Mishpatim Essay
וְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר תָּשִׂ֖ים לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃
These are the laws that you shall set before them:
Rashi exlains that the significance of the letter vav וְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ teaches us that these laws are connected to the ones before them. Just as the ten commandments were from Sinai, so too these are also from Sinai.
The simple explanation is teaching us a profound truth and fundamental core of the basis of our emuna, a point that has been challenged over the years by many people trying to devalue the Torah, and that is that every word of the Torah was given by HaShem on Sinai, to His beloved nation.
The Sfas Emes teaches us a deeper understanding of the vav. There are different types of laws of the Torah, they can be broken down into three main types. Chukim – statutes that can’t be understood logically, for example Parah aduma. Eidot are laws that at first glance aren’t logical, however after toiling in them one sees the logic, for example Shabbos, and Mishpatim which are laws that at first glance appear to be logical, for example honoring one’s parents. The significance therefore of the vav is therefore teaching us a crucial lesson to understand Torah.
As Rashi says just as the ten commandments עשרת הדיברות were from Sinai so too these laws are from Sinai. The word דיבור is an expression of commanding and directiveness, as opposed to the word אמר which expresses a softer tone. This therefore means that just as the ten commandments were said in an absolute directiveness with no option for evaluating their merit, so too every law, even the most logical laws must be accepted not because of their logic, rather because of their being the will of HaShem.
It is in fact only due to HaShem’s kindness that we can understand them on a logical level, and not Heaven forbid the opposite, that they are there because they make sense to us!
With this in mind the Sfas Emes further explains the next Rashi: HaShem instructed Moshe to explain the reason for the laws, and not just teach them what the law is. Now this is seemingly a puzzling statement; how could Moshe, our beloved guardian, not want to explain the reason for the laws to us in the utmost clarity?
The Sfas Emes explains based on the idea above, that it was this very point that concerned Moshe. If he would teach Bnei Yisrael the reasoning behind the laws there was a danger that they would come to view them as logical, and devalue their merit, based on human logic. HaShem therefore had to expressly tell Moshe that he must explain the reasonings. This was because Bnei Yisrael demonstrated the absolute commitment to the Torah in the words na’ase v’nishma, they showed that they completely nullified their own desires to that of HaShem, and therefore were worthy of being taught the reasonings without the danger of their devaluing the Torah in any way.
This is what is meant by the words “before them לפניהם”; in order to really understand these laws it has to be with such a level of commitment that it precedes one’s very essence, only with an absolute self sacrifice can one merit to truly understand even the most ‘logical’ mishpatim.
Rashi
ואלה המשפטים. כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר “אֵלֶּה” פָּסַל אֶת הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, “וְאֵלֶּה” מוֹסִיף עַל הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, מָה הָרִאשׁוֹנִים מִסִּינַי, אַף אֵלּוּ מִסִּינַי;
ואלה המשפטים NOW THESE ARE THE JUDGMENTS — Wherever אלה, “these are”, is used it cuts off (פוסל) the preceding section from that which it introduces; where, however, ואלה “and these” is used it adds something to the former subject (i. e. forms a continuation of it). So also here: “And these are the judgments (i. e. these, also)”: What is the case with the former commandments (the עשרת הדברות)? They were given at Sinai! So these, too, were given at Sinai!
אשר תשים לפניהם. אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּבָּ”ה לְמֹשֶׁה: לֹא תַעֲלֶה עַל דַּעְתְּךָ לוֹמַר, אֶשְׁנֶה לָהֶם הַפֶּרֶק וְהַהֲלָכָה ב’ אוֹ ג’ פְּעָמִים, עַד שֶׁתְּהֵא סְדוּרָה בְּפִיהֶם כְּמִשְׁנָתָהּ, וְאֵינִי מַטְרִיחַ עַצְמִי לַהֲבִינָם טַעֲמֵי הַדָּבָר וּפֵרוּשׁוֹ, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר אֲשֶׁר תָּשִׂים לִפְנֵיהֶם – כְּשֻׁלְחָן הֶעָרוּךְ וּמוּכָן לֶאֱכֹל לִפְנֵי הָאָדָם (שם):
אשר תשים לפניהם WHICH THOU SHALT PUT BEFORE THEM — God said to Moses: It should not enter your mind to say, “I shall teach them a section of the Torah or a single Halacha twice or three times until it will become current in their mouths exactly according to its wording (i. e. until they know the text verbatim), but I shall not take the trouble to make them understand the reason of each thing and its significance”; therefore Scripture says, אשר תשים לפניהם, “which thou shalt set before them” (cf. Genesis 34:23) — like a table fully laid before a person with everything ready for eating (Mekhilta d’Rabbi Yishmael 21:1:1).
