Ki Tetzei: Seeing the Bigger Picture

“one small action can create a much larger result”

When I think about the concept of systems thinking, one of the main ideas that comes to my mind is that nothing really exists by itself. Everything is connected. Every decision we make, every action we take, and every behavior we demonstrate can have an effect on something else.

Systems thinking means recognizing that individual actions are not isolated. Every part of a system affects other parts of the system. Instead of asking only, “Is this action good or bad?”, we ask, “What impact will this action have on the larger system?” That idea is very much present in Ki Tetzei.

The parsha contains mitzvot dealing with marriage, family, workers, property, animals, business, lending, justice, honesty, sexuality, and relationships with others. At first, these laws can seem like a collection of unrelated commandments. But through the lens of systems thinking, we can see something deeper: HaShem is teaching us that the health of the entire community depends upon the way each individual part behaves.

This is one of the concepts that I find very interesting in Orrin Woodward’s book Resolved: 13 Resolutions for LIFE. The idea of systems thinking challenges us to stop looking only at individual events and begin looking at the bigger picture. Instead of asking only, “What is happening right now?” we should also ask, “How does this affect everything else?” When I look at Parashat Ki Tetzei through this perspective, I see a very powerful connection.

Ki Tetzei contains a large number of mitzvot dealing with everyday life. It speaks about how we treat other people, how we conduct business, how we treat workers, how we care for animals, how we protect others from harm, and how we conduct ourselves within our community. The laws may appear to be separate, but when we step back and look at the bigger picture, we begin to see a system. HaShem is teaching us that our lives are interconnected.

One example is the commandment concerning honest weights and measures. The Torah tells us not to have different weights, one larger and one smaller, and commands us to have honest weights and honest measures. At first, we might think this is simply a law about doing business honestly. But systems thinking allows us to look deeper.

If a person cheats another person in business, it may appear to be only one small transaction. But that one dishonest transaction can damage trust. When trust is damaged, relationships are affected. When relationships are affected, the community is affected. One small action can create a much larger result.

The same is true in the opposite direction. One honest transaction can create trust. Trust can create a stronger relationship. Stronger relationships can create a stronger community. This teaches me that small choices can create large systems. 

Another example in Ki Tetzei is the commandment, “You shall not muzzle an ox while it is threshing.” Why would the Torah include such a seemingly small commandment? To me, it teaches us something important about how we think. We should not only think about what something can produce for us. We should also think about the other parts of the system that are helping us produce that result. The farmer benefits from the work of the animal, so the animal should not be treated as though its contribution has no value.

This same principle can apply to people. In our families, businesses, communities, and relationships, there are always people contributing to the system. If we only focus on what we are receiving and fail to recognize what others are contributing, eventually the system becomes unhealthy. Systems thinking teaches us to recognize the contribution of every part.

This also makes me think about leadership. A leader cannot simply look at one person and say, “That person is the problem.” A leader needs to step back and look at the entire system.

What caused the problem?

What behaviors are being rewarded?

What behaviors are being ignored?

What kind of example is being set?

What effect does one person's behavior have on everyone else?

This is where I see a connection between systems thinking and Torah. Ki Tetzei is not only teaching us how to behave in individual situations. It is teaching us how individual behaviors help create the kind of society we live in. If we want a society built on honesty, we have to practice honesty. If we want a society built on compassion, we have to practice compassion. If we want trust, we have to become trustworthy. If we want strong relationships, we have to take responsibility for the way we treat people.

In other words, the system begins with us. Sometimes we look at the world and ask, “What is wrong with society?” But systems thinking causes me to ask a different question: “What am I contributing to the system?” That is a much more personal question. Am I contributing honesty or dishonesty? Am I contributing encouragement or discouragement? Am I building relationships or destroying them? Am I creating trust or creating doubt? Am I making the people around me better, or am I making the system weaker?

This is where I believe Ki Tetzei becomes more than a list of mitzvot. It becomes a lesson about responsibility. HaShem is showing us that our actions do not stop with us. They move outward. They affect our families. They affect our relationships. They affect our communities. And ultimately, they affect the world around us.

This is what I take away from connecting systems thinking with Ki Tetzei: I am not an isolated individual. I am part of a larger system, and the way I live becomes part of the system itself. If I want to change the system, I cannot always wait for somebody else to change first. I have to begin with myself.

That is one of the lessons I take from Resolved: 13 Resolutions for LIFE. Personal growth is not simply about improving one area of our lives. It is about understanding how the different areas of our lives connect and how our choices influence the people around us.

And that is also what I see in Ki Tetzei. The Torah is teaching us that spirituality is not separated from everyday life. The way I conduct business, the way I treat a worker, the way I treat an animal, the way I protect another person, and the way I treat my neighbor are all part of my relationship with HaShem.

Systems thinking teaches me to see the bigger picture. Ki Tetzei teaches me that I am part of that picture. The question I am left with is not simply, “Am I doing the right thing?” The deeper question is: “What kind of system am I creating through the way I live my life?” That is a question I believe each of us should ask ourselves.