Chasidic Insights

CHASIDIC INSIGHTS PARSHAS MISHPOTIM 5764 BS"D

Ch. 21, v. 6: "V'rotza adonov es ozno" - Rashi says that the ear deserves to be injured. This ear that heard on Har Sinai "thou shalt not steal" and yet this person stole, let it be punctured. This raises a very simple question. Why isn't the ear punctured for any sin? After all, every mitzvoh was transmitted at Har Sinai.

The answer is that theft is the source for every sin. The gemara B.K. 79b says that the punishment for stealthily stealing is greater than for overt theft. This is because the covert thief has more fear of humans than of Hashem. It is as if he is stating that Hashem's "eyes" and "ears" do not see what is happening on this lower world. This is true with every sin as well. Would one sin if he was fully cognizant of Hashem's presence? Every sin is an offshoot of covert theft. Therefore the Torah prescribes this procedure by the source theft. (Rabbi Avrohom Yehoshua Heshel Lainer brother of Rabbi Gershon Chanoch Henoch the Admor of Radzin)

Ch. 21, v. 15: "Uma'keh oviv v'imo" - If one remembers that he hit his parent when he was a minor, once he becomes an adult he should accept upon himself to repent to cleanse himself. (Rabbi Shlomo Eiger in Gilyone Maharsh"a on Y.D. #240:1)

Rabbi Elimelech of Liszensk repented even for causing his mother pain when he was in her uterus. (Mo'ore Voshemesh on parshas Massei)

A variation, for hitting his mother with his flaying hands when he would nurse. (Divrei Chaim Al Hamo'adim droshoh l'Shabbos Shuvoh)

Ch. 21, v. 19: "Rak shivto yi'tein v'rapo y'ra'pei" - Give Hashem a proper Shabbos; keep it properly. Then He will send you healing. The words of our verse are the source for the statement of the gemara Shabbos 12a, "Shabbos hee milizoke urfuoh krovoh lovo." (Rabbi Boruch Mordechai of Koidnov in Siach Ovos)

Ch. 22, v. 1: "Im b'machte'res yimotzei haganov" - If one digs deeply into himself, he will surely find the thief, the evil inclination that entices him to sin by stealing his level-headed decision making skills. (The Admor of Kotzk in Sh'eiris Menachem)

Ch. 22, v. 21: "Kol almonoh v'yosome lo s'anuN" - The Rada"k in Sefer Hashoroshim entry "ish" writes that an additional letter Nun at the end of a word indicates the diminutive form. We can thus say that the Torah openly prohibits even causing minimal pain to a widow or orphan. (Nirreh li)

Ch. 23, v. 7: "Midvar sheker tirchok" - Upon returning from a visit to Yemen a person reported that at the synagogue he attended, before entering the sanctuary, the people would leave their four species in the ante-room. When it came time to use them all would go out to the ante-room and take the first set that came to their hands, paying absolutely no heed to the quality or beauty of the four species. He also reported that during his stay the man who was hired to lead the prayers was dismissed because he had been found lying abut some matter, albeit something quite insignificant.

Rabbi Micho'el Dov Weissmandel, upon hearing this said, "If only in our communities we would be as heedful of lying, a mitzvoh that applies every moment, as we are about the extreme "hidur" of our four species, only an enhancement of a seasonal mitzvoh.

A GUTTEN SHABBOS KODESH. FEEDBACK IS APPRECIATED. FEEL FREE TO DISTRIBUTE BY COPY OR ELECTRONICALLY. TO SUBSCRIBE SEND REQUEST TO SHOLOM613@AOL.COM.

See also Sedrah Selections and Oroh V'Simchoh