Parashat Ki Tetze — The Call to Compassionate Justice
Deuteronomy 21:10–25:19 | Isaiah 54:1–10 | John 21:1–25
Shalom Friends,
I am trying out a new format this week. I hope you like this more “conversational” tone. I am also eliminating the printable version. If people want that back, email me and let me know. I just don’t think many people were using it so in an effort to save time and devote it to other studies, etc., I feel like it made sense to have it all here.
But, by all means, let me know what you think! I am here to listen.
Ki Tetze
Life is messy. We all know it. We want justice, but when it comes down to it, we also want mercy. Because let’s be honest: if God gave us pure justice every time, well… none of us would be standing here.
This week’s portion, Ki Tetze, means “When you go out.” And right from jump it says “When you go out to war against your enemies.” Not if, but when. That’s real life. The Bible doesn’t sugarcoat it. Conflict is just part of living in a broken world.
But here’s the part that blows me away: even in war, God says, “You’re still My people. You don’t get to check your holiness at the door.” Everybody else in the ancient world did whatever they wanted on the battlefield. But Israel’s God said, “No. You are going to treat people with dignity, even your enemies.”
One of the hardest examples here is the captive woman, the yefat to’ar. To us, it sounds shocking. But the rabbis explained it this way: the Torah was putting boundaries around human impulse. Instead of letting men act on lust and violence, God says, “Hold up. She gets protection. She gets time to grieve. You will not treat her like an object.” Compared to the nations around them, this was RADICAL. God was planting seeds of compassion in the middle of chaos.
And when you keep reading, Ki Tetze keeps pressing that same button:
The firstborn son must be honored, even if he’s from the wife you don’t like.
A criminal’s body can’t just hang exposed overnight. Even in death, there’s dignity.
You don’t take a mama bird with her babies.
You pay your workers on time.
You let the ox eat while it works.
These sound small, but they add up to something huge: You serve a merciful God, so you’d better look like Him in how you treat people.
The Hebrew word here is rachamim, compassion. It comes from rechem which is womb. Isn’t that beautiful? God’s compassion is like a mother’s care for the child inside her. It’s fierce. It’s protective. It’s nurturing. And He says, “Now you go live like that.”
The prophets also pick this up. In Isaiah 54, God tells Israel, “I know you’ve been battered and abandoned, but I’m not letting go. My love won’t leave you. My covenant of peace can’t be shaken.” That’s rachamim. That’s covenant love. Justice brought discipline, but compassion brought them home.
And then John’s Gospel gives us the picture we need. After the resurrection, Yeshua finds His disciples, the exiles from the island of the misfit toys, back at the Sea of Galilee. They had failed Him. Peter denied Him three times. THREE TIMES. I don’t know about you but if someone denied knowing me three times I would grant their wish…. don’t come around later like you DO know me. If justice alone had the final word, that would’ve been the end. But instead, Jesus cooks breakfast for them! He restores Peter with three affirmations. He doesn’t just forgive him. He puts him back on his mission: “Feed My sheep.” That’s compassion on top of justice.
The rabbis told a story about a king with fragile glass jars. If he poured only hot water, they’d shatter. If only cold, they’d crack. So he mixed them, and they held. That’s how God rules the world: justice and mercy, blended perfectly. Too much of one without the other, and everything falls apart.
That is what I teach in our Mussar program. Every spirtual discipline must have balance; they must be blended perfectly together and balanced individually.
And now, here we are in the month of Elul, leading into the High Holidays. This is the season for heart checkups (yep time to examine yourself). God isn’t just asking us to repent with our lips. He wants CHANGE. He’s asking us to live His character. To show rachamim. To let justice and compassion mix in our relationships.
So let me ask you:
Where do you need to show mercy this week?
Where do you need to stand for justice instead of turning a blind eye?
Who in your life needs compassion that feels like God’s womb… safe, protective, life-giving?
If you want to reflect your Father’s heart, it’s not an either-or proposition. It’s both. Justice and compassion. Holiness and mercy. That’s what Ki Tetze is teaching us. That’s what Yeshua lived in front of us. And that’s what the world desperately needs to see in us.
Hebrew Letter of the Week: ש (Shin)
Sound: “Sh” as in shine (right dot), or “S” as in sun (left dot)
Numerical Value: 300
Meaning: Fire, divine presence, sharpness, consuming passion
How to Write Shin
ש
Start with three vertical strokes rising upward like flames.
Connect them with a curved base line.
Add the dot above the right or left stem to mark the sound.
Spiritual Meaning
Shin represents Shaddai, one of God’s names, often inscribed on mezuzot (the plural for mezuzah, which is what Jewish homes put on the doorposts) to mark a home set apart for Him. Its three flames symbolize the threefold nature of God’s holiness: past, present, and future. Shin reminds us that God’s presence is a consuming fire, refining and protecting His people.
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Study Questions (Ki Tetze)
Why does the Torah begin this portion with laws about war? What does this teach about holiness in times of conflict?
How do the laws about the captive woman (yefat to’ar) show restraint compared to the cruelty of surrounding nations?
What message about God’s character do we see in the “small” commandments, like caring for animals and paying workers on time?
How does Isaiah 54 reveal both justice and compassion in God’s covenant with His people?
What can we learn from Yeshua’s restoration of Peter about balancing justice with mercy in our own relationships?
Reflection Questions
Where in my life am I tempted to pursue justice without compassion, or compassion without justice?
Who around me needs to experience the womb-like compassion of God (rachamim) through me?
Do I struggle more with offering mercy or with standing up for justice? Why?
How does knowing God blends both in His dealings with me change how I treat others?
Action Challenges
Pick one relationship this week where you’ve been harsh and intentionally show compassion instead.
Pick another area where you’ve been passive and stand for justice, even if it’s uncomfortable.
Meditate on Isaiah 54:10 each morning this week: “My love will not depart from you, and My covenant of peace will not be shaken.”
Share your testimony of God’s compassion with someone who’s struggling.
Pray specifically for God to give you eyes to see where you can be both just and merciful in your daily life.
Shabbat Shalom!
Shalom Aleichem
My daughter and I always print these portions for our Torah study. 🙏🏽❤️