הנה הש”י בחר לו בנ”י נמצא יש לבנ”י החן בעיני המקום ב”ה. אך ע”י התורה ומצות הם מעוררין אותו החן והמעשים מחברין את האדם אל שורש נשמתו ושם מצ…
תרל"ח(1877)
Dveikus Through Every Mitzvah· Essay 1
In the Midrash, regarding the verse "It is a path of life, lest you ponder it; her ways are unsteady, you cannot know them" (Mishlei 5:6), and so on. The Sfas Emes opens with a Midrash that cites a verse from Mishlei about the "path of life…
Refusing To Ignore Loss· Essay 2
On the verse, "You shall not see [your brother's ox or sheep going astray] and hide yourself [from them]; you shall surely return them [to your brother]... you shall surely lift it up [with him]" (Devarim 22:1-4). The Sfas Emes opens with t…
Heaven Compels The Willing· Essay 3
"That which has gone out of your lips you shall guard and perform, just as you vowed" (Devarim 23:24). The pasuk obligates a person to keep and carry out whatever he has verbally committed himself to. As we have explained elsewhere, the acc…
Ki Tetze תרל"ח
תרל”ח במדרש אורח חיים פן ת’ נעו מעגלותי’ ל”ת כו’. ע”פ מ”ש במ”א פי’ המד’ לוית חן הם שהמצות מביאין האדם לידע מציאת חן בעיני המקום ב”ה שזה תכלית עבודת האדם בעולם למצוא נקודה אמי…
תרל"ט(1878)
Elevating Sparks Through Battle· Essay 1
"When you go out to war against your enemies" (Devarim 21:10). The Torah opens the parsha with going out to war against one's enemies, which the Sfas Emes reads as the inner avodah of confronting one's spiritual foe. That is to say, this re…
Cleaving Days To Eternity· Essay 2
The Midrash expounds the verse "a graceful wreath (livyas chein) for your head, and necklaces (anakim) for your throat" (Mishlei 1:9), and brings the parable of the orchard. The Sfas Emes opens by citing a Midrash on a verse in Mishlei that…
תר"מ(1879)
Chein As Mitzvah Root· Essay 1
The Midrash expounds the verse "For they are a graceful garland (livyas chein) for your head" (Mishlei 1:9), and so forth. The Sfas Emes opens with a verse from Mishlei that compares Torah and mitzvos to a garland of grace upon one's head, …
Elul Awakening From Below· Essay 2
On the verse, "When you go out as a camp against your enemies, you shall guard yourself from every evil thing... for Hashem your God walks in the midst of your camp" (Devarim 23:10-15). The Sfas Emes opens with the Torah's description of Bn…
Melting Foreign Desires Before Hashem· Essay 3
Elsewhere it is explained, regarding the verse "that He see no unseemly thing in you" (Devarim 23:15), in accordance with what Chazal expounded on the passage "no leaven shall be seen with you" (Shemos 13:7) — nullify the leaven that is in …
Crying Out Through Mesirus Nefesh· Essay 4
Regarding the pasuk about the betrothed maiden — 'because she cried out in the city' (Devarim 22:24) — I have explained elsewhere that this is a proof that whenever one is able to be saved by means of crying out, The Torah's case of the mai…
תרמ"א - תרמ"ב(1880)
Brief Opening On Teitzei· Essay 1
With the help of Hashem. Parshas Ki Teitzei. This is the opening heading for the piece, invoking the help of Hashem at the start of the divrei Torah on Parshas Ki Teitzei. In brief. This is a notation indicating that the following thoughts …
Accepting the Heavenly Yoke· Essay 2
On the pasuk "That which has gone out from your lips you shall guard and you shall do" (Devarim 23:24) — Chazal expound that "you shall do" is an admonition to the beis din that they shall compel you to fulfill it. The pasuk about keeping o…
Mitzvos Escort The Neshamah· Essay 3
In the Midrash on the verse, "For they shall be a graceful wreath upon your head" (Mishlei 1:9): wherever you go, the mitzvos accompany you. The meaning is that the mitzvos connect all of one's actions back to the Beginning and the Root. Th…
Drawing Down Neshamah Light· Essay 4
There is a further explanation according to the Midrash [in the parable of the orchard] based on the verse, "they are a graceful wreath (for your head)" (Mishlei 1:9). The Sfas Emes introduces a new approach to the Midrash on the orchard, a…
Guarding Speech Empowers Vows· Essay 5
On the pasuk "That which has gone forth from your lips you shall observe" (Devarim 23:24), Chazal expounded: from where do we derive that a positive commandment must be guarded? From the wording "you shall observe," which is the language us…
Elul Knocking On Teshuvah· Essay 6
On the verse, "When you go out as a camp [against your enemies], you shall guard yourself [from every evil thing]" (Devarim 23:10), the explanation is that when one enters into battle with the yetzer hara, he requires extra protection; and …
Selfless Service Reveals Reward· Essay 7
In the Midrash, in the parable of the orchard, it appears that one who does not serve in order to receive a reward, and to whom it is precious to do the will of the Creator, may He be blessed, by completing the entire orchard, even though h…
תרמ"ג(1882)
Waging War From Tranquility· Essay 1
"When you go out to war against your enemies" (Devarim 21:10). The piece opens with the verse from the beginning of the parsha about going out to war. For the essence of going out to war is that it must be done when a person has tranquility…
Mitzvos Revealing Hidden Grace· Essay 2
In the Midrash, on the verse "They are a graceful wreath (livyas chein) for your head, and chains for your neck" (Mishlei 1:9), and so on. The Sfas Emes opens by citing the Midrash on a verse from Mishlei comparing the words of Torah to a g…
Shechinah Dwells Through Avodah· Essay 3
On the pasuk "When you go out as a camp [against your enemies]... you shall guard yourself from every evil thing" (Devarim 23:10). The Sfas Emes opens with the pasuk about Bnei Yisrael going out to war and the obligation to keep oneself far…
Sanctifying The Power Of Speech· Essay 4
Regarding the pasuk 'Remember what Hashem your God did to Miriam... when you went out from Mitzrayim' (Devarim 24:9), The Torah commands us to remember the incident of Miriam's tzaraas and ties that remembrance specifically to the Exodus fr…
תרמ"ה(1884)
Body As Soul's Nest· Essay 1
In the Midrash, on the verse "Ki yikarei kan tzipor lefanecha" ("If a bird's nest happens to be before you") (Devarim 22:6). The Sfas Emes opens by citing the Midrash on the verse about sending away the mother bird, signaling that he will r…
Guarding Speech Reveals Torah· Essay 2
Regarding the verse "Remember what Hashem, your God, did to Miriam" (Devarim 24:9), Chazal expounded that this is a warning against lashon hara, evil speech. The Torah's command to remember what happened to Miriam is understood by Chazal as…
תרמ"ז(1886)
Mitzvos as Unified Whole· Essay 1
In the Midrash Tanchuma it states: 'Above all that you guard, watch your heart, for from it are the sources of life' (Mishlei 4:23). The Sfas Emes opens with a Midrash citing the verse that, above everything a person guards, he must guard h…
Guarding Speech On Shabbos· Essay 2
On the verse 'Be careful regarding the affliction of tzaraas... Remember what Hashem your God did to Miriam...' (Devarim 24:8-9). The Sfas Emes opens with the verses about the affliction of tzaraas and the command to remember what happened …
Mitzvos Rooted in Life· Essay 3
He further taught us, "Make level the path of your feet... do not let your ways waver... you will not know" (Mishlei 4:26 and 5:6) — see there. The Sfas Emes opens by citing the verses in Mishlei urging a person to level out and steady his …
Mercy Implanted In Creation· Essay 4
In the Midrash it states that just as Hashem bestowed His mercy upon man, so too upon the animal and upon the bird, etc. And they raise a difficulty, for it is taught in a Mishnah that one who says "Your mercy extends even to a bird's nest"…
Mitzvos As Spiritual Weapons· Essay 5
In the pasuk, "When you go out as a camp against your enemies, you shall guard yourself from every evil thing" (Devarim 23:10), The Torah's warning to guard against "every evil thing" when going out to war is the starting point of this piec…
Channel Of Heavenly Abundance· Essay 6
On the pasuk concerning Ammon and Moav: "because they did not greet you with bread and water... when you came out of Mitzrayim" (Devarim 23:5). The piece opens with the Torah's reason for excluding Ammon and Moav from the congregation of Ha…
תרנ"א(1890)
Mitzvos Binding Body And Soul· Essay 1
In the Midrash: a child born already circumcised must nevertheless have a drop of blood drawn from him for the sake of the covenant, on account of the bris of our father Avraham, as it says, "he shall surely be circumcised (himol yimol)" an…
Elder Wisdom As Crown· Essay 2
In the aforementioned Midrash, on the words "to your authority": when a ben Torah grows old, they surround him, and so on. The Midrash teaches that when a ben Torah reaches old age, people gather around him, indicating that his value only g…
Guarding Speech Through Concealment· Essay 3
On the verse, "Be careful regarding the affliction of tzaraas... remember what Hashem your God did to Miriam..." (Devarim 24:8-9). The Sfas Emes opens with the Torah's command to be careful about tzaraas and to remember what happened to Mir…
תרנ"ג(1892)
Human Effort Draws Forever· Essay 1
In the Midrash: A child who is born already circumcised, what should be done to circumcise him? One must draw from him a drop of bris blood, on account of the bris of Avraham Avinu, peace be upon him. The Sfas Emes opens with a Midrashic ru…
Guarding Speech Binding Soul· Essay 2
On the pasuk "Take heed in the affliction of tzaraas etc. Remember what Hashem your God did to Miriam on the way, when you came out of Mitzrayim" (Devarim 24:8-9). The Sfas Emes opens with the pasuk that places guarding against tzaraas alon…
תרנ"ה(1894)
Hashem Decrees His Mercy· Essay 1
The Midrash teaches that just as Hashem extended His mercy upon man, so too He extended it upon beast and bird, as it says, "When a bird's nest happens to be before you..." (Devarim 22:6). Now, a difficulty is raised, for the Mishnah states…
Mitzvos As Soul Garments· Essay 2
In the Midrash, the verse "they shall be a garland of grace (livyas chein)" (Mishlei 1:9) teaches that in every place the mitzvos accompany you. The Midrash reads "a garland of grace" as a promise that the mitzvos travel with a person where…
Mitzvos Liberating The Soul· Essay 3
This itself is the matter of the Midrash which states that the Torah did not reveal the reward of the mitzvos, and that length of days is said both regarding a light mitzvah and a stringent one, as in the parable of a king who hired workers…
תרנ"ו(1895)
תרנ"ז(1896)
Mitzvos United Above· Essay 1
In the Midrash on the verse "Lest you weigh the path of life" (Mishlei 5:6), the Sages expound: Do not sit and weigh the mitzvos of the Torah, saying this mitzvah is light and that one is weighty; "its paths you shall not know." The Midrash…
Power Of Speech· Essay 2
In the Midrash on "Remember what Hashem your God did to Miriam" (Devarim 24:9): a parable to a noblewoman, and so forth — so too Miriam sang the shirah, and so on (see there). The matter is that the strength of a Yid lies in the mouth, and …
Mitzvos Elevating The Body· Essay 3
In the Midrash: "They are a graceful adornment" (Mishlei 1:9), etc. The Sfas Emes opens by citing the Midrash's verse from Mishlei that compares Torah and mitzvos to a graceful ornament adorning a person. I have already written elsewhere th…
תרנ"ח(1897)
Mitzvos Actualizing the Neshamah· Essay 1
In the Midrash, regarding the verse "Should you happen upon a bird's nest" (Ki teitzei kein tzipor), the Sages expound "they are a garland of grace upon your head" (Mishlei 1:9) — that in every place you go, the mitzvos accompany you. The S…
Speech as Soul's Lifeforce· Essay 2
On the pasuk "That which goes forth from your lips you shall keep" (Devarim 23:24), Chazal expounded that the phrase "that which goes forth" hints to a positive mitzvah, and "you shall keep" hints to a negative mitzvah. The Sfas Emes opens …
תרנ"ט(1898)
תר"ס(1899)
Milah Revealing Inner Light· Essay 1
The Midrash teaches that when a child is born already circumcised, one must still draw a drop of bris-blood from him, on account of the covenant of Avraham Avinu, peace be upon him, as the verse states, "He must surely be circumcised" (Bere…
Revealing The Neshamah Through Battle· Essay 2
Regarding the verse, "When the camp goes out... for Hashem your God walks in the midst of your camp" (Devarim 23:15). The Sfas Emes opens with the verse describing Bnei Yisrael going out to war, where the Torah promises that Hashem Himself …
Torah as Path to Freedom· Essay 3
On the verse, "Be careful regarding the affliction of tzaraas... remember what Hashem your God did to Miriam on your way out of Mitzrayim" (Devarim 24:8-9). The Sfas Emes opens with the Torah's warning to be careful about tzaraas, immediate…
תרס"א(1900)
Shabbos Returns Lost Souls· Essay 1
On the mitzvah of returning a lost object (hashavas aveidah). The piece opens by introducing the mitzvah of returning a lost object as its central theme. For all the gifts that were given from Heaven to Bnei Yisrael remain forever within Bn…
Vow Versus Freewill Offering· Essay 2
On the verse "That which has gone out of your lips you shall keep" (Devarim 23:24), I have already written elsewhere that this is addressed to the entirety of Bnei Yisrael, to guard the power of speech that Bnei Yisrael merited through rece…