Adam Carpenter – Head of Jewish Studies Primary

Weekly Torah Portion

Parashat Ki Teztei Deuteronomy 21:10 – 25:19

In this week’s Torah portion, a broad range of rules covering family relationships and ethical behaviour, designed to build a just and fair society, are discussed. These rules cover topics such as returning lost property, using fair measurements, kind treatment of animals, prompt payment of workers, looking after the vulnerable in the community and keeping one’s promises.

Family discussion: 

• The concept of fairness is the foundation of many of the rules and teachings in this week’s portion. What does fairness mean to you? Share a time when you have experienced something unfair. What did that feel like and how was the situation resolved?
• We are told to keep our promises. Why is this important?

 Month of Elul  אלול  – Sound of the Shofar  שופר  

One of the names for Rosh HaShanah ראש השנה is Yom Teruah  יום תרועה ‘the Day of the Sounding’. The mitzvah of the shofar שופר is to hear it being sounded, rather than blowing it oneself. Given that one cannot perform this mitzvah without a competent baal tekiah בעל תקיעה ‘master of shofar sound’ – it is a great privilege and honour to sound the shofar שופר for the community.

The word shofar שופר is related to the word leshapear לשפר which means ‘to improve’. Connected to this concept, Maimonides (13^th Century CE) expands on this teaching in his work, the Mishneh Torah (Hilkhot Teshuvah 3:4):

“Awake, you sleepers from your sleep. Arouse you slumberers from your slumber and ponder your deeds; remember your Creator and return to God in repentance. Do not be like those who miss the truth in pursuit of shadows and waste their years seeking vanity. Look well to your souls and consider your deeds; turn away from your wrong ways and improper thoughts.”

Rav Saadia Gaon (10^th Century CE) gave 10 reasons for sounding the shofar שופר : Here are five of them:

1. To acknowledge God’s dominion and to celebrate the birthday of the world
2. To remind us of the Torah and mitzvot – which we received on Mount Sinai – accompanied by blasts of the shofar שופר
3. To remind us of the story of the Akeidah – the binding of Isaac which is read on Rosh HaShanah ראש השנה and the ram that replaced Isaac as an offering
4. To act as a wake-up call for us to reflect on our actions and engage in acts of yeshivah  תשובה, repentance and return to our best selves.  
5. The voice of the shofar שופר is like the voice of the prophets that rang out to alert the Jewish people to change their ways and improve themselves and the world.

When we hear the ancient call or the voice of shofar שופר, we are encouraged to engage in reflection and introspection, to:

• leshapear לשפר – work on improving ourselves
• teshuvah תשובה – return to our best selves through reflection and mending relationships.