Mishpatim 5634 תרל”ד

תרל”ד

ואלה המשפטים אשר תשים לפניהם אא”ז מו”ר ז”ל הגיד בשם הרב מפרשיסחא ז”ל שיהיו משפטי ה’ קודם חיות האדם וזה לפניהם והוא ענין הקדמת נעשה לנשמע כו’. 

(Shemos 21:1)  “These are the laws that you shall place before them”. THe chidushei Harim said in the name of the Rebbe MiParshischa, that the words “Before them” means that these words should be before Bnei Yisrael’s own self and life. This is really the idea of na’aseh said before nishma (self sacrifice).

גם ברש”י ז”ל מה הראשונים מסיני כו’. ופרשנו עפ”י דברי מו”ז ז”ל שגם משפטי ה’ אף שיש בהם טעמים. עכ”ז כל הטעמים ע”י רצונו ית’ והוא העיקר. והטעמים נמשכים אחר רצונו. 

This idea is also explained above (תרל”א) in Rashi (21:1) “Just as the laws beforehand (the ten commandments) were from Sinai, so too these are also from Sinai”. (As explained above this means that) just as the laws of HaShem can be understood logically, nevertheless the fact that they can be understood is also because HaShem has willed it to be understood.The reasons are because of HaShem’s will (and not that the opposite, that we can comprehend His will. This is the self sacrifice, to give up our understanding and accept that even though we understand it, it is all only the will of HaShem.). 

וז”ש שהם מסיני. אף שהשכל מבין שכך צריך להיות עכ”ז הכל ע”י שכך גזרה חכמתו ית’. 

This is the meaning of the Rashi that these laws are from Sinai. Meaning that even though one can comprehend that these laws should be (the laws that govern social norms), nevertheless it is all because of the decree of HaShem’s knowledge (and not our own).

וז”ש אתה כוננת מישרים פי’ שע”י רצונו יתברך נעשו משפטיו ישרים וכל העולם מודים ומבינים שישר משפטיו שכל הדעת נמשך אחר רצון השי”ת כנ”ל. 

This is the meaning of the pasuk (tehillim 99:4) “You have established justice” (See Midrash Tanchuma Mishpatim 1). It is through the will of HaShem that His laws are just, and everyone acknowledges and understands His laws, for all understanding is drawn to His will.

וכן צריך להיות ציווי השי”ת קודם לשכל האדם וזהו לפניהם כנ”ל. ובנ”י הקדימו נעשה לנשמע פי’ שהי’ חביב אצלם יותר מה שזוכין לעשות רצון עליון ממה שיבינו הטעם של המצווה. 

This is how the commandment of HaShem should be viewed, that it precedes one’s understanding, and this is the meaning of the words “before them”. It was when Bnei Yisrael said na’aseh v’nishma, that they expressed that doing HaShem’s will was more precious to them than understanding the reasons of the mitzvos.

ועי”ז זכו שיבינו גם הטעמים כי מקודם ניתנו הדיברות אח”כ המשפטים. 

It was because of this (commitment) that they were subsequently able to also understand the reasons. (As we see in the order the Torah was given) first the commandments (dibur – is a directive without understanding) were given, and then the mishpatim (laws that can be understood logically).

וכ”כ מגיד דבריו הוא הנהגתו יתברך בלי הבנת הטעמים אח”כ חוקיו ומשפטיו כו’ 

We find the same idea in the pasuk (tehillim 147:9) “He issued his commands to Yaakov, His statutes and laws to Yisrael”. This is the way HaShem relates to us, that first there is acceptance without understanding (statutes are not understood logically), and then the laws.

וכן הוא בכל מצוה בפרטות כמו שמקיים האדם בפשיטות בלי השגה כראוי רק שרוצה לקיים מצות השי”ת זוכה אח”כ להבין הטעם. 

This principle also applies to each individual mitzva. Inasmuch as one fulfills the mitzva in absolute simplicity and understanding, and only for the sake of doing the commandment of HaShem. This enables his to understand the reasoning afterwards.

וז”ש רש”י ז”ל לא תעלה על דעתך כו’ ותמוה וכי מרע”ה אשר מסר נפשו בעבור ישראל לא הי’ חפץ להבין לבנ”י הטעמים. 

This idea can also explain the Rashi: (Shemos 21:1) HaShem told Moshe, Do not think that you can just tell Bnei Yisrael the laws of the Torah, without explaining the reason to them. Rather it must be (explained to them clearly) like a set table ready to eat. Now would Moshe Rabeinu who sacrificed his life for Bnei Yisrael not want to explain the reasonings to Bnei Yisrael?! (see תרל”א for an alternative answer). 

אך כי באמת העיקר לקיים מצות השי”ת בלי הבנת הטעמים. רק שהשי”ת אמר שבנ”י זכו ע”י הקדמת נעשה לנשמע שיבינו גם הטעמים כנ”ל

However the truth is that to fulfill the mitzvos of HaShem properly, it needs to be done without any understanding (and therefore Moshe didn’t want to explain the reasons to them for he did not want to detract from the quality of their mitzvos, however HaShem said to Moshe that he must explain the reasons to them), because through their commitment of na’aseh before nishma they merited to understand the reasonings as well.

2

במדרש ואלה המשפטים אשר תשים לפניהם. 

The Midrash (Shemos Rabba 30:18) explains the Pasuk “These are the laws that you shall place before them”, as referring to HaShem’s future vengence on the nations of the world.

כי השי”ת רוצה לעשות משפט ונקמה ברשעים כאשר באמת בנ”י זוכין במשפט. 

This is because HaShem wants to judge and take revenge on the evil doers, just as Bnei Yisrael merit through their good deeds in judgement.

רק שזה תלוי בעבודת בני ישראל אם הולכין במשפט אמת בכל דבר. ואם השי”ת צריך לעשות עמנו לפנים משורת הדין אין יכול לעשות משפט ברשעים . 

However (the level of justice that can be done with the nations of the world) is dependant on Bnei Yisrael. For if HaShem is axacting with Bnei Yisrael then He can be exacting with the nations of the world. However if (we are not as meritorious) and He needs to judge us favorably, (not exacting), then He also needs to judge the nations of the world favorably.

וז”ש אשר תשים לפניהם כי משפט השי”ת תלוי בעבודת בנ”י כנ”ל:

This therefore is the meaning of the words “before them”, for the (type of) judgement of HaShem (the Mishpatim) are dependent on the actions of Bnei Yisrael.