Hello dear sisters. 
I hope your summer was wonderful in every way. 
Now we are already in preparation for the upcoming holiday season. 
This week’s Torah portion is called Ki Teitzei which means “when you go out”. 
It refers to the laws that affect a person when they go out to war. 
This week’s Parsha contains 74 mitzvot which is the greatest amount of mitzvot or commandments in any one particular Parsha. The laws are thematically defined by the Torah creating a framework of holiness and dignity which will help each individual lead an uplifted and holy life. 
The first commandment refers to a Jewish soldier who sees a beautiful woman in the course of warfare and wants to marry her. From time immemorial, women have been subjected to horrible abuse as a result of war. Such behavior is not acceptable in a Jewish army. A soldier who sees such a woman is not allowed yo take her in a fit of passion. He must follow a prescribed course of rules which include waiting a month which will allow passions to cool and the intellect to prevail. 
In a Jewish army, rape and abuse of women is unacceptable. 
Women are not the spoils of war. The Torah teaches that war is not a license for licentiousness. 
This commandment helps to define the uplifted behavior which defines a Jew. 
We can also understand these words of “when you go to war” in a deeper level. 
Our Sages interpret this to be a description of our personal war, our struggles within ourselves to overcome our “enemies” the struggles we have that slow us down from achieving our best self. 
So in this month of Elul, the month preceding the High Holidays, we are enjoined to “go out”, to go to war so to speak and be proactive in the process of creating the pathways to personal growth and good choices. 

Today a miracle happened in Israel. 
During the horrific aftermath of the October 7th attack, a young man by the name of Eliya Cohen was kidnapped into Gaza and held for 505 days in the most horrific of conditions. He had gone to the Nova festival with Ziv Abud, his girlfriend, who survived by being buried under many dead bodies in the very same bunk where Hersh was taken. That is the bunker where Aner Shapiro stood at the entrance, catching grenades and throwing them out until finally one exploded in his hand killing him. 
The people in that bunker were innocent women and noncombatants. 
Eliya did not know that his beloved Ziv had survived. 
In the darkness of the tunnels, where he strongly felt G-d’s presence, Eliya dreamed of standing under the Chupa, the marriage canopy, with his Ziv. 
Tonight it happened!!
For some unknown reason they had to transverse this treacherous road to arrive home, to each other. 
In a poignant aside, the marriage contract, the Ketuba, was created as a piece of art by none other than Aner’s father, who somehow has the fortitude to rejoice with others even though his own heart must be breaking. 
After a war, we build. 
As Eliya said, we create Jewish homes and children who will be dedicated to the Land of Israel. 
The groom then invited the guests, 1000 strong, to join him in the saying of the Shma as an affirmation of his connection to Gd, a connection which supported him in the worst of times. 
There could not have been a dry eye at that wedding. 
The tears were streaming down my face as I watched this young man who chooses how to define himself, in dignity and spiritual connection. 
We are ending another year and we are ready for a new start. 
We have no idea what obstacles we may face in the year ahead, but if we can hold onto our belief in ourselves and our connection to Gd, so that no matter what “enemies” we have to engage, with G-d’s help, we will prevail. 
Mazal Tov to Eliya and Ziv. 
May they merit to build a true home in Israel!
Missed you all so much. 
Shabbat Shalom and so much love!