Mishpatim-2016

· Right after the Jewish people heard the Aseres Hadibros (10 Commandments), Hashem  followed this with Parshat Mishpatim.

· It begins: 21:1 – These are the Mishpateim (laws) that you (Moshe) should set before the Jewish People.

· Here are some of the scenarios that are described:

· 21:2 - If you buy a Hebrew slave he shall serve you for six years, but in the seventh year he is to go out free.

· 21:26 – If a man strikes the eye (or tooth) of his (male or female) slave, he shall set the slave free.

· 21:7 – If a man sells his daughter to be a maidservant, if her master (who has another wife) takes (the maidservant) as a wife, her sustenance, her clothing, and her conjugal rights he must not diminish.

· (In other words, she must not be treated as a second class wife even though she started in the house as a servant girl)

· 22:15 – If a man seduces a virgin who is not betrothed, he must give the dowry to acquire her as his wife.

· 21:24 – When you lend money to … the poor person… do not place the burden of interest on him.

· 22:21 – You must not mistreat any widow or orphan.

· Right after the initial 10 commandments, Hashem implores us to focus on the needs of the powerless, defenseless, and downtrodden souls of society: the slaves, the poor, the victimized, the widows, and the orphans.

· Hashem says that we should be able to feel the suffering of the poor defenseless people because of the suffering we experienced as slaves in Egypt:

· 23:9 - Do not oppress a stranger.  You should know the feelings of the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

· This is not always our first mental association with religion.

· If you mention religion to most people, they will talk about Bain Adam Le Makon, the Devekos and transcendence of the spiritual experience of feeling close to the Creator of the Universe.

· This ‘religious’ feeling is exemplified by a scene at the end of the Parsha:

· 24:9 – Moshe and Aharon went up along with Nadav and Avihu, and 70 elders of Bnei Yisrael.  They saw a vision of the G-d of Israel, and under His feet there was something like a brickwork of sapphire, and it was the essence of heaven in purity.

· A message of Parahat Mishpatim is that “religion” must include Bain Adam Le Chavero - to be straight and honest with other people.

· And that we should be ESPECIALLY sensitive and focused on the needs and feelings of the lowest rungs of society – the poor, the victims, the needy, and the powerless.

· Even Shabbos is described in terms of compassion towards the tired workers, and even animals, after a week of hard work:

· 23:12 – You may do your work six days but on the seventh day you must cease SO THAT your ox and your donkey may rest, and the son of your female slave may be refreshed, and also the stranger.

· But this compassionate side of Hashem isn’t the only side that He reveals about Himself.

· Hashem also reveals a very stern, critical, and judgmental side – a strong Midas Hadin.

· If someone strikes a man and the victim dies, he shall be put to death.

· Whoever strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death.

· Whoever curses his father or his mother shall be put to death.

· You shall not allow a witch to live.

· Whoever lies with an animal must be put to death.

· Whoever kidnaps a man and sells him…he shall be put to death.

· Hashem reveals a stern and strict side of Himself - that He cannot abide people who are bad.

· As Hashem says, 23:7 – I will not acquit a wicked person.

· As compassionate as Hashem is towards the poor and needy, Hashem seems to show zero compassion for bad people.

· Therefore, Hashem reveals two very different sides of Himself.

· Midas Harachamim: Tremendously compassionate towards victims who suffer.

· Midas Hadin: an unflinching strictness to punish bad people.

· This is important for ‘liberals’ to hear.  They pride themselves on trying to follow the compassionate aspect of Hashem.  But they sometimes ignore that Hashem has very strict standards of morality, and deals very harshly with people who He deems immoral.

· Another message is that frum people must recognize that they must not do bad things and then hide behind religiosity and ‘frum-keit’.

· Perhaps that is what Hashem means when He says:

· 21:14 “If a man plots against his neighbor to kill him intentionally, you may even take him from My altar to put him to death.”

· Rashi says that even if he’s a Kohain, and is in the Bais Hamikdosh – and says he wants to offer a Korban to Hashem…

· That can’t exonerate his crime – he must be punished immediately for the bad deed that he has done.

· Even wanting to worship Hashem at Hashem’s Mizbeach – the holiest place in the world – or all the frumkeit in the world – will not - must not -  protect a person who does bad things.

· The Parsha is telling us that there is an equation.

· On one side of the equation are victims, who deserve tremendous compassion.

· On the other side of the equation are victimizers, who warrant uncompromising judgment.

· We must be careful not to fall onto the negative side of this equation.

· A case in point - we must be very careful how we treat poor people in financial dealings:

· 21:25 – (If you lend money to a neighbor, and ) you take .. his garment as security, you must return the garment to him at sunset;  For this alone is his covering, the garment that covers his skin.  With what should he lie down to sleep?  If it happens that HE CRIES OUT TO ME, I WILL HEAR HIS CRY. .

· This implies that Hashem will hear the crying at night of the poor person who doesn’t have his night garment – as a result of what the lender of the money did  - and punish the lender of the money because he left the poor person without a garment to sleep in at night.

· Hashem says: I will hear his cry.

· To avoid Hashem’s wrath – a person better return the garment before the sun goes down.

· Hashem says this idea even more strongly:

· 22:21 – You must not mistreat any widow or orphan.  If you do mistreat them, when they cry out to Me, I will indeed hear their cry.  Then My anger will flare. And I will kill (the person who mistreats any widow or orphan) by the sword.  His wife will become a widow and his children will be orphans.

· In conclusion:

· First, we should partner with Hashem in caring compassionately towards the poor and the needy.

· Second, we should avoid at all costs being on the wrong side of the victim/victimizer equation.

· And third, a person shouldn’t think even for a moment that holding onto the Mizbeach – frumkeit - will protect him from the consequences of any bad deeds.