The Mechilta calls this week’s Torah portion of Mishpatim, Maseches Nezikin, the Tractate on damages. It begins, “And these are the ordinances that you shall place before them” (Shemos21:1). This is the foundation for the laws of damages, mainly discussed in Maseches Bava Kamma, which are in turn the basis for our practical laws and ordinances regarding damages and people getting along with each other.
The Mechilta, in the name of Rebbe Akiva, discusses why this portion begins with the connecting word “and;” “And these are the ordinances etc.” “Because it says, ‘Speak to the Children of Israel and you should say to them’ (Vayikra 1:2), I would only know it should be taught once. How do you know it should be taught again, or even a third or even a fourth time, until they learn it? Therefore, it says, ‘And teach it to the Children of Israel’ (Devarim 31:19). I might think you only have to teach it [once] but don’t have to repeat it, therefore the pasuk there continues, ‘place it in their mouth’. I might think you have to teach it a second time (as the Zayis Raanan explains) but don’t have to make it known (the Zayis Raanan explains which means that you don’t have to teach it to the point it’s understood well), therefore it says ‘And these are the ordinances etc.’ Set them up in front of them like a set table (shulchan aruch) as it says, ‘You have been shown in order to know [that Hashem, He is the G-D! There is none beside Him!’ (Devarim 4:35).”
The Netziv explains that the connection of “and” these are the ordinances is to tell us that the portion of Mishpatim is different than the other Torah portions. For it should be placed before them like a set table (shulchan aruch), through digging deep into the depths (iyun) and analyzing each case in comparison with each of the others. It should be as stressed and clear as the first of the Ten Commandments, knowing and believing in Hashem without any doubts and with complete clarity. So too Hashem warned Moshe about these laws and ordinances, that they should be placed in front of them like a set table; meaning that they should learn them over and over again, and that they should understand the reasoning behind them well, without any doubts. That is the “and;” just as the first thing, emuna in Hashem, has to be known so strongly and clearly, so too these laws and ordinances (mishpatim) should be known the same. (Click here for Hebrew text.)
Without a doubt this Mechilta is the reason why the Bavas (Bava Kamma, Bava Metzia, Bava Basra), as well as the tractates in Nashim, are the mainstream gemaras learned in yeshivas throughout the world. But why does Hashem stress the laws governing man and his fellow man, including those that deal with slaves, damages, loans, etc., over the mitzvos of tefillin, tallis, kashrus, shofar, and all other mitzvos between man and his Creator? In a nutshell, why are mitzvos between man and his fellow man stressed to be learned with such depth and profundity, that it should be so clear as one’s emuna [belief in Hashem], but the mitzvos between man and Hashem aren’t stressed to be learned to that level of clarity and understanding?
It must be that the laws of how to interact with our fellow human being is as important as having faith in the existence of Hashem and more important than the mitzvos between man and Hashem. Even though one might think that the learning of the mitzvos between man and Hashem would bring us to a greater relationship with Hashem. However, perhaps one can say that emulating Hashem through the way we are careful with interacting with the people around us is more important, a means to get even closer to Hashem, and therefore emphasized on a greater scale than the mitzvos between man and His Creator, such as Shabbos, tallis, tefillin, mezuzah, etc.
Chaza”l say in gemara Shabbos 133b that the way to exalt Hashem is by emulating Him. And just as He is merciful, you too should be merciful; just as He is gracious, you should be gracious, etc. The Mechilta is saying that this is so important that it is on par with the very fundamental belief and faith in Hashem, “I am the Hashem your G-D” (Shemos 20:2).
Tetzave – If You Believe it, it Will Come
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The beginning of this week’s haftorah for the Torah portion of Tetzave writes, “You, Son of man, describe the House to the House of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; let them measure its plan. And if they are ashamed of all that they have done, let them know the form of the House and its scheme, its exits and its entrances, and all its forms, and all its laws and all its teachings, and write it down in their sight so that they keep the whole form thereof and the laws thereof, and do them. This is the teaching of the House; Upon the top of the mountain, all its boundary round about shall be most holy; behold, this is the teaching of the House” (Yechezkel 43:10-12).
Just as the end of the Torah portion elucidates the dimensions of the Incense Alter, so too the haftorah details the dimensions of the alter that will be built in the times of the Third Beis HaMikdash, according to the Radak, may it come speedily in our days.
The Radak says that Hashem told Yechezkel to speak to the exiles of the First Beis HaMikdash after its destruction and tell them that they were at fault for the destruction of this temple. However, a future Temple will never be destroyed because they will not sin, as it says, ‘They will distance their sins, and I will live among them forever.’ They should calculate and measure the schematics of this future temple so that they can picture it and prepare it as a sign, for it will be made in the future, when The Final Redemption takes place, and the dead will be resurrected. They should prepare it now as a sign that those who see these diagrams will live during building of this future House. This is one of the proofs for the resurrection of the dead; “and if they are ashamed” of all they had done then they should be informed of the dimensions and looks of the temple. “In their sight” that they will see the building of the temple in the future, and they will do it, but if they aren’t [ashamed, in order to repent,] then they will not [see it]. They should keep them in their hearts and believe in them, for then they will make the buildings, forms, and laws in the future. If they will not keep them in their heart and they will not believe, then they will not do them. For this is the attribute of Hashem, The Holy One Blessed Be He; He pays a person measure for measure. Whoever believes in the coming of the redemption will merit to be redeemed, and if he does not believe he does not merit it. So too, if he believes in the resurrection of the dead he will merit to be resurrected and if he does not believe he will not merit it. One cannot say “And they shall make it” is talking about making the Second Beis HaMikdash when the exiles returned from Bavel because there were many aspects of the building mentioned here which was not in the Second Beis HaMikdash. Therefore it must be referring to building in the future, and it says specifically “They shall make it” as a great proof for the resurrection of the dead. (Click here for Hebrew text.)
What if no one would believe in the Final Redemption, the building of the Third Beis HaMikdash, and the resurrection of the dead? It would seem from this Radak that they would never happen. Would that mean the atheists and non-believers are correct? G-D forbid, of course not! It would just be a tragedy!!
But how could that be? How does this make sense? It would seem that belief is the foundation of reality and existence in this world. Of course, if Hashem says something will happen it will happen, or has happened above time and this world; but that does not mean it has to manifest itself in this world if we don’t give it a chance for it to happen. That is part of our free choice. But that does not mean that the Torah is wrong, Hashem really doesn’t exist, and our belief system is flawed. Rather it means we didn’t earn or deserve what Hashem has in store for us.
Hashem is ready and willing to give all that has been promised and guaranteed to happen, which we believe through mesora, tradition, from generation to generation. The process just has to play out for us to ultimately deserve it. Just as Noach and his family were the only believers in their generation and were the only ones saved from world destruction, so too Hashem is ready and willing to bring on the Final Redemption, resurrect the dead, and build the Third Beis HaMikdash, even for one person, if he was the only one to believe it.
However, we have the strength and fortitude to never give up and to be steadfast to our belief system, and G-D willing, speedily in our days there shall be a sanctification of Hashem’s Holy Name with millions, if not billions of believers coming forth in the End Days for the Final Redemption, resurrection of the dead, and the building of the third and final everlasting Holy Temple. May it happen smoothly and peacefully sooner than later!
Chukas – How Much Do You Believe In Hashem?
There is a book mentioned in this week’s Torah portion of Chukas called “The Book of Wars of Hashem” (Bamidbar 21:14). What is this book? Where is it today? Why is Hashem quoting it in His Torah? The Ibn Ezra is of the opinion that it is a separate book and written inside it are the wars of Hashem that were waged for His G-D fearing followers. It began being compiled in the days of Avraham Avinu. This book and many other books have been lost to antiquity, like The Words of Nosson and Ido, or The Chronicles of Kings of Israel, as well as the Songs of Shlomo and his Parables. The Daas Zekeinim adds that “The Book of Wars of Hashem” mentions the victory of Sihon over Moav, which the Torah just alluded to in the previous pasuk; the point being that Hashem orchestrated that one nation would fall into the hands of the other.
However the Ramban has a slightly different take on this, which could be an eyeopener. It takes us to task for how much we actively relate to belief in Hashem. The Ramban says that the simple understanding of “The Book of Wars of Hashem” is that in those generations there were intellectuals who wrote about the great wars of the time, and it took place in every generation. The authors of these books were called Storytellers, for there were many parables and highfalutin phrases mentioned inside these books. They attributed the incredible victories in those wars to Hashem because it was in fact the truth. The victory of Sihon over Moav was wondrous in their eyes and therefore they wrote it in this book. (Click here for the Hebrew text.)
These intellectuals were historians who do not seem to be Jewish based on the context of the Ramban, and though they lived in a heavily polytheistic time in history they were able to attribute the incredibly wondrous battles and victories, even amongst two non-Jewish neighboring nations, to Hashem. Why? Because it was the truth!
What a curious phenomenon! Imagine a historian writing a book on the history of American wars, The Revolutionary War, The War of 1812, The Civil War, America’s involvement in the two World Wars, etc. Do you think he would call it “G-D’s Wars”?!
But in fact, if you think about it, it is the truth, as the Daas Zekeinim points out: Hashem enabled one side to fall into the hands of the other. What is incredible is that those historians back in the day were able to recognize that and acknowledge it. Granted the whole world at the time heard and felt the rumbles of the miracles at the Red Sea and at Mount Sinai, but that was almost forty years previous, and they were still very involved in their worship of idols. It took intellectuals to think logically about what the truth was; but it took a lot of courage for those intellectuals to admit and publicize it. For that matter it was worth it to Hashem to acknowledge them in His Torah.
All the more so us Jews, the personal princes and princesses of The King Of All Kings, who have an even more personal relationship with G-D, b’chasdei Hashem, should find and acknowledge the kindness of Hashem in every step of our lives.