Being Servants of Hashem (Mishpatim)

The parsha of Mishpatim contains an assortment of sections laying out basic laws for the society being established by the Torah: “These are the rules you shall set before them [Bnei Yisrael]” (Exodus 21:1). This week’s Dvar Torah is also an assortment, one of small thoughts not necessarily attached one to another, nor supported by sources, since the week flew by without enough time for me to read through the commentaries.

Mishpatim 1 – Immediately following the introductory verse, the parsha records the rule of the Hebrew slave. “When you acquire a Hebrew slave, he shall serve six years; in the seventh year he shall go free, without payment…If he came single, he shall leave single; if he had a wife, his wife shall leave with him” (21:2-3)…And if a slave wants to stay with his master, his ear is pierced on the doorpost of his master’s house (ibid. 6).

If these are the rules to be set before the people, why start with the rules of a Hebrew slave. It is commonly noted that the meaning of piercing the slave’s ear by the doorpost of the house is because the mezuzah is placed on the doorpost and the slave is being chastised for preferring the rule of man to the rule of God. Could there be something else to learn from the placement of these verses?

A common discourse at Passover time is the discussion of what it means to be free. Bnei Yisrael were taken from the slavery of Egypt but were immediately brought to Sinai to be Avdei Hashem, servants of the Divine. So where was the freedom?

By introducing the laws of the Hebrew slave as the first of the mishpatim, perhaps Hashem was telling the people that one must not think negatively of having a Master, of having the laws of the Torah directing their life. Bnei Yisrael as a whole have gladly chosen to serve Hashem not for a limited time, but forever.

Mishpatim II – On January 30, one of the large, Canadian telephone companies had a share-the-message campaign to raise money for mental health. One of the underlying messages was that mental health issues are very often misunderstood and misinterpreted, which only make them harder on the afflicted individual.

What is the connection of mental health awareness and Parshat Mishpatim? In this week’s parsha there is an interesting mitzvah: “When you see the donkey of your enemy lying under its burden and would refrain from raising it, you must nevertheless raise it with him” (23:5).

Many parsha talks have been written on how this verse carries through time even to the modern age. For instance, if your unfriendly neighbor’s car is broken down at the side of the road, you should pull over and offer assistance. The verse has the beautiful, underlying message that one should push oneself particularly to help a person with whom one is not on good terms – that giving to one’s enemy helps breech the gap.

There is an often-used metaphor that the donkey, the chamor, represents the material. Human beings are God’s unique creation combining the physical/material and the spiritual. The physical is the goof, the human body. It is “burdened” with carrying the neshama, the spiritual element of man. When a person sees that his enemy’s “chamor” is struggling with its burden – when he notices his enemy afflicted in the soul – one should find a way to reach out and help them.

Mishpatim III – “You shall not accept a false report do not place your hand with a wicked person to be a false witness. You shall not follow the majority for evil, and you shall not respond concerning a lawsuit to follow many to pervert [justice].” (23:1-2).

While most commentators begin their commentary on these verses by stating that they relate to judges, the fact that it does not state so at the beginning leaves room to ponder the broader meaning. In 21^st century North America, with politics having run off the to a land of insanity and the media no longer a reliable source of news, it often feels as if mob mentality is the fashion of the day.

Because of social media, it is so easy to share a news story or a commentary, but very often people don’t take the time to research the truth behind the headlines – they simply click “share.”

More significantly, the very strong “identity politics” that are being broadcast are making it harder and harder for Jews to connect to the Torah as absolute truth. If everybody else says X is ok, isn’t it? But the Torah sets very straight rules of what is and is not okay for society, and it is our job to remain servants to Hashem and not be swayed by false reports and societal peer pressure.

For last year's post: https://cthedawn.blogspot.com/2019/02/being-servants-of-hashem-mishpatim.html