22 Aug DEJA VU

This week’s parsha, Ki Seitzei, includes

seventy-four of the Torah’s six-hundred-
thirteen mitzvos, the most of any one

parsha. Amongst them are laws concerning
family – such as the inheritance of the
firstborn, and the Ben Sorer U’moreh, the
rebellious son. We learn moral and ethical
laws – including the commandment to
promptly pay a worker’s wages, to build a
protective fence around one’s roof (and
other injury-prone elevated areas), and the
mitzva of hashavas aveida, the mandate to
return a lost item to its rightful owner.
“And so shall you do for his donkey, and so
shall you do for his clothes, and so shall you
do for any of your brother’s lost objects
which you find. You cannot conceal yourself
(by ignoring the lost object). (Devarim
12:3)
The Torah is imploring us to take an active
role. Not to be invisible. If we come across
a lost item, we should make a concerted
effort to find its owner.
Just this past week, the Jewish community

was gripped by the heroic efforts of
members of several volunteer organizations
who were part of the ultimate hashavas
aveida, returning the greatest treasure, a
human being who was lost.
Two special needs young men, ages 18 and
22, became separated from their group
while hiking through Sam’s Point Preserve
at Ice Caves Mountain in upstate New York.
The hike through this almost 5,000 acre
area is listed as “moderately challenging”
with steep, rocky areas.
As evening turned to nightfall, concern for
the young men’s safety escalated. A massive
search team was mobilized, as hundreds of
volunteers from the Jewish community
joined the park rangers and state police. To
make matters worse, that night a severe
thunderstorm developed with lightning and
torrential rains. Because of the dangerous
elements, the authorities called off the
search until morning.
When daylight broke, a highly trained
search and rescue team from Chaveirim of
Rockland County, together with Hatzolah
members using drones and ATV vehicles

miraculously found the boys.
They were dehydrated and
anxious, but in relatively good
spirits and physical condition
after seventeen perilous hours in
the woods.
The power of a people who are
there for each other. A nation
that is ready to help one another
– no matter the time of day, no
matter the weather, no matter
the personal sacrifice which it
entails to just drop everything
on a moment’s notice because
another Jew is in trouble.
Déjà vu. Almost two years ago to the day.
Also in the week preceding Parshas Ki
Seitzei, the parsha that teaches us the mitzva
of hashavas aveida. Little seven-year-old
Yossi went on a trip to Canarsie Park with
his day camp. All was good until a counselor
realized that Yossi was missing. A call went
out for assistance. In no time, hundreds of
volunteers from throughout the Tri-State
area converged upon the Park. It was a long
evening. Like the night last week, when the
two special needs young men went missing,
a thunderstorm struck. But neither the
dark nor the elements deterred any of the
volunteers, and Boruch HaShem by 9:00
PM Yossi was located.
Mi k’amcha Yisroel, who is like Your
nation, Israel. A people that cares, that
does. A nation that is ready to sacrifice
and do for each other. When we see a
fellow Jew hurting, in trouble, we want to
do.
The mitzva of hashavas aveida, returning
lost items, is mentioned twice in the
Torah. In Parshas Mishpatim, we are
instructed to return a lost ox or a
wandering donkey to “oyivcha – your
enemy”. (Shemos 23:4). Later on, in
Parshas Ki Seitzei, the Torah commands
us to return lost property to “ochicho –
your brother”.
Why the change of terminology from
oyivcha to ochicho – from enemy to
brother? One of the Torah commentators
explains that herein lies an important life
lesson. Unfortunately, we all come across
people whom we view as “the enemy”.
People with whom we disagree, people
we have trouble getting along with,
people whom we consider to be difficult.
Even then, the Torah teaches us, we must
make a concerted effort to help them, to
return their lost possessions. In the
process, we become achim – brothers.
Doing favors, showing kindness to one
another, brings people closer together.

Acheinu kol beis Yisroel. We are all
brothers. When we are there for each other,
we all become one.
The Or HaChaim gives us a beautiful
insight into the mitzva of hashavas aveida.
This mitzva is not limited to returning lost
material objects, but can have a much more
far-reaching meaning. “Hosheiv teshiveim
– you shall surely return them”. “Them”,
says the Or HaChaim, can also be referring
to our lost brothers and sisters. “V’im lo
korov ochicha eilecha – When your brother
is not near you”, meaning a fellow Jew who
may be lost, distanced from HaShem and
Torah, we are commanded “v’asafta el toch
beisecha — “you shall gather them into your
house”, bring them in and help them find
HaShem.
The parsha open with the words “Ki Seitzei
lamilchama, when you go out to battle.”
(Devarim 21:10) Our rabbis teach that this
passage not only speaks of a war against a
physical enemy, but also of a battle against
“the enemy within”. Our inner voices of
negativity, that try to get us down and tell us
I can’t do it, it’s not within my capability,
it’s beyond my reach.
At times it’s easy to fall into the trap of
ignoring our messages. As the Chumash
says, “To conceal ourselves”. Let’s take a
lesson from all the amazing volunteers who
came forth to search for both Yossi and the
two lost young men. Each one brought the
outcome one step closer. Each one had an
important role to play.
It’s Chodesh Elul. Time to start preparing
for Rosh HaShanah, the Yom Hadin, our
Day of Judgment. We are HaShem’s
beloved people, and with His love He sends
us messages, opportunities to do good and
accumulate z’chusim, merits that will be
with us as we stand before Him in judgment.
Whether it’s returning a lost object or a lost
soul, whether it’s helping reunite estranged
people or family members who have drifted
apart, the opportunities to perform the
mitzva of hashev teshiveim are many. Let’s
seize the moment. Let’s just do it.