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Moshiach in the Parsha
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"When you go out to wage war against your enemies. And G-d, your G-d, will deliver them into your hands and you will take captives.." (Ki Teitzei 21:10)
This Torah reading begins with the directives regarding the wars waged by the Jewish people, and guidance with regard to how they should treat the captives they take. In a spiritual sense, these directives can be understood as analogies applying to our efforts to refine the material environment in which we live.
For at times, the struggle to overcome the coarseness of that environment may be so bitter that it be considered as "war." Nevertheless, a Jew is assured that he is given an advantage over his "enemies," this worldly setting, and that if he perseveres in his Divine service, he will "take captives," refine that environment and elevate it, preparing it for the era, when "I will cause the spirit of impurity to depart from the earth," with the coming of Moshiach.
This theme is also reflected in the conclusion of the Torah reading which speaks of the constant struggle to wipe out Amalek, for it is only in the end of days, with the coming of Moshiach, that G-d will wipe out all traces of Amalek's hatred of the Jews, and our people will be able to live in peace with none to threaten them.
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Light Candles