This Week In The Torah



Parsha Mishpotim Shemos/Exodus Ch.21/1 - 24/18

The Master Plan
by Rabbi Yechezkel Fox

If you buy a Jewish slave, he shall work for six years;and in the seventh year he shall go free, for no charge. Ch.21/2

The fact that the laws regulating the treatment of slaves are placed at the beginning of the parsha, ahead of all the other laws regulating society, indicates that these laws needed special emphasis. Yet, we would think just the opposite. Since the Jewish people had themselves just experienced all the pain and humiliation of slavery, wouldn't they be filled with tremendous compassion for slaves and be champions of equality? A slot somewhere near the back would have been more appropriate.

Rabbi Zalman Sorotzkin explains that the Torah, which plumbs the depths of human psychology, is teaching us that those who themselves have been abused are prone to commit the very same abuses. When they will be playing the role of master, it is to their former masters they will look to for a role model.

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The Sensitive Lender
by Rabbi Yechezkel Fox

When lending money to someone, two people have to be considered very carefully: oneself and the recipient. Concerning oneself, there have to be assurances that the money will be paid back. The worst-case scenario is where the borrower later denies that the loan ever took place. The only sure protection against that possibility is to engage two witnesses who will be able to substantiate the loan in a Beis Din (court). But it has to be done with sensitivity. For the recipient, the act of borrowing money itself is likely to be a source of embarrassment; the presence of witnesses would compound his discomfort.

Therefore, each situation has to be weighed carefully. For a wealthy person, who is borrowing money to launch his new enterprise or to buy a new house, witnesses might not be a problem. Whereas, for the guy who just lost his enterprise and is struggling to pay his bills, perhaps a loan in secret with just his signature as a reminder would suffice.

The Torah hints to these two situations in our Parsha:

When you lend money with My people, with the poor person who is with you, do not act toward him as a creditor; do not lay interest upon him. Ch.22/24

With My people hints to a loan made in public with witnesses, but with the poor person who is with you hints to someone who may be shamed if the loan is done in public

Sources:Rabbi Yonason Eibschitz

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Two Ways to Receive the Torah
by Rabbi Yechezkel Fox

At Mount Sinai, the Jewish people seem to have given two different responses on being offered the Torah. First:

Moshe came and told the people all the words of G-d and all the laws, and the entire people responded with one voice and they said "All the words that G-d has spoken, we will do". (Ch24/3)

Whereas a few verses later it says:

He (Moshe) took the Book of the Covenant and read it in earshot of the people, and they said "Everything that G-d has said, we will do and we will hear".(Ch.24/7)

It is impossible for any individual to fulfill all the mitzvot (commandments) of the Torah. For instance, some mitzvot are only applicable to the king, others to a kohen (priest) or to a kohen godol (high priest). Collectively though, as a nation, we can keep all the mitzvot, and that is why in verse 3 it says that the entire people responded with one voice, that they would do the mitzvot.

The other response, in verse 7, was how we responded as individuals. Limited by circumstances, we cannot do all the mitzvot. However, we can still learn about those mitzvot which are outside of our realm of observance. That is why it says there, and they said (individually, not the entire nation) we will do, those mitzvot which we can; and those which we can't, we will hear and learn about them.

Sources: Meshech Chochmah, Parshas Yisro.



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