בס"ד

This blog post is a summary of a powerful lesson on the significance of parshat Ki Teitzei. It’s definitely worth watching the full lesson on YouTube for a deeper insight. Here, we share some key ideas and practical lessons on how we can use our speech in daily life to build rather than break.

When You Go Out to War: Choosing Free Will and Integrity in Daily Life

Deuteronomy 21:10 begins, “When you go out to war against your enemies.” But the Torah isn’t only talking about armies and battlefields. It’s talking about life. Every one of us goes out to war every single day—not with weapons, but with ourselves, with our impulses, with our excuses, with the voice inside that says, “just take the easy way out.”

So the question is: how do we fight that war in a way that makes us stronger and more human?

Victory vs. Virtue

One thing about battles and wars is that our culture tends to prize victory over virtue. Winning becomes more important than being right.

We see this on social media: “So-and-so destroys so-and-so” of “ends their career.” Often, people argue not to find truth but to score points and humiliate the other side.

In daily life, this shows up too:

The Torah tells us you’ll face battles in life. But the real question is not whether you win—it’s whether you fight with morality and dignity.

Free Will: The Core of Humanity

At the center of Torah teaching about the human condition is one core belief: free will.

Judaism teaches that we are beings of free choice. We can choose good or evil.

The Rambam writes in Hilot Chuvah 5:1-3:

Free choice is given to every person without limit. No one forces you. You can be as righteous as Moses or as wicked as Yeroavam. Choice is yours.

This means statements like “the devil made me do it” are absurd. Even with the Yetzer Hara (evil inclination), we remain free to choose right over wrong.

Free will is absolute in matters of morality. Without it, reward and punishment would be meaningless. Unlike a robot or animal, humans alone have moral responsibility, which makes our choices significant.

Rabbi Nachman’s Battle Metaphor

Rabbi Nachman of Breslov explains that every person stands between two armies: one pulling toward good, the other toward harm.

The battle proves the significance of your life. Choices are of ultimate importance.

Free will, he emphasizes, is always in our hands:

Even habits or lifelong patterns do not remove the choice. Every person can change direction at any time—and  they are responsible for doing so.

Mental Struggle as Moral Battlefield

Rabbi Avrohom  Amsel, in Rational Irrational Man, distinguishes:

He reframes mental struggle not as victimhood, but as dignity—a battlefield where free will is exercised.

Free will is the hub of Torah psychology. Concepts like biases (negiot) and hidden motives (p’niot) explain the challenges we face, but the center remains human choice and moral responsibility.

Everything in G-d’s Hands… Except Free Will

The Gemara (Berakhot 33b) states:

Everything is in the hands of heaven except for the fear of heaven.

G-d governs our circumstances, but we alone choose right or wrong. That’s what makes us human and morally responsible.

Daily Battles and Small Victories

Life is filled with daily choices:

Pirkei Avot 4 says:

A mighty person is the one who conquers his urges.

Every small victory—resisting temptation, speaking kindly, or holding back anger—is a real moral achievement.

On a societal level, a world without restraint might win battles but lose its soul. Civilization depends on individuals choosing responsibility over impulse.

The Real Enemy: Yetzer Hara

The parashah speaks about war, but the deeper reality is that the real enemy is the evil inclination.

For B’nei Noach, this connects directly to the seven laws:

Even small, everyday choices—like respecting an honor system on a tram—are exercises of free will.

G-d Walks in the Midst

Deuteronomy 23:15 reminds us:

The Lord your G-d walks in the midst of your camp.

Even in life’s messiness, G-d is present. Every choice for good makes space for Hashem in the world.

Elul: A Season for Reflection

Parashat Ki Teitzei says when you go out to war, not als. Life is always a battlefield.

During Elul, a time for self-reflection and preparation for the Yamim Noraim, we must ask ourselves:

Even one conscious act of integrity is a victory—a battlefield moment that strengthens your soul and carries the dignity of humanity before G-d.

Bringing Torah into Daily Life

For B’nei Noach and seekers of truth, this means:

Each small step is a moral victory en a contribution to G-d’s vision of a just and compassionate world.

Door rabbijn Tani Burton

Meer shiurim van Rabbi Tani Burton

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