Chapter Previewהַקְדָּמָה
In this aliyah, the Torah addresses several difficult family and household situations that can arise, starting with the halachos of a yefas toar—a beautiful captive woman taken during wartime. The Torah understands the yetzer hara of a soldier in battle and permits her to him only under very specific, restrictive conditions, including bringing her into his home where she must shave her head, let her nails grow, and mourn her parents for a full month. If he still wishes to marry her after this, he may, but if he decides he does not want her, he must let her go free and is strictly forbidden from selling her or treating her as a maidservant.
The parsha then moves on to discuss the laws of inheritance when a man has two wives, one whom he loves and one whom he dislikes. If the firstborn son is born to the unloved wife, the Torah warns the father that he cannot show favoritism by giving the birthright portion to the son of the beloved wife. He must give the true firstborn his rightful double portion of the inheritance, as the birthright belongs to him by law. Finally, the aliyah introduces the tragic case of a ben sorer u'moreh, a wayward and rebellious son who steals and consumes meat and wine, refusing to listen to his parents even after they discipline him.
All introductions, summaries, and contextual notes are the editor's commentary and are not part of the original text.אַלע הַקְדָּמוֹת, סִכּוּמִים, און הערות זענען דעם רעדאַקטאָר'ס באַמערקונגען און זענען נישט קיין טייל פונעם אָריגינעלן טעקסט.
פָּסוּק א
Pasuk 1
כִּיWhenתֵצֵאyou go outלַמִּלְחָמָהto the warעַלagainstאֹיְבֶיךָyour enemiesוּנְתָנוֹand He delivers himיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour Godבְּיָדֶךָinto your handוְשָׁבִיתָand you captureשִׁבְיוֹ׃his captivity
פָּסוּק ב
Pasuk 2
וְרָאִיתָand you seeבַּשִּׁבְיָהamong the captivesאֵשֶׁתa woman ofיְפַתbeautiful ofתֹּאַרformוְחָשַׁקְתָּand you desireבָהּherוְלָקַחְתָּand you takeלְךָfor yourselfלְאִשָּׁה׃for a wife
פָּסוּק ג
Pasuk 3
וַהֲבֵאתָהּand you shall bring herאֶלtoתּוֹךְthe midst ofבֵּיתֶךָyour houseוְגִלְּחָהand she shall shaveאֶת—רֹאשָׁהּher headוְעָשְׂתָהand she shall let growאֶת—צִפָּרְנֶיהָ׃her nails
פָּסוּק ד
Pasuk 4
וְהֵסִירָהand she shall removeאֶת—שִׂמְלַתthe garment ofשִׁבְיָהּher captivityמֵעָלֶיהָfrom upon herוְיָשְׁבָהand she shall sitבְּבֵיתֶךָin your houseוּבָכְתָהand she shall weep forאֶת—אָבִיהָher fatherוְאֶתand —אִמָּהּher motherיֶרַחa month ofיָמִיםdaysוְאַחַרand afterכֵּןsoתָּבוֹאyou may comeאֵלֶיהָto herוּבְעַלְתָּהּand cohabit with herוְהָיְתָהand she shall beלְךָto youלְאִשָּׁה׃for a wife
פָּסוּק ה
Pasuk 5
וְהָיָהand it shall beאִםifלֹאnotחָפַצְתָּyou desireבָּהּherוְשִׁלַּחְתָּהּthen you shall send herלְנַפְשָׁהּto herselfוּמָכֹרand sellingלֹאnotתִמְכְּרֶנָּהshall you sell herבַּכָּסֶףfor moneyלֹאnotתִתְעַמֵּרshall you enslaveבָּהּherתַּחַתbecauseאֲשֶׁרthatעִנִּיתָהּ׃you afflicted her
פָּסוּק ו
Pasuk 6
כִּיIfתִהְיֶיןָthere will beלְאִישׁto a manשְׁתֵּיtwoנָשִׁיםwivesהָאַחַתthe oneאֲהוּבָהlovedוְהָאַחַתand the otherשְׂנוּאָהunlovedוְיָלְדוּand they bearלוֹto himבָנִיםsonsהָאֲהוּבָהthe lovedוְהַשְּׂנוּאָהand the unlovedוְהָיָהand it isהַבֵּןthe sonהַבְּכוֹרthe firstbornלַשְּׂנִיאָה׃of the unloved
פָּסוּק ז
Pasuk 7
וְהָיָהAnd it shall beבְּיוֹםon the day ofהַנְחִילוֹhis causing to inheritאֶת—בָּנָיוhis sonsאֵת—אֲשֶׁרthat whichיִהְיֶהwill beלוֹto himלֹאhe cannotיוּכַלbe ableלְבַכֵּרto give birthrightאֶת—בֶּןthe son ofהָאֲהוּבָהthe belovedעַלoverפְּנֵיthe face ofבֶןthe son ofהַשְּׂנוּאָהthe hatedהַבְּכֹר׃the firstborn
פָּסוּק ח
Pasuk 8
כִּיratherאֶת—הַבְּכֹרthe firstbornבֶּןson ofהַשְּׂנוּאָהthe unlovedיַכִּירhe must recognizeלָתֶתto giveלוֹto himפִּיa portion ofשְׁנַיִםtwoבְּכֹלin allאֲשֶׁרthatיִמָּצֵאis foundלוֹwith himכִּיforהוּאheרֵאשִׁיתthe first ofאֹנוֹhis strengthלוֹto himמִשְׁפַּטis the right ofהַבְּכֹרָה׃the birthright
פָּסוּק ט
Pasuk 9
כִּיIfיִהְיֶהthere will beלְאִישׁto a manבֵּןa sonסוֹרֵרwaywardוּמוֹרֶהand rebelliousאֵינֶנּוּwho is notשֹׁמֵעַlisteningבְּקוֹלto the voice ofאָבִיוhis fatherוּבְקוֹלand to the voice ofאִמּוֹhis motherוְיסְּרוּand they disciplineאֹתוֹhimוְלֹאand notיִשְׁמַעhe will listenאֲלֵיהֶם׃to them
פָּסוּק י
Pasuk 10
וְתָפְשׂוּand they shall seizeבוֹhimאָבִיוhis fatherוְאִמּוֹand his motherוְהוֹצִיאוּand they shall bring outאֹתוֹhimאֶלtoזִקְנֵיthe elders ofעִירוֹhis cityוְאֶלand toשַׁעַרthe gate ofמְקֹמוֹ׃his place
פָּסוּק יא
Pasuk 11
וְאָמְרוּand they shall sayאֶלtoזִקְנֵיthe elders ofעִירוֹhis cityבְּנֵנוּour sonזֶהthisסוֹרֵרis waywardוּמֹרֶהand rebelliousאֵינֶנּוּhe is notשֹׁמֵעַlisteningבְּקֹלֵנוּto our voiceזוֹלֵלhe is a gluttonוְסֹבֵא׃and a drunkard
פָּסוּק יב
Pasuk 12
וּרְגָמֻהוּand they shall stone himכָּלallאַנְשֵׁיthe men ofעִירוֹhis cityבָאֲבָנִיםwith stonesוָמֵתand he shall dieוּבִעַרְתָּand you shall banishהָרָעthe evilמִקִּרְבֶּךָfrom your midstוְכָלand allיִשְׂרָאֵלYisraelיִשְׁמְעוּshall hearוְיִרָאוּ׃and they shall fear
Chapter Summaryסִכּוּם
This aliyah outlines three distinct sets of halachos: first, the detailed process of the yefas toar, where a soldier must bring a captive woman into his home for a month of mourning and physical neglect before he can marry her, and the prohibition against selling her if he later rejects her; second, the absolute prohibition against a father transferring the double-portion birthright from the older son of an unloved wife to a younger son of a beloved wife; and third, the severe case of the ben sorer u'moreh, whose parents must bring him before the elders of the city to be stoned by the townspeople, thereby removing this evil from Klal Yisrael so that everyone will hear and fear.
לְמַעֲשֶׂהWhat To Take Home
The Torah is teaching us a tremendous yesod in how the human nefesh works, and Rashi brings it down to the practical reality. Why does the parsha of the yefas toar lead directly into the parsha of the hated wife, which then leads straight into the tragedy of the ben sorer u'moreh? Rashi tells us clearly: if a person marries this captive woman out of pure ta'avah, the Torah warns that in the end he will come to hate her, and eventually she will give birth to a rebellious, wayward son.
Lichoira, we see a frightening chiddush here. A person thinks he can make a small compromise in his ruchniyus, just this once, because the pressure of the moment is too strong. He tells himself, "It is permitted by the Torah, it is a special concession for the war!" But the Torah is revealing that you cannot escape the natural spiritual consequences of your choices. What starts as a small yielding to the yetzer hara does not stay quiet. It grows, it festers, and mimeila it ends up affecting your entire home, your shalom bayis, and even the neshamos of your children.
We must realize that every spiritual shortcut we take has a price tag. When we let down our guards in our avodah, thinking we can manage the fallout, we are fooling ourselves. The only way to build a true, holy bayis ne'eman b'Yisrael is by making decisions based on ratzon Hashem, not on the fleeting desires of the moment.
Today, when you feel tempted to make a small compromise in your ruchniyus or your middos, stop and look at the end of the road. Remind yourself that a holy life is built step by step, and choose the path that brings Hashem's shechinah into your home.