Dvar Torah for Parshas Mishpatim

       After the amazing spiritual high of last week’s parsha with Matan Torah, Parshas Mishpatim deals mostly with the more fundamental financial, business, and injury laws that make up day to day life. However, as we approach the end of the parsha, some more general topics emerge which follow a different theme.

       One of these topics is the introduction to the Shalosh Regalim, the three holidays when we are obligated to travel to the Beis Hamikdash and celebrate there. They consist of Pesach, Shavuos, and Succos. The Torah introduces them in an interesting way. First, we are told to celebrate the holiday of Pesach during the springtime, and then the pasuk continues with the other two. “חַ֤ג הַקָּצִיר֙ בִּכּוּרֵ֣י מַֽעֲשֶׂ֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֥ר תִּזְרַ֖ע בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה וְחַ֤ג הָֽאָסִף֙ בְּצֵ֣את הַשָּׁנָ֔ה בְּאָסְפְּךָ֥ אֶת־מַֽעֲשֶׂ֖יךָ מִן־הַשָּׂדֶֽה” “And the Festival of the Harvest of the first fruits of your labor that you sow in the field; and the Festival of the Ingathering at the close of the year, when you gather in your work from the field.” (Shemos 23:16). All three holidays are written as being dependent on the circumstances of the harvest. Is this true? Do we only celebrate the holidays if we had a good harvest? Of course not! So why does the Torah make it sound as if our celebration is dependent on that?

       Rabbi Yaakov Kaminetzky uses this pasuk to teach a fantastic idea. There are several instances in the Torah where Hashem uses the success or failure of the crops as a sign of whether the Bnei Yisrael are following the Torah. One famous example is what we say every day in Krias Shema, “והיה אם שמע תשמעו אל מצותי... ונתתי מטר ארצכם בעתו” “It will be that if you hearken to my commandments…then I shall provide rain for your Land” (Devarim 11:13-14). As long as Bnei Yisrael were living in Eretz Yisrael, Hashem would motivate them and inform them of their level of belief and observance based on the production of the crops.

       So while there were other reasons to celebrate the Shalosh Regalim, the harvest was a tremendous reason to celebrate as well. Not only was everyone happy that they had had a successful crop, providing sustenance and security for another season, they were coming to celebrate at Hashem’s house armed with the knowledge that they were successful in their observance of mitzvos as well.

       Perhaps we can also use this to understand the connection of the Shalosh Regalim to Parshas Mishpatim. While the more well-known, and more commonly studied, portions of the Torah, like Shabbos and Kashrus, may garner more interest and zeal in their observance, they are not the basis for our day to day lives in this world. It is true, those ideas provide the spiritual fulfillment we desperately need, but we live primarily a physical existence, and we need a Torah that requires us to respond to the physical challenges we face every day. And by our success in our daily endeavors we will be able to measure our success in following the guidelines set up for us in this week’s parsha, just like the harvest would do in the times of the Beis Hamikdash.

       At least, this is how it was meant to work. Nowadays, all too often we see successful people who appear not to follow many of the laws the Torah instructs us in. This is another degree of hashgachah pratis we have lost in our long exile. Let us pray for the day when we return to Eretz Yisrael and the hashgachah pratis we have the potential to tap into returns to its full capacity.

Shabbat Shalom!  

Click here for last year's Dvar Torah for Parshas Mishpatim

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Dvar Torah for Parshas Yisro

       In this week’s parsha, Parshas Yisro, Moshe’s father-in-law, Yisro, joins the Bnei Yisrael in the desert, along with Moshe’s wife and children. When he arrives, Moshe immediately tells him about the amazing things Hashem had done so far for the Nation in the desert, including the manna, the Well, and the battle with Amalek. Upon hearing about these miracles, Yisro began to thank Hashem.

       “וַיֹּ֘אמֶר֘ יִתְרוֹ֒ בָּר֣וּךְ יְהֹוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר הִצִּ֥יל אֶתְכֶ֛ם מִיַּ֥ד מִצְרַ֖יִם וּמִיַּ֣ד פַּרְעֹ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֤ר הִצִּיל֙ אֶת־הָעָ֔ם מִתַּ֖חַת יַד־מִצְרָֽיִם” “Yisro said, ‘Blessed is Hashem, Who has rescued you from the hand of Egypt and from the hand of Paroh, Who has rescued the people from under the hand of Egypt.” (Shemos 18:10). This seems like a beautiful and sincere blessing fitting to be in the Torah, but the medrash actually says that this beautiful blessing was a disgrace for Bnei Yisrael. From the day they left Egypt, no member of Bnei Yisrael had ever blessed Hashem; to have Yisro, who wasn’t even present by these miracles, be the first one to do so was embarrassing.

       Rav Shimon Schwab zt”l asks why this was so embarrassing. The nation had sung a beautiful song by Krias Yam Suf praising Hashem profusely and exclaiming Him as the King of the World, why was this not enough? Why did they specifically have to ‘bless’ Hashem like Yisro did?

       The difference is simple. When a song used for praise and thanks is sung, it’s most effective when conducted together with a group of people and is therefore performed that way. However, a blessing is able to be given even by just one person. By Krias Yam Suf and all the other miracles in the desert, the Bnei Yisrael felt that the reason they were being saved was because they were a nation. Hashem was helping them because they were ‘Bnei Yisrael’. Therefore, they figured they should also praise Him as a nation.

       But this was a mistake, there remained a responsibility to thank and praise Hashem on an individual level since they weren’t just being saved as a collective, each person had their own unique value which granted them salvation. It was important for them to consider the individual gain they had received after each and every episode in the desert, both for their own salvation as well as the thanks each person had for the rest of the nation being saved as well. They had a responsibility to bless Hashem as individuals as well.

       Yisro was a convert, an outsider, who had not witnessed any of the miracles to this point; the only way he could thank Hashem was as an individual. And even though the Jewish Nation had now become his people too, in terms of these events, he thanked and blessed Hashem as an individual for what He had done for his people. After this, the lesson for the rest of the nation became clear; even though they themselves had been directly involved in the miracles, they still had a responsibility to thank Hashem as individuals, both for saving themselves and the other members of the nation. This was just another lesson the nation learned from Yisro.  

Shabbat Shalom!

Click here for last year's Dvar Torah for Parshas Yisro

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Dvar Torah for Parshas Beshalach

       After leaving Mitzrayim, a whole world of opportunities opened up for Bnei Yisrael as they ventured into the desert. One thing that continued for them though was that Hashem continued to openly share with them His commitment to them as His nation. Chief among these commitments was giving them the Torah. And while the full giving of the Torah takes place in next week’s parsha, its dissemination began earlier.

       After three days in the desert, the nation had run out of water; and after crying to Moshe and his subsequent tefillos, Hashem provided them with water. However, the pasuk tells us that He gave them something else then as well. “שָׁ֣ם שָׂ֥ם ל֛וֹ חֹ֥ק וּמִשְׁפָּ֖ט” “There He gave them a statute and an ordinance” (Shemos 16:25). Rashi explains that at this time, before obligating them in the mitzvos, Hashem gave the Bnei Yisrael three mitzvos to study: setting up a court system, Shabbos, and Parah Adumah. Setting up a justice system makes sense as something you would need to know immediately in order pre-empt any potential problems once the Torah is given. But why would the mitzvos of Shabbos and Parah Adumah be the first mitzvos presented?

       Rabbi Yaakov Kaminetzky explains that by directly providing them with water, Hashem had just shown Bnei Yisrael that their basic survival requirements were completely dependent on Him. What better way to reinforce this idea than by presenting them with Shabbos, a day where no production is allowed and survival is entirely dependent on Creation, set up by Hashem. Therefore, Shabbos was one of the original mitzvos presented here.

       The mitzvah of Parah Adumah makes less sense; after all, while Shabbos technically applied even before the Torah was given, there was no practical application of Parah Adumah at this time. Why would it be given now? Reb Yaakov focuses on Rashi’s explanation that these mitzvos were given for study, not necessarily for immediate practice. What was the purpose in giving mitzvos simply for study with no practical application?

       There are parts in the Torah which do not make sense to us. Not just that we don’t see how they fit into our lives, but that the mitzvah in its entirety just doesn’t make any sense! However, we must still look at them and treat them the same as the parts of the Torah which are understandable to us. The prime example of this idea is Parah Adumah. Chazal tell us that even Shlomo HaMelech, the wisest of all men, couldn’t figure out what was the purpose of Parah Adumah. But that’s part of the idea of Torah, just because it has something which human intellect cannot understand doesn’t mean that it’s not true. There is a higher intellect which tells us that it is necessary, and that’s what we must trust.

       We see that the mitzvah of Parah Adumah is a true introduction to Torah. Hashem gave us a book of infinite wisdom, and we are obligated to study its laws and practice them to our full capabilities regardless of our understanding. Even though Parah Adumah was not practical at the time, and even though after many years of study we still do not understand its true meaning, it comes from Hashem and so there must be an explanation. What better mitzvah to use in order to give us the full introduction to the Torah!

Shabbat Shalom!

Click here for last year's Dvar Torah for Parshas Beshalach

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Dvar Torah for Parshas Bo

       With all the makkos that were given to the Egyptians, none of them compared to Makkas Bechoros, The Killing of the Firstborn. Even before the makkos began, Moshe warned Paroh that this would be the end result if he didn’t send out Bnei Yisrael. One commentary says that the only true punishment given to the Egyptians for their treatment of Bnei Yisrael was Makkas Bechoros, the first nine were only in order to harden Paroh’s heart. And as we see, it was indeed enough to drive Paroh over the edge and chase Bnei Yisrael out of Mitzrayim.

       When Hashem decreed that every firstborn in Mitzrayim would die, this plague was only intentioned to be against the Egyptians. However, the fact that a distinction was made between the Jewish and non-Jewish firstborns, the Torah teaches us that every Jewish firstborn became “Kodesh”, set aside specifically for holy occupations, in return for Hashem ‘sparing’ their lives. They became obligated as Hashem’s ‘property’, similar to if someone consecrated a field, an animal, or a utensil in the times of the Beis Hamikdash. The Seforno even explains that in their state, they wouldn’t be allowed to do anything besides for holy work. The end of the parsha then introduces us to the concept of Pidyon HaBen.

       Like other items belonging to Hekdesh, the firstborn animals and humans technically belong to the Kohanim from the moment of birth. The animals are brought as korbanos (unless they are not eligible to be such) while the humans are redeemed. At thirty days old, the first-born son of every non-Kohen or Levi is redeemed by his father from the Kohen, thereby removing his holy status and allowing him to participate in mundane activities.

       You would think that this would be the saddest day of this young boy’s life. All our lives we work hard to reach a level of holiness where our actions are totally devoted towards Hashem, and where we ourselves can become vessels of kedushah. This boy is born naturally with this life mission and it’s taken away from him right away, requiring him to have to work the same as the rest of us to reach this level of kedushah. And yet, the first thing we do following a Pidyon HaBen is have a seudah! What exactly are we celebrating?

       Rabbi Yaakov Kaminetzky explains that there is a fundamental belief being revealed here. Each one of us is made up of a physical body and a spiritual neshama. The simple understanding would be that while they share space, their functions remain completely separate. The body takes care of all physical needs and activities, while the neshama does the same for all things spiritual. Their tasks never overlap in any form. This is a mistake.

       The fact that Hashem placed the body and soul together means that each one is supposed to participate in the functions of the other; the spiritual and mundane responsibilities are supposed to be accomplished by the body and soul working together. If a person would be either completely physical or completely spiritual, even if they would fulfill all their physical and spiritual goals, they would not be fulfilling their life’s purpose.

       Before this baby is redeemed, he is designated to be completely holy and has the ability to accomplish great spiritual things; however, this is not the purpose of the human being. We are not meant to be completely spiritual. Hashem placed a holy neshama within our physical body in order that it should become part of the physical world and raise it up to the highest levels of the spiritual world. Now that this baby has been redeemed and has the ability to participate in mundane activities, he is now able to accomplish his true purpose in this world in raising the physical up to those lofty spiritual heights. That is why we celebrate his redemption.

       As they left Mitzrayim, Bnei Yisrael were on an extremely low spiritual level. However, in just a few weeks, they were able to raise themselves up until they were worthy of accepting the Torah. Our purpose in this world is to take what we were given, a physical existence, and combine it with a fantastic gift, our holy neshama, and turn this world into a place fitting for both to exist. We are meant to raise the mundane to holiness, and within us is the ability to make the world perfect. Recognize this and be motivated to become all we can.

Shabbat Shalom!

Click here for last year's Dvar Torah for Parshas Bo

Click here to listen this this week's Podcast (Also available on iTunes)

For any questions, comments, or to subscribe to our email list, please email is at AIMeMtorah@gmail.com.

Please Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter: @aimemtorah

Don't forget to check out hashkafahandbook.com to learn about my book,Reality Check. And Like it on Facebook.

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AIMeM