Published August 26, 2010
There is no other Parsha in the Torah that contains as many Mitzvot as Ki Teitzei. These mitzvot cover the entire spectrum of human experience, ritual acts and civic duties, mitzvot that relate to Man’s relationship to Hashem as well as those to his fellow man. In the midst of all these, there appears a strange mitzva regarding warfare that seems terribly mundane, almost unnecessary - that of keeping the camp clean and hygienic. The simple teaching, however, ends with an overwhelming statement:
“Because Hashem walks in the midst of your camp, to save you and defeat your enemies, so your camp must be holy”...
In a narrow sense, the word “camp” in this pasuk refers to a military camp preparing for battle. In a greater sense, it is talking about Eretz Yisrael, the camp in which the presence of Hakadosh Baruch Hu, is centered. In this holy camp, even the mundane is raised to the level of Kedusha. Nothing must be allowed to degrade it in any way.
Pearl Borow, Jerusalem
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