You're looking RIGHT PAST him | Parsha Perspectives | Mishpatim 5786

Good morning booker to welcome back to para perspectives for today we have the privilege of learning paras together page 416 in the arts scroll stone kish as always we begin with our attitude of gratitude and always begin by thanking the generous sponsors who make the shar possible thank you to our series sponsors Becky cats and family in loving memory of David Gman Becky's father Leila Nishmas David Ben this morning she is sponsored by Jessica Murky in memory of her brother Eric Levenson Zeb bin Mosha yay on his 10th ite and by TK listeners Hadasa and Stevenite is today and thanking BS for enhancing the Shabas tablesp also sponsored today anonymously in the bas have an aliyah thank you to all of our generous sponsors speaking of sponsorship that's right we're still in the middle of our BRS annual global campaign. We're asking, we're looking, we need your help. We need your help. As of this moment, live at 9:31 a.m. on Tuesday morning, we are at 55% of our goal and we need to get to 100% of our goal. Like all goals, the goal is to get to 100% of the goal. You have on your seats BRS Global. If you're a BRS member, not talking to you. You're doing your part. If you've already given, not talking to you. You're doing your part. If you're here and you haven't given, then what else? And where else in your life do you take without giving back? So please participate, contribute, be counted among those who are partnering. Show appreciation for whatever value we add to your life. If you enjoy the parking, the security, the air conditioning, the lights, the majir, notice the order, the order I put it, the coffee, the pastries, the slushie. If you enjoy it, then please show that you appreciate it and help us out. And lastly, announcement before we dive into parish together. Very excited to invite everyone tonight to a virtual summ. We've been learning sitter snippets for a long time. We began at Moda Ani and we've completed the Amida 76 snippets so far and counting. So tonight we're making a sem on sitter snippets up to the Amida. It's never done. It's not a sem because there's always much more to learn. But online, it's on Zoom. So wherever you are, if you're watching or listening or even if you're here, join us tonight online at 8:30m. pour yourself aim if it's appropriate. Have a virtual with us as we celebrate sitter snippets all the way through the Amida and uh we have a live question and answer conversation about domining and about 8:30 tonight on Zoom. Please join us. We'd love to have you before we dive into parasum. This shabas is not only a para we're going to read but the shabas as well is para skullum para skullum. We are already beginning these special readings that we do before PUM after PUM leading up to PES. This is a time of the year that we have additional and special readings that we do including the reading of Skullum. So just an idea on Skullum before we dive into the para. And this idea comes from my dear friend Rabbi Mosha Shakit the head of school of high school for girls right here on our campus has come out with his second safer. This one called Moadim with Meaning. Moadin with meaning inspiring messages for the yam tobam by moa press by moa press um it's wonderful he's wonderful I highly recommend it and I'll just share a quick thought from it on parasholum he notes here the garra quotes stating the reason hashem commanded to contribute half shael parasolum of course we'll read it soon but we advance it to the shabas paralum because this was when they would make the announcement from zash the obligation of every Jew to donate a half shekel. The way we did a census, the way we were counted was not automated. It wasn't online. It wasn't electronic. And it wasn't a census person walking around knocking on the door taking your information. Every Jew, almost every Jew depending on certain demographics contributed a half shekel and that contribution through that contribution they were counted. So quotes stating the reason Hashem commanded Israel to contribute to have shakal is because he wanted to preemptively provide a merit for the Jewish people to protect them from Hammon's efforts. Hmon bribed with 10,000 scholum to allow him to annihilate Israel. The purpose of the mitzvah shekel was to negate any potential effectiveness of this 10,000 shekel bribe. We give the half shekel that offsets that nullifies Hammon's bribe of 10,000 to allow him to annihilate Israel too cheap way too low a price to have to pay to kill the whole Jewish if you want to kill the whole Jewish people should have to cost a lot of money a lot of not 10 thousand shekea in any case writes Mosh wonders what's the connection between Maka and Muhammad's 10,000 shekel other than the similarity of currency is there a deeper meaning behind the statement of explains based on the in the name of alabets that the mitzvah is meant to teach us the importance of unity. The Torah instructs each person to give only half a shekel in order to highlight that each Jew is considered a half and is only made complete when he joins together in harmony with his fellow Jew. All Jews are connected. But we can only be made whole when we are united, when we are unified. In other words, it would have been much more efficient if everybody gave a whole shekel. then no one would have to do any math. But by everybody giving a half shekel as a census, someone's got to do may not you may not consider it major math but someone would have to do some math. It would be much more efficient for everyone to donate a whole shekel. So why the half shekele? So the alsh explains from alabets because the half shekele would indicate that when I want to be counted I have to recognize I am not a whole on my own. I'm only a half. I'm incomplete. I'm only a whole when I combine, when I connect, when I collaborate with others. The idea of a Jew can't go run and live on a deserted island by themselves. The rabbish that a person who separates himself from the so I could see on an island by myself and I say the Jewish people, they're impossible. They're encouragable. They're such anti-semitism. They bring it. Someone should say this. But one might say much of what they bring upon them, I want nothing to do with them. I'm going to separate. I'm going to go live by myself. I'm going to keep all mitzvah. I'll strictly observe all 613. I will be vigilant about observing Shabas. I will keep completely kosher, glot kosher, the highest level of kosher. I won't speak lash because I'll be living all by myself on a deserted island. I will keep all the laws and all the rules. I just want nothing to do with the Jewish people. I'm going to do it on my own. Such a person might keep everything to a tea. might be vigilant and virtuous and keep everything perfectly and they have no portion of the world to come right to the Rambam because to be aid to be a Jew is to see ourselves among the people connected and united. We just read it last week and we were back to unity was the antidote to attempt to wipe us out. When H explained to his rationale for getting rid of us he said we're scattered and spread throughout the Persian Empire. He claimed we deserve to be destroyed because we were not unified. The moni explains that is why Esther instructed Morai go and gather all the Jews. Esther wanted to ensure the Jewish people would not be divided. Instead, we would be united. This is also why the mitzvah of Mishos was instituted. You know, before Pes and before Kaneka and before Sukus and before, there's no mitzvah to deliver a basket of goodies to your neighbor or friend. It's specifically a mitzvah associated with Pum. Why says the Salvi? Because Hammon wanted to leverage and exploit that we were divided, that we were fighting. He wanted to exploit the mahlo among us. The answer and the antidote is unity. Go bring mash ammonas. Go befriend. Go reach out. Go connect to negate Hammon's claim about our divisiveness. Based on this revolution explains assertion that the mitzvah of Maktashek protected us from Hammond's 10,000 shekel bribe. Hammon claimed that Israel were scattered. Hashem commanded us give Mako ensure we would remember our dependence on each other. We're only a half and we're only made whole when we connect with another in merit of this unity would be saved from Mhammed's evil decree is teaching us a powerful and crucial lesson concludes. The secret to both our survival and salvation is not predicated on how physically strong we are or powerful our army is alone. There's only one thing we need to do to ensure Hashem will protect us. We make sure that there's peace and harmony among Israel. If we value our differences and appreciate our unique qualities, there's no reason to be concerned. Hashem wants to see his children get along. And when we do, we have nothing to fear. Let us make sure we accentuate what unites us and ignore what divides us. With this approach, Hashem will continue to ensure our eternal existence and bring the ultimate Yeshua mo with meaning. Rabbi Mosha Shakit, get your copy online or find him after Shir in this very building page 416. And these are the ordinances that you should place before them. Rashi famously says why does our para why does the plea begin with the letter v? Every year I tell you I don't remember much from school. Sorry I don't remember much from school but I do remember you're not supposed to begin a sentence with the letter with the word and that much I got. That much I got. So how could the Torah begin a sentence v and? You're not supposed to begin a sentence with the letter n. tells us why because whenever you begin with these means these and not those what came before when you use the letter V when you begin with the word and you're not negating what came before you are building upon it you are continuing the not these as opposed to and not those but and these in addition to those. And the message is that just like we stood in and we had this incredibly spiritual experience, so too these detailed laws, these minutia, these this parish is replete with detailed laws. And you might say, you know, that's not so insight in inspiring. That's not so exciting. the laws of Evyri and the laws of loans and civil law and criminal law and all these detailed laws. That's not so exciting. I like tarsi. I like we had someone with a guitar. We had a kumzit and we had a fabbran and we had a tish and it was a spiritual high and it was amazing. It's true. But that's only one part of the scenai experience. The other part of the scenai experience is what happens when we come down from the mountain literally and figuratively. What happens when you go into everyday mundane life and God commands and expects of us? Be honest in business and don't gossip and be careful what you eat. Go careful what comes in your mouth and what comes out of your mouth and be generous with the resources that you've been blessed to have. All these laws which so often are inconvenient and uncomfortable and they're not nearly as exciting as the fab and the tish as the as the spiritual high as the gishmak to be aid the vav is reminding us that they're just as important that they're just as important that insight I share every year because that is this very stark transition that we go through from Israel all abracious and allmos sort of the fun and games ends now to a certain degree where where we transition from this narrative, this story book, the birth of a family and the birth of a people into a law book. And law books are less much less exciting to read. Sorry lawyers, but law books are much less exciting to read than story books, than narrative, than lessons, than morals, than ethics. And yet they're as important in some ways more important. They are the proof. They are the demonstration about what we believe and what we accept. So these are the laws. And we begin with what the laws are. Rashi further tells us that you will place before them. And Rashi says, Moshe, take these laws and they're complicated, but I want you to set the table for the Jewish people. It's an expression in our own vernacular. It's an idiom that we use. Set the table for someone. A set table. A set table doesn't just mean we're ready to eat. A set table means it's organized. to communicate it in a compelling way. It's accessible. It's a set table. It's all here for you. Hashem tells Moshe, "Deliver and communicate, transmit these lessons and this lifestyle to the Jewish people like a set table. Make it easy. It's all set. All the cutlery, everything they're going to need, it's all there." And that's why when Rav Ko authors his compendium on Jewish law that is authoritative until this very day, he calls it. It comes from this rashi. It's the of course he was creating a set table within the four columns theim the four columns had the commentaries of the B and the Badash the house of Yoseph and the new house we've discussed all this in the past including the rabbitic trash talking talking along the way in the titles that are chosen for their works and commentaries but we have the four columns that hold up the house the house the base Yoseph Caro says my house the house of Yoseph's name says commentary the bach there's a new house in town. And then ups him again and says, "I'm going to set the table inside your house. Here is the the set table." And then the Mosha is a later contemporary of Caro says, "Maybe that's the custom where you live. Maybe that's the custom where you live in the Sardic countries, but in Krakow here in Poland, here in Eastern Europe, we have a tablecloth on your table." So Rama writes his map. He sets a tablecloth on top of the table. And then we have the and so on and so forth. So says the who written by the is of why is it so important that specifically these laws have to be like a set table. We don't find Hashem telling Mosh when it comes to laws of Shabas and laws of the laws of Yumiper and the laws of Davening. We don't find there that Hashem says make sure it's a set table. Make sure it's clearly communicated. Make sure it's easily accessible. Why is it specifically here these laws? What is it about these laws? So he writes because in other areas of Jewish law, if you want to choose, you can be strict. If you're not sure what the law is, choose to be strict. You could be stringent. You could be mmir. You could be mir. It's your choice. So you'll choose not to eat it. You'll choose not to do it. You'll choose not to say it. You could be strict. But over here in financial disputes, being strict with one is lenient with the other. It's a stringency that has an impact on others. You're not entitled to just be strict. You need to know the law. You need to know the letter of the law. You need to be true to the laws as call it. You need to be truthful. And you need to judge accurately and precisely because if you're imprecise, it's not only a a stringency that impacts you, but arringency for one will considered a leniency for the other. And therefore, you need to be especially or exceedingly careful with it. Careful with it. Um there's a beautiful news safer is a very holy Jew of Morai Ginsburg. He's a ram in the yeshiva of Satmer Williamsburg and he's a very good friend of Rabbi Mascowitz. We just observed Rabbi Mascot's daughter Estie's third year at site Allah shalom. And when Rabbi Mascot spent a year in St. Jude hospital, this Rabbi Ginsburg was there with his daughter Hindi, Allah Shalom, who also tragically passed away. He recently made a wedding. Rebe Mascot attended and they gave out this little safer and he brought me back one. Rabbi Ginsburg was kind enough to send me one. He's a very special and holy Jew. And anytime I get a safer, I like to quote something from it because the person went to the trouble of publishing it. I'd love to share with it and it's beautiful Torah. I'm not doing him any favor. He did us a favor. His safer is called Ginsburg and thank you for sharing the safer. He asked a different question and actually as I was being this week, it's a question that bothered me. I wonder if it ever bothered you. this stark contrast that we just came out of paras the high of hari the great everyone was healed we had this incredible unity and akus we all were unbelievably inspired and then we dive in and then Moshe says good fun and games are over we had the party and we sang and we performed and you had your solos and we had the of course food following the humish party time to open the kumish let's go let's start learning and Moshe tells tell them let's start learning and what's the let's start learning with what law when you buy a Jewish slave six years they work in the seventh year they go free in then the Torah goes on if he should arrive by himself who he leaves by himself if he's a husband the husband of a woman his wife shall leave with him we have the detailed laws of the ev and wonders of Ginsburg why is the first law I would think you know In today's day and age, there's a word we would use for this. You know what that word is? Triggering. You're talking to a people who five minutes ago got out of slavery. You've taken them out. You've liberated them. You have obliterated their oppressor. You've given them true freedom where finally they feel they're free. You've taken them out of Egypt and you're working to take Egypt out of them. They've marched. They stood at this moment of great revelation. They've been charged to be kadosh. You told them, "Don't worry about where you were. Don't worry about the life that you led. Know that now and forever you have a mission and you have a purpose. You are I can't help myself." So just 10 seconds. There's a lot of discussion around the commercial during the Super Bowl about anti-semitism. I didn't see I didn't watch. I didn't care. All I care about is the Patriots lost. But I heard I heard afterwards I didn't watch and I didn't care. But clearly Hashem brought the proper outcome. Anyway, this commercial now, Robert Craft deserves a lot of credit. He's an enormous supporter of Jewish causes and the fact that he's tackling anti-semitism. I don't have a critical word to say about him. All I'll ask you is this. Instead of talking negatively about him and his commercial, I'll ask you this. If you were going to spend 89 million on 30 seconds that millions around the world would watch, what would you have it say? How would you combat anti-semitism? My answer, it wouldn't be about bullying or about anybody else standing up for the Jewish people or that we're a minority or about anti-semitism being about a form of hate. I wouldn't be talking to non-Jews at all. I would be talking to Jews around the world and telling them, "You're a kadosh for 3,500 years. We have a legacy. We have a mission. We have a purpose. We're here for a reason. Look at what we've contributed to the world and the world is waiting for you to continue to contribute. So don't cower and don't be afraid. stand tall with Jewish pride and Jewish practice. And I would have put in that commercial, anyone who wants a perfillin, we'll send you one. Anyone who will put a muza on the door, we'll send you one. Anyone who will wear a mug in around your neck, we'll send you one. Don't hide it. Don't hide your Jewish symbols. Wear them. Wear them proudly and wear them with great Jewish practice because you're a kadosh. That's our mission. That's our purpose. That's what we've contributed to the world. And that's what the world still needs from us. And now back to the Super Bowl. That's what I would have put in the commercial. But nobody asked me. So anyway, here is the people. Hashem just gave them this charge. Okay, you got the Torah. We had the big party. Literally the big Torah party coming off of our Moshe says, "Open up your ready to go." You know what the first law is? If you're a Jewish slave, six years you work, whoa, today you would say, Moshe, you just triggered me. I'm not over my slavery. I still am suffering the PTSD. There's still deep, deep trauma inside me. 210 years generational slavery and now the first law you're going to teach us about slaves, you just triggered me. The trauma you just created in me. How could you? How dare you? Today we have those words. So I would have chosen one of many, many, many, many, many other laws to be the first to teach this people coming off the mountain. And yet the first we teach this people coming off the mountain is dava a law of slavery triggering a nation that moments ago were a group of slaves. Why? This mitzvah only applies in Israel and the law of a Jewish slave only applied when we had a rabbitical court and it doesn't apply. It's not a daily law. Teach the laws of teach the laws of domining. Teach the laws of begins bring the following. We know that there's a unfortunately too many are not aware but teach us at length that two Jews are forbidden from adjudicating a dispute in a non-Jewish court. Two Jews are forbidden when one Jew is suing another Jew. When one Jew has to resolve a financial dispute with another Jew, the is you have to go to a Jewish court. These are our laws. We're not supposed to be ruled by their laws. We have our own sets of laws. And if a person wants to go to a secular court, they have to get a co. You have to go to a and you have to get a let's say you're taking a Jew who's not observant and they don't want to go to a diner. refuse and the only way to actually get justice is you have no choice but to go to the civil system. So then a rub will give a hat. If you're suing someone, but you're not really suing them. They have insurance. And if you win, it's the insurance that's going to pay, not them. Then you're allowed to go to our because the insurance is not Jewish. You're allowed to go to a secular court. But if a Jewish throwing a Jew directly, you have to go to a Jewish court. One of the differences. In a non-Jewish court, if you're found guilty of a crime that you have to go to jail, you go to prison and you're not helped. You're not supported. We need a separate institution, the Alf institute of the great Rabbi Lipkar to be able to get you and get you and get you kosher food. But in in America, if a person did the crime, they've got to do the time. And they do the time without any compassion. Some are reformed in prison, but many come out worse. Many met gangs, many because all they could do was sit and stew in their mistakes. They they learned while sitting there in prison the ways of other prisoners and criminals. This law of it's a absolutely inaccurate translation to call it a Jewish slave. It's not a Jewish slave. It's a Jewish rehab. Somebody who stole and doesn't have the money to pay has to work off what they stole. And how do they work it off? They move into a Jewish home. And in that Jewish home, they're learning what it means to be honest and truthful and have integrity. They're learning what it means to take responsibility. They're learning what it means to dab to make. They're learning what it means to be loving. In fact, we learn in the morning who let's say the master of the house to whom this Jew is living doing their in-house rehab. And let's say they only have one pillow in the home. Who gets the pillow? The master or the so-called slave. The is the slave. So much so that if you in fact purchase a Jewish slave, you've really purchased the master because you have to feed them, give them give them a roof over their head, you have to mentor them. And if you only have one pillow, they get it, not you. There's only enough hot water for one hot shower, they get it, not you. And the idea of Jewish time, you did a crime and you do Jewish time. Jewish time is Jewish rehab. Learn, emulate, imitate and follow the role model that you were living with and come out a better person. Not only do we begin with this law because it's important and we need to know that we can't go to their system, but we also need to know that our system has a heart. It has a soul. It's trying to improve and repair and mold people, not punitive for punitive sake. And it's not simply trying to incentivize others not to do the crime. We're trying to take that person and rehabilitate them. We're trying to make them better. We're trying to help them improve. There is a goal and therefore it's being emphasized in this way. Someone asked me a question recently and I'm just going to tease you right now. So I apologize in advance, but I'm gonna probably give on this later. our heir of Shabascal on Friday and they asked me the following. Someone in our shul got called to jury duty and [clears throat] fulfilling their civic duty they appeared and they were chosen and they were chosen in a significant criminal case that is a capital case. somebody's accused of murder and Florida is a death penalty state and if this jury finds this accused guilty he could be put to death and she asked me is it permissible to serve on this jury is a Jew allowed to serve jury duty now it may feel obvious to all of us the laws of the land are our laws and we have a civic duty taught us we're a stranger and a citizen, we have a responsibility as good citizens, we have a civic duty and responsibility to serve when we're called. So on the one hand, it should seem obvious that you should. On the other, what if you're part of a system that puts someone to death, but the would say they're not deserving of death. You're now participating in killing someone and murdering someone, what the Torah might call murder. Even if America entitles you to vote in favor of their getting the death penalty, that doesn't mean that the would endorse that. And can a Jew put someone to death, give a death penalty, or is that maybe tantamount to murder? And this when it was asked to me, it's a fascinating question. I started to research it. There's a big there's several chuas. We're going to go through it on Friday, the Shabas, the Mishna of Manasha Klein was asked this. is it permissible to serve jury duty? And is there a difference between it being a monetary case or a capital case? And he I'll give you a little preview. He holds it's user. He holds it's forbidden. And he says that the non-Jewish courts are for non-Jews. Not only is that the place where we should sue, that's not only the place to adjudicate as Jews, it's also only the place to serve or respond as Jews. And therefore, a Jew is forbidden. He says, So he says based on the opening of our para you're not allowed to participate. True. One of the seven no laws is for them to set up a system of justice that's for them not for us. And it's not even for us to participate in as a juror or as a judge. Can can a Jew be a judge? Interesting questions. No. Tune in later. We're not going to get to it, but I thought I'd raise it because it is a fascinating fascinating question. Okay. Skipping to page 420. And here we have a litany of different laws here in parish from a range of all over Torah. A litany of laws. So Torah tells us in par in per chapter 21 18 two men are fighting and one punches the other with a stone or with his fist. He doesn't die but he falls into bed. If he gets up and he goes outside of his own power the one who struck him is absolved only for his lost time. he should pay and he provides for his healing for his lost time and for his healing. So here we derive all the laws that apply. If one person injures another they have to compensate him for lost wages, pay the medical bills, embarrassment and so on and so forth. Rashi says Shenita. We learn that this is where a doctor gets licensed to practice. I might have thought a doctor is forbidden to practice. And here the Torah tells me since this injured party is allowed to go get medical treatment. That's evidence. This is the evidence that doctors are allowed to practice. Now, why would I have thought that a doctor is not allowed to practice? Why would I thought that that should be forbidden writes because chose for this person to be ill or injured and you're going to go against what God wants. God determined that this person should be ill or injured and you're going to go against God. You're competing with God. You're reversing God's will by treating and healing the person. After Hashem determined that this is what should happen to them, how could you go against it? We've discussed this previously in the par. They have different answers. Some answer because in order to heal, what do you need to do? My dear friend is a surgeon. Every day he puts people on an operating table. He takes a knife and he cuts them open. Now, if he weren't doing it to heal, you would put such a person in prison. The man is a violent criminal. He walks around with a knife and he stabs people and he cuts them open and rearranges their organs. There's a fine line between a violent criminal and a doctor and a surgeon. What's the difference between them? One is doing it to harm and one is doing it to heal. But who says to heal you're allowed to harm another? There's an ish is of there's a biblical prohibition of injury of so who says you're allowed to be you're allowed to injure another in order to heal who says what about injury yourself are you allowed to injure yourself I once gave a shir about boxing in the 20th century was very popular Jews immigrants to America were among the most successful boxers were big in the boxing industry since then we've learned and we just become the boxing promoters. We've learned you can make the money without actually having to get hit in the head. So, we became the promoters. But before Jews could be the promoters, when we actually had to step in the ring and get hit in the head, believe it or not, there were chuva's written this response about can a Jew be a boxer. What's the problem with being a boxer? There's two problems. Punching the other, that's a problem. If you're a bad boxer, it might be okay. But if you're a good boxer and you're going to land any of those punches and you're going to draw blood or draw a bruise, that's that's a significant prohibition. There's another problem by being in the ring and putting yourself in a position to get punched yourself in the face. That's also a biblical prohibition. So I might have thought of harming is true even in the context of healing. Therefore, the Torah says a doctor is allowed to heal. A doctor is licensed to heal. Even though objectively if you were to freeze the frame, you'd see the surgeon with a knife cutting open the person. If you didn't know it was a sterile environment, if you didn't know they were undergoing a surgery, if you didn't know it was to heal them, you'd say, "Arest that man, arrest that woman." But since it's to heal, it's perfectly permissible. But you have a different reason. And Rash's reason was maybe Hashem wants the person to be sick. What are you doing going against Hashem? So, says, "How could you say that in this context?" This is this is brought down in the on the beautiful I told you someone got me the teachings in Torah of the So here it quotes the great says, "Why would I have thought that I can't heal somebody and that if I heal them, I'm going against God's will such that I need license, special permission?" What's the context here? How did this person get injured? It wasn't Hashem. It was There's a boxing match going on over here. Two people are fighting. They break into fisticuffs. Must have been a hockey game. And one injures the other. What room is there here to say God chose for him to be sick and you're going to heal? God didn't choose. The person he's fighting who punched him in the face chose says an incredible says, "You might think that when someone else punches you in the face, they're the one who punched you. But if Hashem didn't want you punched, you wouldn't be punched in the face. The person would have collapsed of a heart attack. The person would have been paralyzed and couldn't raise their arm. The person would have decided to punch someone else. The person would have gotten stuck in traffic and couldn't make the boxing match and punch you. Certainly, they're accountable if they punch you. That's not to say that they're not accountable. But the way we experience what happens to us is not only that the other party did it, and you could take that party to Basin, not to secular court, but to Basin if they punch you in the face. But as you take the person to sec to basen and hold them accountable for punching you in the face, the way you process it in your own religious experience is to say this couldn't have happened if it wasn't God's will. There must be a reason this was meant to happen to me and for me. We have to recognize that everything that happens couldn't and wouldn't happen if it weren't Hashem's will. So even when it seems it's the even when it seems it happened because it was the free will of another their free will also is an expression an extension of Hashem and it couldn't and wouldn't have happened if it weren't for Hashem. We're still dealing with these laws. Let's go back to love. If man is fighting, they collide with a pregnant woman. She miscarries but there will be no fatality. He punishes the husband shall cause to be assessed against him. Pay according to the order of the judges. If there's a fatality, then you award a life for a life. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot, a burn for a burn, a wound for a wound, a bruise for a bru. We get it. Why did the Torah have to go on and give so many examples? We get it. You get what happens to you, what you sought to do to the other. We get it. Why does the Torah have to go on? That I leave that the rabbis explain. But an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, and so on. Of course, we know that our oral Torah comes along and says, "Not literally." If somebody cut off your hand, you don't take out a hatchet and cut off theirs. We identify what was the value. What was your value before you lost your hand? What's your value without your hand? And that's the fine that they have to pay. That's what it means. A hand for a hand. That is the idea. That is the deeper meaning of a hand for a hand. This is one of the key places with the Torah, the oral Torah, is is critical. Not the literal translation or meaning, but the all Torah kicks in the Gasha. We love to quote. He says the following. He says that we're living in times that people love to look for schoolas. People are loving to look for shortcuts. Wear this, say that, say that's from a doa. They're looking for the shortcut to protect themselves and their families. He quotes Schlommo says the following. A new insight within our para. The Torah says, We know what happens on this world affects the upper worlds. What a person does down here is mirrored in how he's treated on high. And that tells us read this an eye for an eye. Not in the context of a fight of a conflict between two people and the ruling of the basin. But read an eye for an eye as for us that what we do with our eye down here, eye for an eye, is what will draw the eye up above. The bashmto famously taught Paul succ what's a tail a shadow. What does it mean? Hashem is our shadow. Hashem shadows us. What does that mean? So said what does your shadow do? Your shadow imitates you. Your shadow follows you exactly. When you move a foot your shadow moves a foot. When you lift your hand your shadow lifts a hand. Hashem deals with us exactly the way that we deal with others. He's our shadow means he deals with us as a reflection of the way we deal and the way we treat others and that's what it means says know what is above you the taugh know what is done from heaven it's from you what happens from heaven it's it's you Hashem deals with us mid the way that we treat others is how he treats us. The way we behave is how he behaves towards us. If we're forgiving, we're magnanimous, we're generous, we're foregoing, then Hashem is that way with us. And if we're strict and we're vigilant and we're and we're demand justice, then that's the way Hashem is with us. Who we are and how we behave towards others is how he behaves towards us. Hashem, he's our shadow. Andala no what happens from above not it comes from you the says inm Hashem's eye hashem's special hashkah or attention is afforded those who fear him how do you get in how do you get the special ayen how are we worthy of hashem paying closer attention to us protecting us carefully watching over us how do we merit that divine protection That divine providence says it depends on how you use your own eye. As much as one is careful one is to guard his own eye and make sure not to look where we shouldn't. Then Hashem's special eye will guard us. If we guard our eye, Hashem guards us with his eye. If we look at people critically, he looks at us critically. If we look at others favorably, he looks at us favorably. The great is suggesting homalytically is not only a law in interpersonal relationships. It's a law in our relationship with Hashem. Reads the shuts his eyes to evil referring to one who keeps the kadusha of his eyes intact. say learning from this the one who closes his eyes to unbecoming sights will be to greet the to greet the so when a person guards their eye when we're tempted to watch to look at that which we shouldn't we're tempted to look with a critical eye we're tempted to look unfavorably we're tempted to look with envy or jealousy we're tempted to use our eyes inappropriately incorrectly in a way that sabotages ourselves one of the ways to inspire ourselves is to remember this insight of the that what we do with our eye will elicit from Hashem how he looks at us with his eye and that should motivate us and inspire us tremendously. Moving right along again many many many more laws here tells top page 430 anyone One who brings offerings to gods shall be destroyed only to Hashem alone. Don't taunt or oppress the stranger, the immigrant because you were strangers in the land of Egypt. We were outsiders. Don't oppress the immigrant, the stranger, the outsider. I would describe I would translate the word g as outsider. Writes are by Salvich. In general, the Torah ethic is derived from experience. We have mercy on all uprooted and defenseless human beings in exile. We're burdened with an ethical norm to help because we remember how we we felt when we were in distress. Says Salvich, the Torah is going out of its way here to tell us to pay special and careful attention to care deeply and protect the outsider. The outsider, the immigrant, this gay can be a person who moved, who doesn't know the language, person who doesn't, it could be the new kid who moves to our class, who came from another community and doesn't know how to break in. It could be the person who moved to our neighborhood, the adult who moved to our block who doesn't yet know anyone. It could be the p new person at work who needs someone to show them the ropes. This G, this outsider is somebody who comes from the outside. And we can either treat them, make them feel different or we can make them feel they belong. And why should we? Because we know this experience. We know what comes the oppression, the feeling of persecution. Writes. This cast a light upon our mysterious historical destiny. Our nation was born in the crucible of exile, bondage and suffering. What emerged as a people from the sand dunes of the Sinai desert where we wandered for 40 years. Why could we not rise as a people in our own land in prosperity and abundance? The answer is simple. If our morality had to be one of kindness and it could not have been formulated for people who knew not what suffering is. Only people in exile could understand and appreciate a morality of kindness. Therefore, gullis was a central experience in the life of our patriarchs and it is still a major experience in our lives. Right? So, the Torah is telling us why why couldn't we be born in prosperity? Why couldn't the Jewish people be born in comfort? Why were we born in the desert? We're born in the suffering of Egypt and then 40 years wandering in a desert before we could ever reach our promised land. The answer was it was an incubator. It was a laboratory. It got us ready to be sensitive to take our own experience and to pay it forward to help others to care to care. And I think maybe a partial perspective for our time, something that strikes me as anti-semitism has been on the rise and understandably we are so sensitive to this horrific horrific trend that's taking place. One of the things that we should be doing in reacting to it is ask ourselves, are there others in our midst and around us that we're mistreating now that we're being singled out and treated in this way? And we know what it feels like again. Again, we are we're being made to feel by too many in this country as gaim again. Who do we make feel as outsiders? Not only do we have to combat and fight anti-semitism, not only in my opinion is the number one way by Jewish practice and Jewish pride, but also one of the ways that we should improve ourselves because mida mida whatever has happening to us is also a lesson for us. And maybe one of the lessons for us is to be more sensitive to ask ourselves how are we treating the so-called outsiders within our own people and from without our people as well. Page 432. Here the Torah tells us you encounter an ox or enemy of your donkey. An ax of your enemy or his donkey wandering surely return it to him. Why did it have to tell me of my enemy? Why does the t have to go out of it way to tell me a dox an ax or a donkey of my enemy? Not of my friend only of my enemy. Because I might have been tempted to think my enemy, good for him. Stay lost. Good riddens. Let my enemy suffer from a lost donkey or ox. Even of your enemy, you have to return it. And that's in fact how you turn your enemy into your friend by caring about him. Theos here said the following. If you see in someone else doing something no good, We know what we can't stand in someone else is probably the thing that we hate within ourselves. That which we have no tolerance for in others is revealing of the thing within ourselves that needs work. So when we see someone who has something in them that we can't stand, that we have no tolerance for, that we really are repulsed by, then we should recognize that that thing is probably in us. And the reason Hashem exposed us to that person who has that traitor attribute that we can't stand is to recognize and identify and improve that thing within us. And when we are willing to acknowledge and improve, repair that within ourselves, then not only will we improve, but then we can also get the other to improve it in them. And that's maybe how wants to touch this. You see their kamuramore donkey the mar always tells us donkey comes from the word [snorts] means material physical. You see your enemy giving in to materialism. You see your enemy tempted by physical desire temptation. The answer is you should do chuva and then to then he too will return in chuva. When you see when you run into when you encounter your enemy's donkey, what it means is when you encounter your enemy's donkey means you're encountering your enemy living like a donkey. Then recognize there's a donkey in you. Recognize the animal impulse in you. Recognize the animal instinct in you. Whatever you can't stand in the other poselum posell. The thing that people criticize and call a name and marginalize and dismiss someone else for is the thing they need to work on within themselves within themselves. So if it's bothering you that you see some when you encounter your enemy acting like a hashe you improve fix yourself because it's a problem in you and to then he or she will improve as well will improve as well. Trying to decide which pik to do next I want to get to the end of the para the parts that we haven't gotten all these years. Okay, let's go to all the way to making our way across the whole action-packed paras. Now we get back to a little bit of narrative. We get back to a little bit of narrative to Moshe. He said, "Go up to you and the 70 elders and bow down from a distance alone approached and the nation could not ascend with him." And then Moshe comes and he tells the people all the word of Hashem and all these laws. And the people all answered with one voice and they said whatever Hashem says so shall we do. What does it mean? What is this story that Moshe told? He told them what's it that he told them? So I want to tell you an amazing an amazing kaducious levy. An amazing kaducious levy. You know, I'm going to read it to you in the Levy. I'm not going to read it to you from the I'm going to read it to you directly from the Levy. Moshe came and he told the people, "What would I thought the word should be? He commanded. He's coming back with all the Torah and all its laws. Moshe should arrive and command. Moshe should arrive and teach." Why is it vice? It's a story. What story is he telling? It's laws he's telling. And what are these laws? So the labor of says the opinion of Rashi is what did Moshe teach? When did this happen? This last paric of our para, this last section, we know the Torah may not be written chronologically. So Rash is of the opinion that in fact his last section happened before the Torah was given because last week is when we read about and this week is when we have the iconic words we will do and we will listen. Well, when did they say we will do and we will listen before or after the Torah was given. The whole the whole incredible thing about they said we will do and we will listen is that they said it when before the Torah was given. So why is it here at the end of Mishbat not earlier in Israel? So Rashi says cut and paste take the section out if you're going to put it chronologically this belongs last week's para before Kabala actually that's Rash's opinion. So if that's the case if this is coming before Kabala then what does Rashi how would Rashi explain? What does Moshe mean when he says obey Mishbat? Which laws? If it's coming before the Torah is given, then which laws is Moshe telling them to observe? So Rash says, "Which laws?" There were laws that were given before. How many? Seven Noah had laws. And a few more were given at Shabas. Couple more were given at says I don't buy it mo these laws those laws were already taught the were already taught and the law and shabas was already taught and the word to tell over to tell a story to tell laws implies new laws not previously taught laws so if this is teaching new laws it can't be referring to those which were already taught comes along to defend. Why would you teach previous laws with the word as if they were new? He says it seems from that this this whole section is before Listen to this incredible insight. The great the holy says it's true. These laws were all previously taught. They've been observing the seven no laws and at Mara they were already given some of the earlier laws and they've been keeping them. Moshe is not teaching them a new. He's coming to teach them something else that's new. And what's the new thing that he's coming to teach them? That you have no idea what your mitzvah observance means to Hashem. You have no idea how meaningful and significant it is to Hashem. You don't understand what happens in the heavens. You don't understand how God is so moved how God so appreciates. You don't understand the impact of the mitzvah that you do. They're about to stand at harina and get 613 new. And they might say, "What's the point? This is overwhelming. Why the details in minutia? We can't do it." Moshe gives them a pep talk before it happens. Moshe Moshe says, "Here's the pep talk. You need to know the cosmic implications of everything you do. When you're tempted to ignore that mitzvah, when you're tempted to say or eat or do the wrong thing, when you're tempted to sit this one out and not do what's right, you need to know the impact on the world. When they heard wrote him only when they understood when they understood the divine they were given the when they understood the meaning the difference it makes the impact it has they said give us more nasa we're in whatever you tell us to do we're in the cosmic implications the joy and the it gives you hashem we want more give us more that's why it's sapper That's how the kadishi defends against the something new, something more was being said was being said over here. We're running out of time. Okay, one more. I think we have time for one more. I wanted to get into I wanted to get into that we were supposed to get into last year and two years ago too because what happens very top of 442 they gazed at Hashem and they saidishma we accept the whole Torah incredible high let's Kdishorg let's go what's this of the ishue eating and drinking is that a concession to our frailty and mortality is there something holy and high about eating and drinking why is it whenever we have a spiritual high it's followed by eating and drinking shu the story of kabala even though some debate how we should designate and divide our days our holy days everybody agrees that when it comes to shu everybody agrees is you need you need at least half the day to eat and drink I would think would be a day that we don't eat and drink at all just being in sh domining and learning every time we make a sem on learning has to be in the context of food everybody wash then we're going to make the sem tonight we're going to make a sem on sitter snippets I'm not mailing everybody in their home something to eat and drink that part's up to you but come on zoom come on zoom with a little something to eat and drink in front of you because we're going to make a sem on the snippets so why we'll have to come back to that another year. But I want to end with this. Climb the mountain and be there. We spoke last year. Isn't that redundant? If you climb the mountain, obviously you're there. Not if you bring your cell phone with you. Not if you bring your smartphone with you. Already since Hashem says, I don't want to compete for your attention. Ali, climb to me. Be where you are. Don't be absent presence. Don't be somewhere else because you are wherever your mind is. You're not wherever your body is. So when you're at Davening but you're busy scrolling or reading or thinking about something else. When you're on a date with your spouse but you're busy scrolling or reading or typing or thinking about something else. When you're in the park pushing your child or grandchildren grandchild but you're busy reading or scrolling or typing something else. Then you weren't there. You were where you were wherever your mind is. So, Hashem tells Moshe, don't just come on the mountain physically. That's also be there and I will give you the I'll give you the the tablets, the Torah, the mitzvah that I wrote to teach them. They were inscribed by Hashem. But what about the rest of the PK? That part I get. Hashem says, "Climbing the mountain. I've got a giveaway. I've got a gift. Come on top of the mountain. You're going to go home with something. What's that? The tablets. What are the mitzvah? Is that what's written on the tablets or is that in addition to the tablets? How do you understand this p? God says, "Come on the mountain. I'm going to send you home with the and the Torah and the mitzvah that I wrote." Is that what's all on the tablets? What Torah? What mitzvah? Just the ten commandments on the tablets. Where were they written? Where were they yet given that I wrote? Where did he write them? Amazing. No, this question ever bother you before? It's worth staying the end of Shia for this question. Where did Hashem write these? He didn't write them on the lus. The lus. What's on the tablets? The decalogue. The ten commandments. The decalogue. That's for you, Ben. The ten commandments. not all of mitzvos. So what's the what's so not the first to be bothered by this rash all 613 are subsumed under the ten commandments. All 613 fit into the 10 categories of the ten commandments sees it. So, Hashem says in these ten commandments, these are headers. These are chapter titles. And under these ten commandments, you can fit and categorize all 613. So, therefore, take home the take home the tablets. Sorry, I keep dropping this. Take home the tablets with the 10 and we'll treat that like you have all 613. That's how Rashi understands the explains differently. That's on the to teach you. That's the Torah and mitzvah. That's the tablets you're taking home only have the 10. That's what I wrote. Torah and mitzvah that I'm talking about. That's what Moshe is going to bring down orally communicate to the people. And the Ramban says, quotes from the Ezra that when when the PK says Torah, that means the opening two of the ten commandments. Mitzvah are the other eight of the ten commandments. And then so beautiful, beautiful, different ways to understand this. But I want to tell you the oh wow what a what a way to end. You ready? Beautiful insight. The good morning tells us the aravan says had the Torah never been given. We could have looked around at the natural world and derived and extrapolated so many of the laws from there. We would have learned modesty from the cat and we would have learned honesty from the ant. a hard day's work. And we would have learned not to be promiscuous from the dove. And we would have learned from the from the rooster. Do you know where Hashem wrote all this Torah and mitzvah? Listen to what says. Look around at nature and the natural world and the natural order. Hashem says, "I wrote all my values in the world around you. Study the animal kingdom. Study the iguanas who I was corrected. Mammals hibernate. Reptiles flash freeze. Mammals hibernate and reptiles flash freeze. Yeshiva week people go back to New York, they flash freeze. Or are they mammals? Maybe they hibernate. I don't know which one. They flash freeze. So I was wrong. Go study. This is what we did. We studied the iguana. Look how it reacts when it's too cold like a mulik, but it's going to come back to life. There's a pint iguana inside that's going to come back to life. Boru says, "Look around my world. Study chemistry and biology and physics. Study the ant study the dove and study the cat and study the rooster because my values are written all over my world. If you want to understand what matters and what means something if you want to understand what makes me tick if you want to understand the written says the soem says the ten commandments they're on the mitzvah I also wrote and where can you read it by opening your eyes and living this world. So many of us were walking around also scrolling and typing and reading. We're missing Hashem's incredible world. Rabd Mills was a big believer. Listen, listen to the rustling of the leaves and feel the wind and feel the sun on your neck and look at the animal. You don't have to pay the high fee for butterfly world or lion country safari. Go for a walk, the path from the shore that leads to the lake. When I take my grandchildren for that walk, we have a game. We try to count how many animals we can see and we always get to at least 10. It's butterflies, iguanas, lizards, turtles, fish, birds, ducks, duck. You can It's unbelievable. Just go for a walk without a device. Go for a walk without noise and you can read the you could read Hashem's incredible magnum opus called the natural world. Study it. See it. Love it. Enjoy it. Enjoy it. Many years ago when we was here and [clears throat] and we had some time a few minutes on the Sunday before he left. I'm ending with this for real. I said, "How would Rebi like to spend time and he wanted to go to the Everglades to see the alligators?" And at the Everglades, there's a little zoo that you could walk through after you go on the boat, see the alligators. And Raasha Weiss knew everything about every animal. this bird it comes from here and it it multiplies in this way and this is its now of course he has a photographic memory knows everything about kola that I knew what I didn't know is his love for animals and he shared that at one point in his childhood he actually thought he would become a zookeeper he wanted to become a person who got to spend he loves Hashem's animals he loves Hashem's world he read the encyclopedia from cover to cover and he knows everything in it by heart and he loved the animals he's a master of the safer hat. People who have a real fine-tuned appreciation and sensitivity to Hashem also love Hashem's world and they see Hashem's fingerprints all over his world and that's all in this pock are the ten commandments. Torah and mitzvos are Hashem's fingerprints, his authorship all over his natural world that's all around us. Join us tonight 8:30 for our CM online Zoom. Bring your own. Until then, stay happy, stay healthy, and stay holy. Don't forget global campaign bronlin.org/global. On your way out. On your way out. Take out your credit card if you've not done it yet. Please help us get to our goal.