The portion we will analyze this week is Ki Tetze, meaning “If you go to war.” In this portion, we are told that when we go to war, God will strengthen us and ensure that we are able to defeat our enemies. Moses also states that, during this war, we may capture a woman to be our wife, and provides specific instructions: before the wedding, she should cut her hair and nails. How can we possibly learn from such a strange passage, and how can it apply to our own lives?

It’s understandable to feel confused. After all, the portion seems to advocate for violent action, even detailing rituals for a captured woman before marriage. On a first reading, it may seem irrelevant at best, and at worst, morally unacceptable. A literal interpretation could easily lead us to think that God is promoting violence and the mistreatment of women. But of course, this is not the intended message. That would miss the point entirely.

As we’ve seen in many tragic instances throughout history and around the world, taking religious parables literally can be extremely dangerous. Often, they require a deeper analysis to uncover their true meaning. In this case, the war being discussed is not against an external enemy at all. Instead, the battle is with "oyvecha," the enemy within ourselves—representing our addictions, selfish desires, and moral weaknesses. Far from promoting violence, this portion guides us to examine the faults within ourselves and fight to overcome them.

If we wage war against oyvecha, God will give us the strength to overcome it. When we do, we must also remember the Divine assistance we’ve received and feel grateful, as it is God who empowers us to conquer our inner demons. From this, we learn that when we commit to making positive changes and doing good, we will feel the support of the Divine. There is no violent war to fight—only a daily struggle against our worst impulses.

And don’t worry—if there is no war, there is no woman to capture either. According to Rabbi Isaac Luria, the woman in this passage is actually a metaphor for the soul. This makes sense because in Hebrew, the word for soul—neshama—is grammatically feminine. Further support for this interpretation comes from the fact that hair and nails, which are mentioned in Moses’ instructions, are considered the two immortal parts of the physical body. Thus, when you overcome oyvecha, what you truly capture and connect with is your own immortal soul.

At the end of this portion, the nation of Amalek is discussed. Amalek’s numerical value, 240, is the same as the word safek, meaning “doubt.” This emphasizes that the battle is internal, as fear and doubt are at the core of every challenge we face. In fact, wars themselves often start with fear and doubt at their foundation. Right now, we are living in a time where these feelings are heightened by the real concerns we have about our health, our economy, and our relationships, especially in this ongoing pandemic. But we must not surrender control to these emotions.

It’s our responsibility to improve ourselves. Though the prospect of overcoming oyvecha may seem intimidating, confronting the ways in which fear and doubt manifest in our behavior is crucial to our spiritual growth. As we approach Rosh Hashanah and prepare for the New Year, this is the perfect time to identify our inner enemy and take the first steps toward overcoming it. The moment we commit to this, we will feel God’s support in our resolve: if we go to war, the Divine will grant us strength.