This week Sha’arei Bina students came together, albeit on different teams, for a two day color war. While in all honesty, I personally do not like the concept of competition, I prefer to think of these activities as Yemei Achdut - days during which the girls bond together. Each student contributes and participates with her own unique talents - whether it is song, dance, art or Torah knowledge. All of the different activities throughout the day are designed to enhance camaraderie, leadership, and school spirit. Mrs. Rivkah Bodkins and Rabbi Michoel Scheinkopf created an exciting program during which Torah was studied, values explored and ethical behavior demonstrated. The unification of the students through team effort, inclusion and appreciation of diversity are the exact middot (attributes) we learn about in this week's parsha - Mishpatim.
The parsha begins with וְאֵ֨לֶּה֙ הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר תָּשִׂ֖ים לִפְנֵיהֶֽם, And these are the ordinances that you shall set before them. The taryag mitzvot can be categorized into three main groupings - Chukim חוקים, Edot עדות and Mishpatim, משפטים. While there is often overlap between the three groups we define them as follows: Chukim are laws that we may not understand the reason why we are commanded to do them, The only reason we observe these commandments is because Hashem commanded us to do so. Examples of this type of mitzvah are shatnez (mixing wool and linen), kashrut (mixing milk and meat), and Parah Adumah (the red heifer).
Edot are Mitzvot that are intended to remind us of certain events and ideals specific to the Jewish nation such as Shabbat, a reminder of creation; Passover, commemorating the Yetziat Mitzrayim; and Mezuzah, which reminds us of Hashem’s presence. If the Torah had not expressly commanded us to observe these commandments, perhaps we would not have thought of them on our own, yet we can easily understand why we are commanded to follow them.
Mishpatim are the rules that govern the relationships between people. In this category one finds the laws against theft and murder. Even if the Torah had not specifically commanded us to observe these laws, the human mind would have come to the realization that these laws are necessary to have a civilized society.
This week’s parsha actually contains all three categories. The Chukim laws of Kashrut, the Edot laws of the Jewish chagim along with a number of Mishpatim concerning property damages all are discussed in this, the first Parshah to follow the account of the Giving of the Torah.
Rashi alluded to the understanding of the interrelationship between all of the mitzvot by focusing on the letter Vav which begins the chapter. The Vav before a word means AND.
The Rashi reads as follows:
ואלה המשפטים. כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "אֵלֶּה" פָּסַל אֶת הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, "וְאֵלֶּה" מוֹסִיף עַל הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, מָה הָרִאשׁוֹנִים מִסִּינַי, אַף אֵלּוּ מִסִּינַי; וְלָמָּה נִסְמְכָה פָּרָשַׁת דִּינִין לְפָרָשַׁת מִזְבֵּחַ? לוֹמַר לְךָ, שֶׁתָּשִׂים סַנְהֶדְרִין אֵצֶל הַמִּקְדָּשׁ (מכילתא):
ואלה המשפטים NOW THESE ARE THE JUDGMENTS — Wherever אלה, “these are”, is used it cuts off (פוסל) the preceding section from that which it introduces; where, however, ואלה “and these” is used it adds something to the former subject (i. e. forms a continuation of it). So also here: “And these are the judgments (i. e. these, also)”: What is the case with the former commandments (the עשרת הדברות)? They were given at Sinai! So these, too, were given at Sinai! (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 21:1:1; Shemot Rabbah 30:3; cf. also Midrash Tanchuma, Mishpatim 3) If this be so, why is this section dealing with the “civil laws” placed immediately after that commanding the making of the altar? To tell you that you should seat .(i. e. provide quarters for) the Sanhedrin in the vicinity of the Temple.
What Rashi is teaching us, I believe, is that just as we understand the importance of the mitzvot between Man and G-d, so too must we give equal importance to the mitzvot between man and man. With the use of the Vav, the AND, we understand that this parsha replete with the three categories of mitzvot is indeed a continuation of Matan Torah. The word, and, emphasizes the connection between seemingly disconnected laws. This connection actually becomes clearer at the end of the Parsha as the narrative text picks up again ( in perek 24) at the foot of Har Sina. Perhaps we are to understand that the Aseret Hadibrot are the general principles that inform the specific laws that follow. (M’chilta D’Rabbi Yishmael, Tractate N’zikin).
I always look for the pedagogical lessons within the Torah Parshah. The opening pasuk begins with And but it ends with of the word לִפְנֵיהֶֽם- before them. One explanation of Before Them, according to Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, is that "before them" means "to their innermost selves”. The pasuk means that the knowledge of G‑d should enter the most inward reaches of the Jewish soul. When Halacha or Middot are taught it must be done in such a way that the student is inspired by the learning to such an extent that it becomes part of who he/she is.
The use of לִפְנֵיהֶֽם- before them is also a very important concept for current times. While due to Covid, schools ( and shuls) have gone over to remote learning platforms- zoom, facetime, even simple phone calls, this is not the optimum way to learn Torah. The effect of a warm, caring, live teacher in a classroom cannot be matched through distance learning. The value of being able to "show the face”, to demonstrate through body language and facial expressions the joy, the warmth and the caring for each student cannot be matched through remote learning.
We pray for the day when we can all be together again as we were at Har Sinai, accepting all of the mitzvot, equally, as Hashem has commanded us to. As we enter into the month of Adar it is incumbent upon us to raise our level of happiness. Show your smile to others- it is very contagious!
Have a Shabbat Shalom, Chodesh Tov
Rochelle Brand, Ed.D
Head of School
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