בס "דI

Integrare la Torah nella propria vita attraverso la riflessione e la conversazione può essere un'esperienza incredibilmente divertente e coinvolgente. È un viaggio di scoperta, dove l'antica saggezza e gli insegnamenti senza tempo prendono vita nelle nostre esperienze quotidiane. Attraverso la riflessione, abbiamo l'opportunità di immergerci in profondità nel ricco arazzo della Torah, estraendo profonde intuizioni e lezioni che risuonano con le nostre vite moderne. La gioia sta nei momenti "aha", quei casi in cui un versetto o una storia della Torah si collegano improvvisamente alle nostre sfide personali, alle nostre aspirazioni e ai nostri valori. E quando ci impegniamo in conversazioni sulla Torah con altri, diventa un'esplorazione interattiva, in cui prospettive e interpretazioni diverse migliorano la nostra comprensione. Questi dialoghi spesso accendono l'entusiasmo e la curiosità intellettuale, rendendo il processo di apprendimento piacevole e appagante. La Torah diventa una parte vibrante e dinamica della nostra vita, offrendo non solo una guida ma anche una fonte di fascino, connessione e crescita infinita.

NOTA: Non sentitevi obbligati a consultare tutte le fonti o a rispondere a tutte le domande, a meno che non vogliate farlo. Anche una sola fonte o una sola domanda vi fornirà molto materiale per la discussione e la meditazione. Buon divertimento!

PARSHAS SHOFTIM: WHAT’S THE DEAL WITH HORSES?

“When you come into the land that the Lord your G-d is giving you… you shall surely set over yourself a king whom the Lord your G-d shall choose… Only he shall not multiply horses to himself, nor cause the people to return to Egypt in order to multiply horses, for the Lord has said to you: ‘You shall never return that way again.’”
(Deuteronomy 17:14–16)

This week’s Torah portion introduces the mitzvah of appointing a king. Strikingly, the Torah places strict limits on royal power. A king may not hoard wealth, take too many wives, or—most curiously—amass too many horses. Why the special concern about horses?

Horses and Egypt

Rashi explains that the king may keep only as many horses as are required for his chariots and military service. Anything beyond that is excess. The Sages note that Egypt was famous for breeding the best horses, and kings would naturally turn there to supply their armies. But this would mean reopening trade and dependence with the very land from which Israel had been redeemed. The Torah warns: “you shall never return that way again.”

Egypt represents more than a geographical place—it is the symbol of slavery, pride, and misplaced dependence on human power. Amassing horses from Egypt risked both a practical return and a spiritual regression.

Power Without Pride

Other commentators focus on the effect of horses on the king himself. Horses are magnificent, swift, awe-inspiring creatures, and they lend grandeur to their rider. Too many horses, however, can inflate a ruler’s ego. The king of Israel was not meant to project absolute power, but to embody accountability to G-d. Even his glory had to be bounded by humility.

King David captured this perfectly: “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we call upon the name of the Lord our G-d” (Psalm 20:8). Strength and technology are not the source of salvation. They are tools—but ultimate power belongs only to G-d.

Cosa significa per noi?

This lesson extends far beyond ancient monarchs. Every age has its “horses”—symbols of speed, strength, and prestige. Today they may be cars, machines, or technology. These things can be blessings when used wisely, but curses when they become sources of pride, addiction, or false security.

For Noahides, the message is clear: true greatness does not come from amassing possessions or appearances of power. It comes from humility, responsibility, and remembering that all authority and ability are entrusted to us by G-d. To rely on the gift while forgetting the Giver is to return to “Egypt”—a mindset of slavery to things.

Una parola di cautela

Here too we must recall Rambam’s warning against mechadesh dat—creating new commandments. Noahides are not bound by the specific mitzvah of limiting horses, nor by the institution of kingship in Israel. What you are bound to is the universal principle behind it: resisting pride, idolatry, and misplaced trust in power.

Ora, riflettete sulle seguenti domande:

  1. What are the “horses” in my life—the things I rely on for strength, status, or control?
  2. Do I see my tools and possessions as means to serve G-d, or as ends in themselves?
  3. In what ways might I be tempted to “return to Egypt,” leaning on unhealthy dependencies?
  4. How do I balance dignity and responsibility with humility before G-d?
  5. Do I place my ultimate trust in technology, wealth, or status—or in the One who grants them all?

Shabbat Shalom!

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Di Rabbi Tani Burton

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