From Marriage to Community

The Multilayered Lessons of Parashas Ki Teitze

Parashas Ki Teitze is filled with a wide variety of mitzvos, covering topics from the commonly discussed rebellious son to the prohibition against charging interest. The underlying theme connecting all these rules is community life.

So why does this Parashah, focused on communal laws, also delve into the intricate details of marriage? According to Rav Yaakov Kamenetzky, it's because when a couple gets married, they become full-fledged community members. The community rejoices in their union and in their joining the community, and that's why marriage is included in this Parashah.

In fact, many of the communal mitzvos in the Parashah are directly relevant to married life.

I'd like to zoom in on a specific set of mitzvos. The Torah prohibits practices like cross-dressing, yoking different types of animals together, mixing wool and linen, or cultivating hybrid plants from two different species.

The overarching lesson here is that each of us has a specific role and purpose in life. Attempting …