25
1 If there is a controversy between men, and they come to judgment, and the judges judge them; then they shall justify the upright, and condemn as guilty the wicked. 2 * It shall be, if the wicked man is worthy to be beaten, that the judge shall cause him to lie down, and to be beaten before his face, according to his wickedness, by number. 3 †
He may sentence him to no more than forty stripes. He shall not give more; lest, if he should give more, and beat him more than that many stripes, then your brother will be degraded in your sight.
4 ‡
You shall not muzzle the ox when he treads out the grain. §
5 *
If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies, and has no son, the wife of the dead shall not be married outside to a stranger. †
Her husband’s brother shall go in to her, and take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. 6 It shall be that the firstborn whom she bears shall succeed in the name of his brother who is dead, that his name not be blotted out of Israel [God prevails]. ‡
7 If the man does not want to take his brother’s wife, then his brother’s wife shall go up to the gate to the elders, and say, “My husband’s brother refuses to raise up to his brother a name in Israel [God prevails]. He will not perform the duty of a husband’s brother to me.” 8 Then the elders of his city shall call him, and speak to him: and if he stands and says, “I don’t want to take her;” 9 §
then his brother’s wife shall come to him in the presence of the elders, and loose his shoe from off his foot, and spit in his face. She shall answer and say, “So shall it be done to the man who does not build up his brother’s house.” 10 His name shall be called in Israel [God prevails], “The house of him who had his shoe removed.”
11 When men strive against each other, and the wife of one draws near to deliver her husband out of the hand of him who strikes him, and puts out her hand, and takes him by his private parts, 12 *
then you shall cut off her hand. †
Your eye shall have no pity.
13 ‡ You shall not have in your bag diverse weights, one heavy and one light. 14 You shall not have in your house diverse measures, one large and one small. 15 You shall have a perfect and just weight. You shall have a perfect and just measure, that your days may be long in the land which Adonai your God gives you. 16 For all who do such things, all who deal dishonestly, are an abomination to Adonai your God.
(Maftir ·Conclusion·) 17 § Remember what Amalek did to you by the way as you came out of Egypt [Abode of slavery]; 18 how he met you by the way, and struck the rearmost of you, all who were feeble behind you, when you were faint and weary; and he didn’t fear God. 19 * † Therefore it shall be, when Adonai your God has given you rest from all your enemies all around, in the land which Adonai your God gives you for an inheritance to possess it, that you shall blot out the memory of Amalek [Man who licks up] from under the sky. You shall not forget.
Haftarah Ki Tetze ·Taking leave· ·When You go out·:
Yesha'yahu / Isaiah 54:1-10;
(Messianic adaptation: Start the Haftarah at 52:13)
B'rit Hadashah ·New Covenant·: Luke 23:1-25
* 25:2 . Deut 25:2 (Deut 25:1-3) (#6.425): T. The judge is to whip the wicked in proportion to the offense / R. For the court are to carry out to whipping the wicked person, the wrong-doer † 25:3 . Deut 25:3 (#6.426): T. A judge shall not inflict more than 40 lashes / R. The court must not exceed the prescribed number of lashes Consider: Commentators and Historians propose Judaism understood that 40 lashes was capable of causing death. Other commentators apply the same reasoning to Roman judgment of 40 lashes. / Consider: Judaism, in order to prevent intentional killing under a whipping judgment, has applied this command as “forty minus one” lashes ‡ 25:4 . Deut 25:4 (#8.545): T. Not to muzzle an animal while threshing grain / R. Not to muzzle an ox while plowing R. Note: Not to steal by withholding the rightful or appropriate compensation § 25:4 . Quoted in 1 Cor 9:9; 1 Tim 5:18 * 25:5 . Deut 25:5 (#7.480): T. The widow whose husband has died and remains childless shall only marry her deceased husband’s brother / R. The widow must not remarry until the ties with her brother-in-law are removed T. Example: Ruth [Friend] had to be released from the nameless first kinsman before Boaz [In majesty, in strength], the second kinsman, was able to act as go'el ·redeemer / kinsman· to Ruth (Ruth 4:4-10) † 25:5 . Deut 25:5 (#7.481): T. The brother-in-law is to marry the widow of his brother, should he die and his brother is childless / R. To preform yavam ·brother-in-law’s duty· T. Note: In Hebrew, the brother-in-law is called the yavam ·husband’s brother·, the widow is called the yevamah ·(deceased) husband’s wife·, thus the arrangement is called yavam ·brother-in-law’s duty· ‡ 25:6 . (5-6) Quoted in Matt 22:24; Mark 12:19; Luke 20:28 § 25:9 . Deut 25:9 (Deut 25:7-10) (#7.482): T. For the widow to be formally released to marry anyone she will if the brother-in-law refuses to marry her / R. To do chalitzah ·the ceremony freeing a widow from the brother-in-law’s duty to marry her·. This arrangement is called yavam ·brother-in-law’s duty· T. Directive: The brother-in-law is to appear before the elders of the town and confess he refuses to marry his deceased brother’s wife * 25:12 . Deut 25:12 (Deut 25:11-12) (#6.427): T. “When men strive together one with another, and the wife of the one draws near to deliver her husband out of the hand of him who strikes him, and puts forth her hand grabbing him by the private parts; (v11) then you shall cut off her hand, your eye shall have no pity” (v12) / R. To save the life of the one being pursued, even if it requires taking the life of the pursuer Consider: Many people who compile Torah ·Teaching· commands agree on this interpretation, unique from the direct reading of the text † 25:12 . Deut 25:12 (#6.428): T. “When men strive together one with another, and the wife of the one draws near to deliver her husband out of the hand of him who strikes him, and puts forth her hand grabbing him by the private parts; (v11) then you shall cut off her hand, your eye shall have no pity” (v12) / R. Not to pity the pursuer / R. Not to spare a pursuer, but he is to be slain before he reaches the pursued and in order to prevent the pursuer from slaying the pursued or uncovering their nakedness Consider: Many people who compile Torah ·Teaching· commands agree on this interpretation, unique from the direct reading of the text ‡ 25:13 . Deut 25:13-14 (Deut 25:13-16) (#9.577): T. Not to possess dishonest weights and measurements / R. Not to possess inaccurate scales and weights even if they are not for use § 25:17 . Deut 25:17 (Deut 25:17-18; Ex 17:8-16) (#6.429): To remember what Amalek did Note: When leaving Egypt, he attacked Israel and the stragglers; he was unafraid of God * 25:19 . Deut 25:19 (Deut 25:17-19) (#6.430): T. To wipe out the memory of Amalek from under heaven / R. Not to forget Amalek’s atrocities and ambush on our journey from Egypt in the desert, don’t forget! † 25:19 . Deut 25:19 (Deut 25:17-19) (#6.431): T. This is not found in the straight forward text; it could be implied by (Deut 25:19) / R. Wipe out the descendants of Amalek