KI TETZEI
This final group of laws, given by Moses to the Israelites, as they were poised to enter the Promised Land, is directed mainly toward the individual's responsibility to maintain lawful and humane relations with others. Chief among these rules are injunctions for proper behavior in domestic affairs, consideration for others and kindness to animals.
A partial list of the numerous topics covered in this week's portion follows: female captives; the first-born son's inheritance; execution and burial of convicted criminals; return of lost property; animals struggling under their burdens; removal of eggs and young from a nest; rooftop parapets; agricultural crossbreeding and other prohibited combinations; betrothal, marriage, divorce, remarriage, rape, adultery, inheritance, newlyweds, levirate marriage, widows, orphans, the mamzer; laws governing relations with foreigners; the army camp; sheltering slaves; vows; vineyard and field workers; paying wages in a timely fashion; security for loans; testimony of close relatives; forgotten sheaves and leftover fruit; weights and measures.
The sidra concludes with a reminder to always remember the baseless aggression of the Amalekites towards the Israelites immediately following the exodus from Egypt. When the opportunity arises, the Amalekites are to be destroyed.