Mishpatim תרל”ה

תרל”ה

ר”ח אדר ראשון

במדרש מגיד דבריו כו’ חקיו ומשפטיו לישראל משל כו’ לבנו נותן מתוך פיו כו’.
The Midrash (Shemos Rabba 30:9) explains the pasuk in Tehillim (147:19) “He tells his words to Yaakov, His statues and laws to Yisrael”. This can be compared to a king that gave food out to his servants, however to his own son, the king gave from his on portion.
פשוט כוונת המדרש לפרש. משפטיו של הקב”ה אשר בחר לעצמו. בדרך זה מנהיג את בניו. כמ”ש אשר קדשנו במצותיו במצות אשר השי”ת עושה אותם.
The simple understanding is that the Midrash is teaching us that it is the very laws and rules that HaShem chose for Himself are used to guide His children. Just as we say when making a bracha “…that elevated us with His mitzvos”, it is the very same mitzvos that HaShem Himself does (so to speak).
אך פנימיות הענין דהמשפטים נאמרו אחר הדיברות כי הדיברות הם הנהגות הש”י כמלך הגוזר על עמו ומשפטים הם טעמי המצות כי הם עפ”י שכל התחתונים ג”כ.
However there is a deeper understanding. And that is that the concept of the laws – mishpatim, was given to Bnei Yisrael after we received the ten commandments (dibros). For the dibros or commandements, are a direct instruction just like a king decrees a law to his nation. However the mishpatim, are laws, the reasons (ta’amim). They have logical reasoning and can be understood by man.

ואא”ז מו”ר ז”ל פי’ מ”ש רש”י תשים לפניהם כשולחן הערוך כו’ למה נאמר זה דוקא אצל המשפטים. אך כי לאשר שכל האנושי משיג המשפטים לזאת צריכין חיזוק אמונה לזה. לידע כי אעפ”כ הם רק רצונו של הקב”ה כמ”ש המשפט לאלקים הוא.
The Chidushei Harim explained the Rashi (Shemos 21:1) HaShem told Moshe to explain the mishpatim to Bnei Yisrael like a set table (in a clear fashion). Why was this level of clarity said expressly in regard ot Mishapatim (and not the other mitzvos)? The explanation is because here is a unique danger with regard to understanding mishapatim, for since they can be understood logically, one may come to think that they are not as G-dly as the other mitzvos, (they ‘make sense’ to us). Therefore HaShem was telling Moshe that these mishpatim need more strengthening of emuna for they too are only because of HaShem’s reasoning (and not our own logic). As it says explicitly (Devarim 1:17) “The judgement is HaShem’s”
ופי’ עפ”י הפסוק אתה כוננת מישרים שגם מה שנראה זה דרך ישר. הוא ע”י שכן רצונו של הקב”ה לכך יש עליו חן והכל מעידין על ישרו. ולכן צריך להיות השכל בטל אל הציווי של הקב”ה כנ”ל.
With this idea we explained above (תרל”א) the pasuk (Tehillim 99:4) “You who established equity”. This means that even things that seem correct (in our own eyes), it only seems that way to us because HaShem has willed it to make sense to us and be appealing, and everyone says it is true. And therefore (especially with these logical laws) our intellect must be nullified to the command of HaShem. As explained.

ונראה שלכך עלה ע”ד משה רבינו ע”ה שלא להגיד לבנ”י הטעמים כי ירא שעי”ז יהיו מחוסרי אמונה כנ”ל והקב”ה הבטיחו כי מוכנים בני ישראל לקבל הטעמים ושידעו שהכל מהקב”ה הוא כנ”ל.
Furthermore it would seem that for this reason Moshe did not want to explain the reason of the mishpatim to Bnei Yisrael (and HaShem had to expressly command him to), for Moshe was concerned that through understanding the reasonings, Bnei Yisrael would (rely on their intellect and) lack emuna. However HaShem asured Moshe that Bnei Yisrael were actually worthy of understanding the reasonings, for they knew that everything is only from HaShem. as explained.
ובנ”י זכו לזה ע”י קבלת הדיברות שהקדימו נעשה לנשמע. ופי’ זה שהי’ חביב בעיניהם יותר לעשות רצונו ית’ מנשמע שהוא השגת הטעמים כנ”ל. לכן זכו להשיג הטעמים ג”כ כנ”ל.
The reason why Bnei Yisrael merited this level of emuna, was through their commitment of na’ase preceding nishma. This was because they accepted to do the will of HaShem before they even understood what to do – ie the reasoning behind it, they therefore merited subsequently to also understand the reasoning.
וכלל הדברים כי המשפטים הם פנימיות הדיברות כי הטעמים יותר פנימים מגוף המצות. וז”ש מגיד דבריו מקודם ואח”כ משפטיו כנ”ל.
The rule is that the mishpatim are the internal understandings of the commandments. For the reason why to do a mitzva, is a more internal factor than the actual action of the mitzva. This is therefore the order of the above pasuk: “He tells his word to Yaakov” (the commandments.) And afterwards “His laws (that can be understood logically) to Yisrael”.
ופי’ אשר תשים לפניהם כי הקב”ה נתן לבני ישראל אשר גם לדבריהם יהי’ להם כח זה שעפ”י דבריהם יהי’ נמשך החן והטעמים כמו דבריו של הקב”ה שנאמר אתה כוננת מישרים כנ”ל.
Now the words “before them”, teaches us that HaShem actually gave Bnei Yisrael the ability that through their own words, they are able to draw down understanding and find this appeasing, just as much as His own words,
וזה ענין תורה שבע”פ שבני ישראל זוכין לחדש דברים שנחצבו לפניו ב”ה וז”ש אשר תשים לפניהם שיהי’ בכחם להמשיך משפטי השי”ת והבן:
this is the concept of the Oral Torah, where Bnei Yisrael merit to come up with novel ideas that are carved out before HaShem. This therefore is the meaning of “These are the laws that you shall place before them”, for it is within their power to draw down these laws of HaShem!

2

ואמו”ז ז”ל הגיד בשם הרב מפרשיסחא ז”ל אשר תשים לפניהם להיות משפטי השי”ת קודם לעצמותם כענין הקדמת נעשה לנשמע שהוא למסור נפשו לעשות משפטי השי”ת ע”ש בס’ קול שמחה.
The Chidushei Harim said in the name of the Rebbe MiParshischa, that the words “You shall place before them” means that the words of HaShem should be before the essence of Bnei Yisrael. This is the commitment of na’ase before nishma that Bnei Yisrael were prepared to sacrifice their lives to do the laws of HaShem. (see sefer Kol Simcha). (As explained above this is said specifically by mishpatim, laws that make logical sense, for it is really in regard to these laws that one needs to realise that the reason for them is only because HaShem willed it. In these laws our natural thoughts are that they are because of the reasons that we comprehend, and this mindset needs to be uprooted with a nullification to HaShem’s will).
ובאמת זוכין לפנימיות טעמי התורה ע”י הביטול אליו ית’.
In truth the way to attain the internal understanding of the reason of the Torah is through nullification to HaShem.
כ’ שער החצר הפנימית (שער) הפונה קדים כו’ וביום השבת יפתח וביום החודש כו’.
Yechezkel 46:1
כֹּֽה־אָמַר֮ אֲדֹנָ֣י יְהוִה֒ שַׁ֜עַר הֶחָצֵ֤ר הַפְּנִימִית֙ הַפֹּנֶ֣ה קָדִ֔ים יִהְיֶ֣ה סָג֔וּר שֵׁ֖שֶׁת יְמֵ֣י הַֽמַּעֲשֶׂ֑ה וּבְי֤וֹם הַשַּׁבָּת֙ יִפָּתֵ֔חַ וּבְי֥וֹם הַחֹ֖דֶשׁ יִפָּתֵֽחַ׃
Thus said HaShem the G-d: The gate of the inner court which faces east shall be closed on the six working days; it shall be opened on the sabbath day and it shall be opened on the day of the new moon.
הפונה קדים הוא הביטול אל מה שלמעלה מהטבע כי בשבת ור”ח יש עלי’ לנפשות בנ”י למעלה ועי”ז זוכין לפנימיות הטעמים.
“which faces east” is referring to nullification to what is above nature. For on Shabbos and Rosh Chodesh there is an elevation of the souls above, and because of this (elevation with the nullification) we merit to the inner reaonings.
וכ’ בשבת קודש ויכולו השמים והארץ כו’ פי’ התמלאות שפע חיים בכל הבריאה כי ויכל הוא לשון מדה כמ”ש וכל בשליש. אלפים בת יכיל.
Now regarding the Shabbos it says “The heaven and the earth were completed ויכולו”. This means that the entire creation was filled with an abundance of life force. (We see this in the words ויכולו) for the word ויכל also means a vessel containing a measure. (Yeshaya 40:12) “and meted with a measure” (Melachim 1:7:27) “It contained 2000 bat”.
כי הקב”ה השפיע בכל ברי’ חיים כפי אשר יכולה לקבל.
This is because HaShem gave every creation an abundant life force, to the maximum extent of what it was able to contain.
והאמת כי בריאת האדם ביום הששי הוא פנימיות החיות של כל הבריאה כמ”ש ואדם עלי’ בראתי. וע”י האדם נמשך חיות לכל הבריאה.
Now in truth the creation of man is essentially the internal life force of the entire creation, as it says (Yeshaya 45:12) “I created man above it”
וכפי הביטול ומס”נ של האדם בש”ק להקב”ה. ממשיך חיות מחדש לכל הבריאה כנ”ל:
It is inasmuch as man is able to nullify and is prepared to sacrifice (his own desire) on Shabbos to HaShem, that man is able to draw down more life force to the entire creation.

3

טעם הנרצע אחר שש אוזן ששמעה עבדי הם כו’. ולא בשעת המכירה.
The reason given for a slave to have his ear pirced, when he sells himself into slavery after six years (when he can go free), is because his ear that heard the words “they are my slaves” and no one else’s slave, should be pierced. However why is it only pierced after six years and not immediately when he is sold into slavery the first time?
כי סבור הי’ שיכול לקבל העבדות שלא ינתק עי”ז מעבדות של הקב”ה. ואחר שידע טעם עבדות בשר ודם שעי”ז פורק עול מ”ש. אין לו לומר אהבתי כו’.
This is because when he was originally sold into slavery he thought he may be able to accept the yoke of another master, and not get disconnected from his service of HaShem. However after six years when he realises that through taking on a master he is removing himself from the yoke of Heaven, he should not be saying the words “I love my master, I won’t go free”
אף כי לעיני בשר נראה להקל חומר העבירה ע”י ההרגל שדש בה.
This statement might seem illogical to human kind, for shouldn’t we expect less from someone who has already transgressed many times, than from one who has not? (Surely when the slave has already been in servitude for six years, he should be held less accountable now, than when he was originally sold?)
אבל באמת צריך להיות שונא יותר מי שיודע ומרגיש גודל החטא.
However the truth is that one who sinned, knows and feels the great extent of damage that a sin does (and therefore he is more accountable).
וגם כי המוכר עצמו מפני דוחקו אין עליו חטא רק אם אינו רוצה אח”כ לצאת אף שנתנה לו תורה מקום לצאת בשש. נראה כי התחלת המכירה לא הי’ באמת מתוך הדוחק ולכן נענש על התחלת המכירה:
Furthermore when he was originally sold into servitude, it was due to his financial difficulties, and therefore it is not an actual sin. Yet if he chooses to remain in servitude when he can halachically go free, this demonstrates that the first sale was not really only because of his necessity (because his actions now demonstrate that he was actually inclined to the freedom of responsibility that servitude allows).

4
בודאי יכולין ללמוד מאלה המשפטים דרכים הצריכין לעבודת הבורא ית’.
There are definitely lessons that can be learnt in how to serve HaShem, from the laws discussed in Mishpatim.
ודין שומרים כי יתן כו’ כסף או כלים כו’ אם ימצא הגנב ישלם שנים כו’ אם לא שלח ידו כו’.
(For example) the laws of safekeeping, when one gives another money or vessels to guard and it is stolen, if the thief is found he must pay double. If the thief is not caught the guard must swear that he has not laid a hand on the others property. (Shemos 22:6-7)
כי הקב”ה נותן לאדם כלים לשמור. כסף הוא הרצון והחשק. וגם בריאת האדם עצמו שהוא כלי לעבודתו ית’ וצריך שמירה.
(In service of HaShem this can be understood metaphorically) HaShem has given us money and vessels for safekeeping. Money כסף refers to one’s desires and drives. And so too the creation of man himself, is a vessel to serve HaShem, and they both need guarding and protection.
והיצה”ר גונב העיקר.
Now the evil inclination is the thief that steals these very things.
ואם האדם ניצול ממנו יש לו יתרון כי הגנב משלם כפל.
Yet if one can be saved from this ‘thief’ there is an advantage, for the thief must pay back double.
והעצה היעוצה לאדם הוא הרחקת התענוגים כי אם שולח יד נתחייב באונסין.
Therefore the best advice is that one hold back from physical pleasures. For if the guard has “laid a hand” (somehow being involved in the designs of the evil inclination) he is liable for circumstances even beyond one’s control!
ובגמ’ השומר שאמר הריני משלם קונה הכפל לכשתגנב ותרצה ותשלמיני כו’ ע”ש
The Gemara (Baba Metzia 34a) If the guard says he will rather pay than be exempt through swearing that he was not involved, if the thief is found then the guard collects the double payment.
פי’ אף שחטא האדם אם נותן לבו לשוב להשי”ת ברצון שלם. אף כי באמת חייב הוא. עכ”ז בא עוד למעלה ע”י החטא ומקנה לו הכפל
This can be unserstood that even when a person sins, if he returns to HaShem wholeheartedly, even though he was really guilty, neverhteless he can actually attain a higher level, and gets the double portion from the thief.
והוא ענין מעלת בעל תשובה. שזדונות נעשין לו כזכיות כנ”ל:
This is the concept of the advantages attained by one who returns to HaShem. That event the sins that he committed willfuly are converted into merits. (Just as the guard did not protect the item from being stolen, yet he regrets it and is willing to make up for it, that desire works to his benefit and he get paid back double portion – even his willful sins are reversed to merits.)