#49 KI TEITZEI DEUTERONOMY 21:10-25:19

This Torah portion contains a lot of laws and begins with the law regarding a captive woman. If a soldier wants to make a captive woman his wife, he is to cut her hair and wait 30 days while she mourns. Like so many things in the Bible, the scriptures can also teach us other things. The captive woman teaches us not to marry hastily and that women should not dress in alluring nature. Allowing mourning should teach us to be caring about others' emotions. Lastly, the captive woman must agree to following the Torah; so, we should not marry someone who does not want to follow the Torah. Torah means instruction; namely, God's instruction. The word "yoke" in Jewish thought means the Torah. We should understand this when the Bible uses the word "yoke." In 2 Corinthians 6:14 NKJV it says, "Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers." So, watch out for people who say they believe in God, but do not live like they believe.