By Remy Kinstlinger
This week’s Torah portion is Ki Teitzei: Deuteronomy 21:10 — 25:19
This week’s Torah portion is Ki Teitzei. Ki Teitzei has 74 of the Torah’s 613 commandments, or mitzvot. These include the birthright of the firstborn, what must be done to a rebellious son, judicial procedures, burial of the dead, returning a lost object and the obligation to place a safety fence around the roof of a home.
Some ideas that I take away from this Torah portion are the importance of keeping promises, accountability for your actions, honesty and respecting your peers. I see these values multiple times throughout the commandments.
For example, one of the commandments states, “Parents shall not be put to death for children, nor children be put to death for parents: A person shall be put to death only for his own crime” (Deuteronomy 24:16). This is the value of accountability, owning up to one’s own actions.
Accountability is important in many areas of life: being a good student who doesn’t cheat, being a noble friend who realizes their mistakes and apologizes and being a responsible person in society. I find accountability very important, as I value my education, friends and experiences.
Another value spoken about in the Torah portion is honesty and respect. I see these two principles as related. Honesty is important to me because it means people trust me and value me as a person.
It is essential in life to not only speak the truth but also to act in a truthful way, by not spreading rumors and instead encouraging people to respect each other.
The Torah states, “For everyone who does those things, everyone who deals dishonestly, is abhorrent to the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 25:16). This explains that if anyone doesn’t do the laws and customs in this chapter, then they are dishonest and disrespectful to God.
This can also be connected to our lives — anyone who treats you with disrespect would be considered dishonest to you.
One final value that I have taken away from this Torah portion is the value of keeping your promises. I personally find it important to keep promises to people, as you have obligated yourself to do whatever it is you said you would do.
A law explains, “When you make a vow to the Lord your God, do not put off fulfilling it, for the Lord your God will require it of you, and you will have incurred guilt; whereas you incur no guilt if you refrain from vowing. You must fulfill what has crossed your lips” (Deuteronomy 23:22-24).
This speaks about how you must do what you have vowed to do. When you make promises, you not only set an expectation for yourself, but others set one for you as well. It is important to live up to what you have said you would do.
Living up to these promises not only makes you a trustworthy person but also one that other people can depend on.
This week’s Torah portion is about mitzvot, but what I find most important is the values it teaches. By reflecting on our behavior and practicing these values, we can become better people.
Remy Kinstlinger is a seventh-grade student at Krieger Schechter Day School.
