פרשת כי תצא presents two divergent trajectories in life to choose from. The פרשה begins with the option of marrying a non-Jewish woman captured in battle, and the consequences of this action become apparent very quickly. Strife in their marriage, a child who rebels, and the tragic end to the life of this child are direct results of the path chosen by the soldier who could not control his desires. In contrast to this downward trajectory, the תורה portrays the upward trajectory of a life full of רש״י .מצות comments on the natural progression from one מצוה to another; fulfillment of a relatively simple מצוה to perform, such as שילוח הקן (sending away the mother bird before taking her eggs) sets into motion an array of מצות. One then merits to build a new house, thereby having the opportunity to construct a מעקה (a fence around the roof to protect everyone from falling) which itself is a מצוה. Next, one plants a vineyard and a field which necessitate more מצות. Following these are even more opportunities for מצות, such as ציצית for the beautiful garments one merits to wear.
חז״ל teach us מצות גוררת מצוה - one מצוה leads to another, and equally true is the teaching that עבירה גוררת עבירה - one sin leads to another. Neither the מצוה nor the עבירה that precipitates the different chains of events in this פרשה are categorized as מצות חמורות - exceptionally strict commandments. The ״עבירה״ of taking the captive woman is not actually an עבירה in the classic sense, since technically the action taken is permissible. And yet, even an action that is not in the spirit of holiness can potentially have disastrous consequences. Similarly, the מצוה of שילוח הקן is categorized as a מצוה קלה - a "light" מצוה. One would not have expected such a מצוה to be a catalyst for an entire series of מצות to follow. חז״ל instruct us to be careful with even the "light" מצות as we do not know the reward of any given חז״ל .מצוה continue to say that even such מצות can result in other מצות, as part of the reward for any מצוה is that it leads one down the path to perform others.
As we approach ראש השנה, the significance of even one מצוה or one עבירה becomes even more apparent. חז״ל describe the three books that are opened on ראש השנה. The book of those whose מצות and עבירות are equal is left open until יום כיפור, giving a person the opportunity to be inscribed in the book of the righteous. The רמב״ם in הלכות תשובה elaborates upon this statement of חז״ל, as follows: every מצוה counts because even one can transform a person into a צדיק deserving to be inscribed and sealed in the book of life. Conversely, even one עבירה at this time can result in one no longer being a בינוני - one who is neither a צדיק or רשע - and being written in the book of רשעים. Why is even one מצוה or עבירה so significant to change one's entire being? Perhaps it is not just a question of actual quantity of one's actions but the trajectory one has chosen.
The words of רש״י in the beginning of the פרשה take on a new meaning particularly at this time of the year. The בן סורר ומורה - the rebellious son - is punished severely for actions that don't seem to warrant such a response. His indulging in meat and wine and his embracing a life of crime to support his behavior falls into the category of נדון על שם סופו - he is judged based on what his future will inevitably become. His seemingly trivial offenses will result in significantly more serious crimes.
We are all about to be judged by ה'. He is looking at the path we have chosen. Even a small deviation can undermine our entire status in the books of heaven as we veer down a path of חטא. However, even the smallest improvement can become a catalyst that enables us to be inscribed in the book of the righteous. Let us begin with the מצות קלות that can change our lives. מצוה גוררת מצוה can bring us to new heights and transform us from being mediocre בינונים to becoming צדיקים גמורים.
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