Drash on Ki Teitze

Rabbi Dean Shapiro

Beth Shalom of Auckland New Zealand

Few of us — if any — own donkeys or oxen. So why even consider this verse in Parashat Ki Teitze:“You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together” (Deuteronomy 22:10)?  Since we are unlikely ever to do such a thing, perhaps the verse is meaningless to us.

Before we dismiss it, however, let’s consider the verse more closely. Why not yoke the oxand the donkey together? Not for the farmer’s benefit, but out of concern for the animals’ welfare. Oxen and donkeys are of substantially unequal strengths. They walk at different paces and can work for different amounts of time. Bound together, one might be dragged along, exhausted. The unbalanced yoke might cut their skin.They cannot communicate with one another easily. It isn’t humane to form a partnership of two such mismatched animals. While a pair of the same animal can work together, the ox and donkey’s differences make them unsuitable partners.

For which creature should we be primarily concerned? Is it the brawny ox, who can’t accomplish as much when tethered to the smaller donkey? Or for the donkey, who works extra hard just to keep up, who must rush so as not to be strangled? TheJewish concern is primarily for the donkey – that is, the underdog.

Our central narrative is the Exodus: our slavery in Egypt, and our release into freedom and Covenant. This is the story that makes us who we are. We tell it whenever we pray V’ahavta and Michamocha. At Passover, we experience it anew through culinary reenactment (“in every generation, each person is obligated to regard him or herself as though she/he had actually gone out of Egypt”). We do this not only to value our freedom, but also to remember our slavery. We want the taste of maror, of bitterness, in our mouths so that we will know how misery feels. Why? So that we will perpetually be on the side of the underdog, the powerless, the voiceless, the downtrodden … the donkey.

From an“irrelevant” statement about mismatched farm animals, we can discern a central principle of Judaism.

The Jewish world is in conflict. The events of 7 October and Israel’s subsequent incursions intoGaza have broken our hearts and some of our relationships. We not only struggle with those outside our People, but within our ranks, too. I have met Jews who focus only on Hamas and brook no compassion for the innocent people of Gaza. I havemet Jews who grieve for Palestinian children but seem to have forgotten the horrors of 7 October. There are now Religious Zionists, Secular Zionists, PoliticalZionists, Cultural Zionists, Progressive Zionists, Antizionists, non-Zionists, DiasporicJews, and Hilltop Youth. Their beliefs are deeply held.

Such differences of opinion are to be expected. Indeed, the principle of machlochet b’shemshamayim – debate for a holy purpose – has long been central to ourculture. What dismays me is not that we disagree, but rather the ways we disparage those with whom we disagree. In our pain, we aren’t listening to Jews with different outlooks.

Centuries ago,the Houses of Hillel and Shammai disagreed with one another. Why did Hillel’s rulings hold? Because his followers made sure to understand the other opinion before stating their own. They treated Shammai’s followers with respect (BTEruvin 13b).

Engaging with one another as fellow Jews is no threat. We can learn from each other. We can disagree without being disagreeable.

Rather than dismiss each other as opponents or traitors, we need to see one another as thoughtful moral agents with whom we disagree. We need to read and listen to other perspectives. That’s how we learn and grow. Our task is to assume good intention, hold contradiction, and get curious about new ideas. Our goal ought not be to change each other’s minds (does that ever work?!), but to understand them. If we can’t hear one another, how can we possibly hope for a wider peace?

These days, we all feel betrayed. Let it not be by each other.

We are not mismatched barnyard animals. We are the Jewish people, the nation of Israel. Far more holds us together than divides us.