Ki Teitzei 5786 (August 22, 2026)

By Rabbi Ellen S. Wolintz-Fields

In Parashat Ki Teitzei, the Torah presents a wide range of laws governing everyday life—how we treat others, how we respond to loss, how we act in business, and how we build a just and compassionate society. Repeatedly, this week’s Torah Reading focuses on sensitivity to vulnerability: returning lost objects, protecting the dignity of the rejected, and ensuring fairness even in difficult interpersonal situations.

This ethic of attentiveness connects deeply to Shema Koleinu—“hear our voice.” In prayer, we ask God to hear us with compassion, to pay attention to what might otherwise be ignored. Just as Ki Teitzei demands that we do not ignore the needs of the vulnerable, Shema Koleinu reminds us that we ourselves are vulnerable before God, bringing our hopes, fears, and struggles into words.

There is also a reciprocal message. If we ask God to hear us, we are also called to “hear” the world around us—to notice the cries that are easy to miss, the people who are easily forgotten, and the responsibilities that quietly call to us each day.

Together, Ki Teitzei and Shema Koleinu teach that holiness is found in attentiveness. Prayer trains our hearts to believe we matter; mitzvot train our hands to ensure that others matter too. When we live with that dual awareness, we create a life shaped by empathy, responsibility, and deep connection to both God and humanity.