Parasha Ki Tetze
The parasha with the most commandments — 74 laws covering every dimension of ethical and social life.
Overview
Parasha Ki Tetze contains more commandments than any other single parasha — 74 of the Torah's 613 mitzvot. They cover family law, property rights, the treatment of workers and animals, honest weights and measures, and the obligation to remember Amalek.
The Story
The laws include: the captive woman, the rights of the firstborn, the rebellious son, proper burial, returning lost property, helping an enemy's fallen animal, cross-dressing prohibition, the mother bird, roof safety railings, forbidden mixtures, tzitzit, laws of marriage and divorce, the prohibition of returning a runaway slave, honest wages paid the same day, the prohibition of muzzling an ox while it threshes, levirate marriage, honest weights and measures, and the command to remember and erase Amalek.
Significance for Noahides
Ki Tetze is a masterclass in applied ethics. The law of the mother bird — sending away the mother before taking eggs — teaches compassion even toward animals. The prohibition of dishonest weights is a direct application of the Noahide law against theft. The command to pay workers on time reflects the dignity of labor. Each law, however specific, expresses a universal moral principle.