Mishpatim – Page 3 – Peninim on the Torah

ויאמרו כל אשר דבר ד' נעשה ונשמע

They said, “Everything that Hashem has said, we will do and we will listen.” (24:7)

When a friend comes over to ask for a favor, the usual responses are: “Depends on what you ask”; “If it does not take too much time; “If it does not conflict with my schedule;” “If it is ‘legal.’” Rarely does one respond, “Sure, whatever you want.” Having said this, let us now appreciate Klal Yisrael’s response to Hashem’s Torah: Naaseh v’Nishma; “We will do, and we will listen.” No questions; no stipulations, no reasons: simply, whatever Hashem asks of us we are prepared to do. Veritably, this response is part of our DNA. When Hashem called Avraham Avinu, the Patriarch’s…

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אם כסף תלוה את עמי

Sruly Schnair In Mishpatim, 5779

When you lend money to My People. (22:24)

Lending money should be simple. After all, if I have and he does not have, why not share? There is always the slight issue of being paid back, but that usually happens. The Torah says, Im kesef talveh es ami, “When you lend money to My People.” The halachah is that if one has some money available for lending purposes, and he has the option of lending either to a Jew or a gentile, he should lend Ami, My People. A Jew precedes a gentile. Naturally, since we are open – minded, progressive, independent individuals, we might question this halachah….

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כל אלמנה ויתום לא תענון. אם ענה תענה אתו כי אם צעק יצעק אלי שמע אשמע צעקתו

Sruly Schnair In Mishpatim, 5779

You shall not cause pain to any widow or orphan. If you (dare to) cause him pain …. For if he shall cry out to Me, I shall surely hear his outcry. (22:21,22)

The widow and orphan represent all of the weak and disadvantaged, those who have no one to protect them or to look out for their interests. Sadly, there are those who take advantage of the weak, either because they are easy prey or because the tormentor himself is so insecure that he must “beat up” on the weak in order to maintain a false sense of self-dignity. The Torah tells us in no uncertain terms that Hashem Himself will intervene on behalf of the weak and disadvantaged because, when they cry, their tears go directly to Him. Hashem listens to…

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ורצע אדניו את אזנו במרצע ועבדו לעלם

Sruly Schnair In Mishpatim, 5779

And his master shall bore through his ear with the awl, and he shall serve him forever. (21:6)

Why does the Torah command the master to bore the Hebrew slave’s ear, rather than any other organ of the body? Rashi quotes Chazal who teach that, “The ear – that heard at Har Sinai (when the Torah was given), ‘For Bnei Yisrael are My servants,’ and this person (eved Ivri) acquired a (new) master for himself – should be bored with the awl… They are My servants and not servants to servants.” The Rosh observes that the gematria, numerical equivalent, of martzea, awl, is 400. Klal Yisrael was to be enslaved by the Egyptians for 400 years. Hashem shortened…

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כל אלמנה ויתום לא תענון

Roberto Szerer In Mishpatim, 5778

You shall not cause pain to any widow or orphan. (22:21)

The obligation to identify and care for the needs of the widow and orphan (and anyone who, likewise, has no one to care for him) extends beyond their physical and material needs. One must act toward them as a father acts towards his children, providing material, as well as spiritual, sustenance. We must endeavor to provide a Torah education for the orphaned child, just as we do for our own. This (I feel) applies as well (and possibly more so) to those children who can sadly be referred to as lebedik yesomim, living orphans, children whose parents are physically alive,…

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אם ענה תענה אתו כי אם צעק יצעק אלי שמע אשמע צעקתו

Roberto Szerer In Mishpatim, 5778

If you dare cause him pain…! – For if he shall cry out to Me, I shall surely hear his outcry. (22:22)

Causing pain to a person whose life is wretched, who stares misery in the face each and every day, is wrong – regardless of one’s motivation. Sometimes, a person’s intentions are noble. He is acutely aware that the individual who is suffering might well put his suffering behind him, if he would only pray with greater devotion. Some people need to be up against the wall with little or no hope for salvation before they pray like there is no tomorrow. They must feel that it is all over; there is no way out; there is no tomorrow. Only then,…

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ואנשי קדש תהיון לי

Roberto Szerer In Mishpatim, 5778

And men of a holy calling shall you be to Me. (22:30)

The Torah does not say anashim kedoshim, holy men; rather, it says anshei kodesh, men of a holy calling. Not all men can achieve the apex of kedushah, holiness, but all men can – and should – live as individuals who are charged with a Heavenly mission to achieve holiness. Our goal must be to become holy. Kedoshim tiyehu, “Be holy!” would then be interpreted: as strive for holiness; imbue your life with kedushah; attempt to reach the level whereby you are sanctified. Demanding personal holiness might be difficult for the individual. Expecting everyone to strive for holiness, to focus…

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לא תשמע שמע שוא

Roberto Szerer In Mishpatim, 5778

Do not accept a futile report. (23:1)

Growing up, one of the easiest types of tests to ace was the “true” or “false” quiz. After all, it was either true or false. Growing up, the distinction between true or false was perceived as quite simple: it was no different than yes or no. Moving on from there, we assume that something which has been proven correct or real is considered true, while something which has failed to be proven true is false. Obviously, there are areas in which this does not prove correct, since a claim that has not been credited as true does not necessarily mean…

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וקבצנו יחד

Roberto Szerer In Mishpatim, 5778

v’kabtzeinu yachad. And gather us together.

Horav Shimon Schwab, zl, explains that the dispersment of our people during the long, bitter years of our galus, exile, is not only physical-geographical, but also ideological. This means that: the non-observant element of our nation does not understand those who are religious; and those who are observant are divided and subdivided even among themselves. We pray for the day when all factions of Klal Yisrael will come together in recognizing Hashem; those who presently are unpracticing will practice, and those who have varied approaches to serving Hashem will coalesce under one banner of understanding Torah as our only guideline…

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ורצע אדניו את אזנו במרצע ועבדו לעלם

Rabbi L. Scheinbaum In Mishpatim, 5777

And his master shall bore through his ear with the awl; He then serves his master forever. (21:6)

Why was the ear selected over any other limb of the body? Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakai explains that, if the ear heard at Har Sinai, “You shall not steal!” and the owner of that ear none- the-less went ahead and stole, his ear should be pierced. Why should the ear be singled out, given that the hands and feet were involved in an act of theft? They should be pierced! It is almost as if the ear was held responsible for the theft. Horav Tzvi Pesach Frank, zl, explains that the Giving of the Torah was not a one-time, isolated…

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ויאמרו כל אשר דבר ד' נעשה ונשמע

They said, “Everything that Hashem has said, we will do and we will listen.” (24:7)

אם כסף תלוה את עמי

When you lend money to My People. (22:24)

כל אלמנה ויתום לא תענון. אם ענה תענה אתו כי אם צעק יצעק אלי שמע אשמע צעקתו

You shall not cause pain to any widow or orphan. If you (dare to) cause him pain …. For if he shall cry out to Me, I shall surely hear his outcry. (22:21,22)

ורצע אדניו את אזנו במרצע ועבדו לעלם

And his master shall bore through his ear with the awl, and he shall serve him forever. (21:6)

כל אלמנה ויתום לא תענון

You shall not cause pain to any widow or orphan. (22:21)

אם ענה תענה אתו כי אם צעק יצעק אלי שמע אשמע צעקתו

If you dare cause him pain…! – For if he shall cry out to Me, I shall surely hear his outcry. (22:22)

ואנשי קדש תהיון לי

And men of a holy calling shall you be to Me. (22:30)

לא תשמע שמע שוא

Do not accept a futile report. (23:1)

וקבצנו יחד

v’kabtzeinu yachad. And gather us together.

ורצע אדניו את אזנו במרצע ועבדו לעלם

And his master shall bore through his ear with the awl; He then serves his master forever. (21:6)

YEARS

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