Ki Teitze
When can we not ignore?
Reflection by Ariel Yisraelah Hendelman, the Or HaLev Team:
וְאִם־לֹ֨א קָר֥וֹב אָחִ֛יךָ אֵלֶ֖יךָ וְלֹ֣א יְדַעְתּ֑וֹ וַאֲסַפְתּוֹ֙ אֶל־תּ֣וֹךְ בֵּיתֶ֔ךָ וְהָיָ֣ה עִמְּךָ֗ עַ֣ד דְּרֹ֤שׁ אָחִ֙יךָ֙ אֹת֔וֹ וַהֲשֵׁבֹת֖וֹ לֽוֹ׃ וְכֵ֧ן תַּעֲשֶׂ֣ה לַחֲמֹר֗וֹ וְכֵ֣ן תַּעֲשֶׂה֮ לְשִׂמְלָתוֹ֒ וְכֵ֣ן תַּעֲשֶׂ֜ה לְכָל־אֲבֵדַ֥ת אָחִ֛יךָ אֲשֶׁר־תֹּאבַ֥ד מִמֶּ֖נּוּ וּמְצָאתָ֑הּ לֹ֥א תוּכַ֖ל לְהִתְעַלֵּֽם
If your fellow Israelite does not live near you or you do not know who [the owner] is, you shall bring it home and it shall remain with you until your peer claims it; then you shall give it back. You shall do the same with that person’s donkey; you shall do the same with that person’s garment; and so too shall you do with anything that your fellow Israelite loses and you find: you can not ignore. (Deut. 22:2-3)
This week’s Torah portion, Ki Teitze, meaning `when you go out,` repeats many commandments laid out earlier in the Torah pertaining to how we are to conduct ourselves in various life situations, from times of war to moments we find something that does not belong to us to the more esoteric commandment to not wear a mix of linen and wool.
There is an interesting phrase employed here:
– לֹ֥א תוּכַ֖ל לְהִתְעַלֵּֽם
`You can not ignore.`
But that’s not always how it plays out in our lived experience, is it? We often see people blatantly ignoring what we feel are clearly the correct codes of conduct for living a life of integrity. If we’re reflective about our own behavior, we can see ourselves not living up to our own standards, as well.
With meditation as the cornerstone of our spiritual practice, we might say that 'not ignoring' is actually the basis of a mindful life. We learn not to ignore our feelings, even when they are uncomfortable. We learn not to ignore our habitual patterns, but rather to bring them up to the surface so that they might become conscious.
When we cultivate a dedicated mindfulness practice, we cannot ignore when we act in a way, or see someone else act in a way, where the head and heart are incongruous. Perhaps the Torah is, once again, encouraging us to live mindfully. If we do that, if we make that the basis of our lives, then we truly cannot ignore when something is out of alignment.
What we sow is what we reap. We are either sowing wakefulness or mindlessness. Let us not ignore the distinction."