5-Bullet Friday: Parshas Mishpatim

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5-Bullet Friday

This week is Parshas Mishpatim! Check out this week's d'var torah here.

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Here is this week's 5-Bullet Friday, a quick summary of thoughts I’ve been pondering during the week:
:

  • Question I'm pondering (on the parsha): Piercings. Rashi (21:6) comments that if a Jewish slave decides to stay by his master, he must get his ear pierced. The reason, as Rashi continues quoting Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai, is because he became a slave by not listening to the commandment at Har Sinai not to steal. So the ear that didn't listen at Har Sinai not to steal should be pierced. And if he sold himself as a slave,  then similarly the same logic applies that the ear that didnt hear at Har Sinai the charge of Bnei Yisroel to be avadim of Hashem and instead went to het himself his own master,  should be pierced.  However, why should the eved’s ear be pierced more than any other person who did an aveirah and therefore clearly wasn't listening at Har Sinai?
  • Concept I am considering: The root of nezikin. This week’s parsha is the source of many of the concepts around hilchos nezikin. The chiyuv of nezkin stems from achrayus. We have a social responsibility living in this world to remember that we are not the only one’s living it. We are responsible to manage ourselves, our animals, and belongings and ensure that they do not do damage to others. 
  • Hashkafic idea I'm reflecting on: Chukim and Mishpatim. These are two categories which divide mitzvos into those that are easy for us to understand (mishpatim) and those that are not necessarily logical (chukim). For example, not to steal or kill are things which are obvious to us that they should not be done (mishpatim), compared to tumah/tahara and kashrus (chukim). However, despite this difference between the two terms, it is important to keep in mind that in reality every single mitzvah is a ‘chok’. Even the mitzvos which make sense to us and we think we comprehend, are not things that we should do solely because they make sense to us, nor are they right or wrong based on our personal understanding our emotions. Rather, we must bear in mind that things are only good or bad because Hashem declared them as such. Think about it: When we think about the mitzvos we do, do we think about them as things we grew up doing or things that make sense? Instead we should think about mitzvos as the instruction manual from Hashem - the creator of the world and this “game of life” we live - which contains the best guidelines as to how to lead a productive life. Even the mitzvos that make the most sense to us are really chukim as well. 
  • Middah on my mind: Hypocrisy and sensitivities. The passuk (Shemos 22:20) states, “And you shall not mistreat a stranger, nor shall you oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” Rashi there comments based on the gemara (Bava Metziya 59b) that one should not oppress a geir because, “a defect that is in you, do not mention to your friend”. As the gemara there elaborates based on this beraisa from Rebbe Nosson, “...Since the Jewish people were themselves strangers (in Mitzrayim), they are not in a position to demean a convert because he is a stranger in their midst.” The gemara there continues to give an example, “One who has a person hanged in his family, does not say to another member of his family: ‘Hang a fish for me’, since it is a sensitive topic for the family. It is important to maintain sensitivities to people and families with respect to their experiences, especially if it borders hypocrisy.  
  • Part of Tefillah I'm concentrating on: Hashiva shofteinu. In this beracha of shemoneh esreh we ask Hashem to return our judges and the Sanhedrin as we used to have, and for us to be ruled by Hashem. In our galus we are, to an extent, subject to the laws of the land and also do not have beis din to give proper judgement that truly impacts the metaphysical din that sits on a person. May Hashem bring our judges back soon so we could live in a world of true righteousness and justice.
What's on your mind? 

Have a wonderful Shabbos!

P.S:
  • Completely random thought I'm thinking about: Doppler effect. The Doppler effect refers to an increase (or decrease) in the frequency of sound, light, or other waves as the source and observer move toward (or away from) each other. The effect causes the sudden change in pitch noticeable in a passing siren. Challenge: Think about the things that you see or interact with and how they are affected by the world around them.
Have comments or thoughts on this week's bullets? Have other random thoughts on your mind? Send an email to torahparallels@gmail.com. Thank you!

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