Deuteronomy-Chap-22
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Remember the following truth from our beloved Torah!
“Ye
shall NOT ADD
TO THE WORD which I command
you, NEITHER SHALL YE DIMINISH FROM IT,
that ye may keep the commandments of יְהוָה
אֱלֹהֵיכֶם - the LORD your Eloleichem,
which I command you”. Davarim - Deuteronomy
4:2. (JPS-1917).
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With Rabbi, Dr. Reuven Ben Avraham-Goossens, PhD.
Introduction:
Deuteronomy 22:1-29 presents a diverse collection of laws that emphasize ‘responsibility’,
‘compassion’, ‘moral discipline’, and ‘social order within the Hebrew
community’. Although the subjects vary from returning lost property, to humane
treatment of animals, to sexual ethics, the unifying theme is the creation of a
society grounded in justice, empathy, and accountability. These laws reflect a
world in which daily actions, even small ones, are understood to have ethical
weight. The chapter teaches that holiness is not abstract; it is lived through
concrete behaviour toward others.
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Below are the 29 verses of
Deuteronomy Chapter 22: Whilst below the verses are the Explanation’s and more. (The Chapter is from JPS-1917 version
of the Torah).
Verses
1-3: “Thou
shalt not see thy brother’s ox or his sheep driven away, and hide thyself from
them; thou shalt surely bring them back unto thy brother. And
if thy brother be not nigh unto thee, and thou know him not, then thou shalt
bring it home to thy house, and it shall be with thee until thy brother require
it, and thou shalt restore it to him. And so shalt thou do
with his ass; and so shalt thou do with his garment; and so shalt thou do with
every lost thing of thy brother’s, which he hath lost, and thou hast found;
thou mayest not hide thyself.
Explanation: These verses command returning lost
animals or property to their owner and not ignoring such situations. The
emphasis is on active responsibility: one must not “hide oneself” from
another’s loss. The Torah frames communal life as a network of mutual care,
where neglect is not morally neutral but a failure of duty.
Verse 4: Thou shalt not see thy brother’s ass or his ox fallen down by the way, and hide thyself from them; thou shalt surely help him to lift them up again.
Explanation: If an animal collapses under its
burden, one must help lift it, even if the owner is someone with whom one has
strained relations. The law teaches that compassion overrides personal
grievances, and that alleviating suffering-human or the animal is a priority.
Verse 5. A woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment; for whosoever doeth these things is an abomination unto יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ - the LORD thy Eloheicha (God).
Explanation: This verse prohibits wearing
garments associated with the opposite sex. The underlying principle is the
preservation of social boundaries and avoidance of practices that blur
established roles within the community. The Torah here stresses maintaining
distinctions that were culturally significant in ancient
Verses 6-7. If a bird's nest chance to be before thee in the way, in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young; thou shalt in any wise let the dam go, but the young thou mayest take unto thyself; that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days.
Explanation: These verses describe finding a
bird’s nest and taking the young but sending away the mother bird. The law
teaches restraint and compassion even when taking something permitted. The
promise of well‑being and long life underscores that ethical sensitivity
toward creatures is part of a life aligned with divine expectations.
Verse
8. When
thou buildest a new house, then thou shalt make a parapet
for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thy house, if any man fall from
thence.
Explanation: When building a new house, one must
install a parapet around the roof to prevent accidents. This law establishes
the principle of preventive responsibility: one must remove foreseeable dangers
from one’s environment. Safety is not optional; it is a moral obligation.
Verses 9-11. Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with two kinds of seed; lest the fulness of the seed which thou hast sown be forfeited together with the increase of the vineyard. Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together. Thou shalt not wear a mingled stuff, wool and linen together
Explanation: These verses prohibit mixing species
in planting, ploughing with mismatched animals, and wearing garments of mixed
fibbers. These laws reinforce the theme of maintaining distinctions within
creation. They reflect an ancient worldview in which order, separation, and
integrity of categories were essential to the harmony of life.
Verse 12. Thou shalt make thee twisted cords upon the four corners of thy covering, wherewith thou coverest thyself.
Explanation: Israelites are instructed to make
tassels (Tzitzit) on the corners of their garments.
This serves as a physical reminder of covenantal identity and ethical conduct.
The visible sign is meant to influence behaviour and keep one mindful of
obligations.
Verses
13-19. If
any man take a wife, and go in unto her, and hate her, and
lay wanton charges against her, and bring up an evil name upon her, and say: 'I
took this woman, and when I came nigh to her, I found not in her the tokens of
virginity'; then shall the father of the damsel, and her
mother, take and bring forth the tokens of the damsel's virginity unto the
elders of the city in the gate. And the damsel's father
shall say unto the elders: 'I gave my daughter unto this man to wife, and he hateth her; and, lo, he hath laid
wanton charges, saying: I found not in thy daughter the tokens of virginity;
and yet these are the tokens of my daughter's virginity.' And they shall spread
the garment before the elders of the city. And the elders
of that city shall take the man and chastise him. And they
shall fine him a hundred shekels of silver, and give them unto the father of
the damsel, because he hath brought up an evil name upon a virgin of
Explanation: These verses address a case in
which a husband falsely accuses his wife of not being a virgin at marriage. If
the accusation is proven false, the husband is punished and may not divorce
her. The law protects the woman’s dignity and reputation, recognizing the
severe harm caused by slander. It also deters malicious accusations by imposing
real consequences.
Verses 20-21. But if this thing be true, that the tokens of virginity were not found in the damsel; then they shall bring out the damsel to the door of her father's house, and the men of her city shall stone her with stones that she die; because she hath wrought a wanton deed in Israel, to play the harlot in her father's house; so shalt thou put away the evil from the midst of thee.
Explanation: If the accusation is true and the
woman concealed sexual misconduct prior to marriage, she faces severe
punishment. In the ancient Israelite legal system, sexual fidelity within the
betrothal period was treated as a matter of communal integrity. The law
reflects the seriousness with which marital commitments were regarded.
Verse
22. If
a man be found lying with a woman married to a husband, then they shall both of
them die, the man that lay with the woman, and the woman; so shalt thou put
away the evil from
Explanation: If a man is found lying with a
married woman, both parties are held accountable. The law treats adultery as a
violation of the marital covenant and a threat to family stability.
Responsibility is shared; neither party is excused.
Verses 23-24. If there be a damsel that is a virgin betrothed unto a man, and a man find her in the city, and lie with her; then ye shall bring them both out unto the gate of that city, and ye shall stone them with stones that they die: the damsel, because she cried not, being in the city; and the man, because he hath humbled his neighbour's wife; so thou shalt put away the evil from the midst of thee.
Explanation: If a betrothed woman is violated
within a city and does not cry out, both are held responsible. The assumption
is that help would have been available. The law emphasizes the expectation of
resistance in a populated area and the seriousness of violating a betrothal,
which was legally akin to marriage.
Verses 25-27. But if the man find the damsel that is betrothed in the field, and the man take hold of her, and lie with her; then the man only that lay with her shall die. But unto the damsel thou shalt do nothing; there is in the damsel no sin worthy of death; for as when a man riseth against his neighbour, and slayeth him, even so is this matter. For he found her in the field; the betrothed damsel cried, and there was none to save her.
Explanation: If the same act occurs in the
field, only the man is held guilty, because the woman’s cries would not have
been heard. This distinction shows the Torah’s concern for fairness and
context. It recognizes the vulnerability of the victim and removes blame from
her.
Verses 28-29. If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, that is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found; then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel’s father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife, because he hath humbled her; he may not put her away all his days”.
Explanation: If the same act occurs in the
field, only the man is held guilty, because the woman’s cries would not have
been heard. This distinction shows the Torah’s concern for fairness and
context. It recognizes the vulnerability of the victim and removes blame from
her.
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My Closing Message:
Deuteronomy 22:1-29 weaves together laws of ‘compassion’, ‘responsibility’, and
‘moral discipline’. The chapter insists that ethical living is not confined to
grand gestures but is expressed in everyday actions: ‘returning lost property’,
‘preventing harm’, ‘showing restraint’, and ‘upholding justice in intimate
relationships’. The Torah’s vision is a society where individuals are attentive
to one another’s well‑being and where personal conduct contributes to the
stability and dignity of the community. These laws challenge us to consider how
our ‘choices, ‘large and small’, shape the moral fabric of the world we
inhabit.
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