Audio Summaries of the daily Chumash portions In loving memory of Ousher Zelig ben Myer HaLevi Z”L
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Proper Burial. Returning Lost Objects. Reloading a Traveler's Animal. Cross Dressing. Shiluach HaKan
Proper Burial
Yesterday's Aliya concluded with the laws regarding the rebellious son. Chumash taught that if such a son is not killed, he will grow up and lead an evil lifestyle and eventually commit sins which are liable for death by the court. This is why today's Aliya begins with the topic of someone who commits a sin which makes them liable for death.
Any person, Chumash teaches, who is sentenced to death by stoning by the court must then be hung on a pole. However, scripture stipulates, the corpse may not be left on a pole overnight. This is because scripture describes hanging a human corpse as being a "blasphemy of G-d"*. This also explains why it is a fitting ending to a punishment for a blasphemer who is punished by death by the court through stoning. Other criminals who are punished for other sins which make them liable to death through stoning are similarly to be hung. So rather than keep the person hanging on the pole overnight, he is to be buried on the same day.
*Side note: Rashi explains why hanging a corpse is blasphemous against G-d by citing a parable from Sanheidrin 46b of identical twin brothers, one of which grows up to become a king and the other a robber and subsequently hanged. Whoever saw the hanged brother mistook him for the other brother, the king and thus he was removed.
Returning Lost Objects
Chumash now says that if one sees their fellow's animal straying, they may not pretend they don't see it, although there are some instances when one is permitted to "ignore" such animals, for example if one is a Kohen and the animal wanders into a cemetery where a Kohen may not enter or if one is a respected scholar for whom it would be unbefitting to return the animal.
If the animal's owner is not nearby, or if the finder doesn't know him, he is to bring the animal into his home and he must ask the claimed owner to give identifying signs to the finder in order to have his animal returned to him.
If while the animal was living with the finder it worked and ate, its food is to come from the yields of its work so that the finder doesn't lose out on having taken and then returned the animal. If the animal doesn't work but only eats, the finder is to sell him and give the acquired money to the owner.
This is the manner in which any lost objects (not only animals) must be treated.
Reloading a Traveller's Animal
So too, if one sees that a traveller's donkey or ox's load has fallen off them, one is obligated to help the animal's owner reload his animal. If the owner refuses to help load up the animal, claiming that the onus is on the one who came across them to reload the animal and not he (the owner), the one who came across them need not help.
Cross Dressing
A woman may not dress up to try to make herself look like a man. According to the gemara (Nazir 59a) as cited by Rashi, the only reason a woman would do this is to commit adultery.
Nor is a man permitted to dress in women's clothing so that he hang out amongst women. A man is also forbidden from removing pubic or armpit hair which are areas typically only women remove hair from.
Rashi specifies that Chumash only forbids the wearing of attire which would lead to illicit or immoral behavior, otherwise termed "abomination".
Shiluach HaKan
If one comes across a bird's nest, either in a tree or on the ground* that contains fledglings or eggs and the mother bird is on top** of her young, you must send the mother away before taking the fledglings or eggs. The one who does this commandment will be blessed with goodness and a long life.
*Side note: This does not include a bird's nest which one has prepared, such as for poultry.
**Side note: If the mother is merely hovering above them, one need not do this.
Rashi cites Sifrei and Chulun (Sifrei 22:64, Chul. 142a) to teach that if such a reward of goodness and long life is granted for fulfilling a commandment such as this which is easy to do and doesn't cost anything, how much more will one be rewarded for doing commandments which do incur monetary expense and/or are harder to do.
Ki Teitzei, 2nd Aliya