by Rabbi Adam Ruditsky
Shalom Yisrael
White Plains, New York

The writings of our Sages meticulously sought to understand what was difficult if not offensive to the sensibilities of people. This parsha, Ki Teitzei, is indeed tough for us as modern readers to embrace just as it was for the early Rabbis.

For example, let's look at the wayward son (Deuteronomy 21:18ff). The Sages asked, should the son be put to death just because he stole from his family?  We read therefore in the Gemara, Sanhedrin 72a,

"In the end he will drive his parents bankrupt, and will turn to robbery, and ultimately to murder consequently he should better die innocent, than die guilty." 

"If a man has two wives, one loved and the other unloved, and they have borne him children ... he must not bestow firstborn status on the son of the loved wife in preference to the son of the unloved, the true firstborn."

Emes L'Yaakov, in his paper on Orthodox polygamy, mentions Rabbeinu Gershom (circa 1000CE), one of the greatest Rabbis of his time, who made a prohibition against marrying more than one wife. Yet in European countries for the most part men have been limited to one wife according to the Law of the land. The common understanding is that this prohibition applies to all Ashkenazi Jews wherever they may be, for all generations and under all circumstances, regardless of what written Torah teaches as in Ki Teitzei. Yet L'Yaakov also concludes that HaShem promised Abraham many offspring that would be like the stars in the sky, of which he says,

"Right now it seems as if the Arab constellation has more stars than ours. Maybe we should emulate our forefathers as the Arabs do in this matter, and reject Christian morality in favor of Hashem's morality."

No worries, I am not advocating more than one wife. Maybe it is my make up as a man but I have a hard enough time with one, although I suspect my wife Susannah would say I am not too easy myself!  Even the Shulchan Aruch although it talks about marriage makes no mention to this topic, yet the point in all discussions is to be a faithful husband to your wife. The same can be said for Deuteronomy 22:6-8 that speaks about taking bird eggs only after the mother is removed.  The Rambam teaches that this mitzvah shows God's mercy on His creations, not causing the mother to watch while her young area taken away from before her. The Rambam also teaches that the concern is not for the animal's feelings, but rather to inculcate compassion in people; to accustom people to act mercifully to each other, thereby as our scripture says do not cause a weak one to stumble (1 Cor. 8:9). Then it is the other way as well. Looking to the passage in Deuteronomy 23:20-21 on lending and interest, Rashi interprets this as only the borrower has no right to interest, supporting the right of the lender to charge interest alone. This Torah text has much that is relevant to its own circumstance, but the faithful who seek to follow Torah have looked to how the text can be used today. For Messianic Judaism our quest should be no different.  That being the case let us consider the below text as I think it speaks to who we are in a variety of ways.  It says in Deuteronomy 24:17-22 :

"You shall not pervert justice due the stranger or the fatherless, nor take a widow's garment as a pledge. But you shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this thing. "When you reap your harvest in your field, and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow.  When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean it afterward; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow.  And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; therefore I command you to do this thing."

Over the last few years leaders within the UMJC have been divided in how to apply Torah for non-Jews, conversion or no conversion, full member or not, all with regard to our Gentile adherents. Our very own Derek Leman writes the following of Gentiles who have arrived in our Messianic Jewish congregations:

"Why are these Gentiles here? Well, many fell in love with Israel and Torah through their own scriptural study. Many have joined with Israel in a meaningful way. Many support and love Jewish people and see that commitment as an integral part of their faith and practice. Some do not choose to be fully Torah-observant. Others do make that commitment."

Gentiles will come, having the spirit of Ruth, "your people will be my people and your ways will be my ways," and it is our responsibility to address their arrival and no less their need.  The issue is fairness and welcoming the stranger in our midst.  Those among us who advocate conversion would simply say this is a way to ritualize the stranger into the midst of the Jewish people, albeit the Messianic community. But also there is the group that is against any form of conversion or ritual because the scripture teaches we are all one and there is no Jew and Gentile. Yes I made it simpler than it really is, but my point was to show the extent of the difficulties for us.  I in no way intend on using this forum to stand upon my particular view, mainly because that is not the purpose, yet I too recognize those Derek Leman mentions above, seeing well meaning Gentiles leaving our community to seek conversion elsewhere or seeing others leave because I could not recognize them as Jews. It continues to be a difficult issue for Messianic Judaism and in particular the UMJC - more so because we are addressing it!  Yet a question comes to mind - who is the stranger within our gates?

Paul the emissary tells us some important information regarding Gentiles. One, they were separated from the promises of God and therefore apart from the "Commonwealth of Israel" (Eph. 2:12). Two, they were now "grafted" into a Jewish faith and people (Rom. 11:17). Three, the message of the besora went out to those who were "far-off" (Gentiles) as it began with those who were "near-by" (Jews), seeing that the two groups have become a unified people (Eph. 2:15-18). In Deuteronomy the stranger within the gate was part of the mixed-multitude that came out of Egypt and joined the people of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in unity in practice and worship. In the New Testament the stranger is the one who was separated from God being in this world without hope, estranged from the "Commonwealth of Israel," joining as equal heirs.  The stranger does not refer only to those who worship with us in our communities, but includes the church in all its nationalities and flavors that have become apart of the "Commonwealth of Israel."

Last Sunday I spoke at a fairly large church in Connecticut. I spoke about God's love for Israel, about the Torah, and who the church was in God's eyes.  It was a new message for many, including the pastor.  After the services we spoke some more. This was a man who wanted to learn and like a child learning something new, he just soaked it up!  He wanted to hear more and came to understand that the direct blessing of the Almighty was based upon a relationship to Israel.  The church is a stranger to the promises of God in relationship to Israel.  That is why Messianic Judaism must represent the remnant of the Jewish people. We have been given a message that nobody else has been given the right to speak, both to our own and those outside of our communities. We are privileged to be a light to the nations by showing God's love to the stranger in our midst as well as the stranger down the street. Thus, like the rest of Judaism, we have to interact with a passage like Ki Teitzei differently and in the New Testament we are given a picture of how. The particulars will work themselves out, but we must understand that it is our place since we were once strangers ourselves.