Parshas Mishpatim -- 23 Shevat, 5771 / January 28, 2011 -- Vol. 2, Issue 8
When I shop at Home Depot, I know I have two choices: one, walk around aimlessly for 20 minutes pretending I know what I’m doing by perusing the aisles and making as if I’m looking for something specific; or two, search for a person in an orange apron and explain to them what I need and admit that I have no idea as to how I’m going to do it.
On a recent trip to Home Depot, I decided to go with the latter decision as I was pressed for time and wanted to achieve my mission as fast as possible. Why was I going to Home Depot you may ask? My daughter, Bayla, recently mastered the art of crawling, which has changed everything. Items are now kept higher off the ground, the carpet needs to be vacuumed more regularly, and bookcases must be bolted to the wall. Though I had an idea of how to secure a bookcase, I needed some direction in the finer points of such an endeavor.
Now, on the one hand, one might ask, why should I have to bolt the bookcase to the wall? Shouldn’t Bayla realize that it’s not a good idea to pull on the bookcase? Here, of course, the answer is obvious! Bayla is 9 months old, and as her father it is my job to make sure that she is safe and that our house is a secure place for her to explore. We can learn a deeper meaning to this everyday occurrence from this week’s parsha, which discusses the laws regarding an unpaid watchman and a paid watchman. Why is it necessary to have laws regarding this principle in life? Why not have each person be solely responsible for themselves?
There was once a chicken and a cow walking down the road when they came to a crossroads with a breakfast special on a billboard. It read, “Steak and eggs, $2.99!” The chicken said to the cow, “Wow can you believe it? We’ve finally made it to the big time.” To which the cow replied, “How can you possibly compare yourself to me? For you, it’s a donation. For me, it’s a total commitment!”
The Torah doesn’t dictate other people’s responsibilities as they pertain to us, rather it tells us our responsibilities as they relate to other people. Hashem is teaching us to approach each situation with an emphasis on helping others. We should not think that we live in a world in which we don’t have to watch over each other, rather an integral part of Judaism is recognizing that each of us as an individual are part of the greater whole. It is only through our commitment to unity that we can fulfill our goal of ultimate redemption and the coming of Moshiach!
On a recent trip to Home Depot, I decided to go with the latter decision as I was pressed for time and wanted to achieve my mission as fast as possible. Why was I going to Home Depot you may ask? My daughter, Bayla, recently mastered the art of crawling, which has changed everything. Items are now kept higher off the ground, the carpet needs to be vacuumed more regularly, and bookcases must be bolted to the wall. Though I had an idea of how to secure a bookcase, I needed some direction in the finer points of such an endeavor.
Now, on the one hand, one might ask, why should I have to bolt the bookcase to the wall? Shouldn’t Bayla realize that it’s not a good idea to pull on the bookcase? Here, of course, the answer is obvious! Bayla is 9 months old, and as her father it is my job to make sure that she is safe and that our house is a secure place for her to explore. We can learn a deeper meaning to this everyday occurrence from this week’s parsha, which discusses the laws regarding an unpaid watchman and a paid watchman. Why is it necessary to have laws regarding this principle in life? Why not have each person be solely responsible for themselves?
There was once a chicken and a cow walking down the road when they came to a crossroads with a breakfast special on a billboard. It read, “Steak and eggs, $2.99!” The chicken said to the cow, “Wow can you believe it? We’ve finally made it to the big time.” To which the cow replied, “How can you possibly compare yourself to me? For you, it’s a donation. For me, it’s a total commitment!”
The Torah doesn’t dictate other people’s responsibilities as they pertain to us, rather it tells us our responsibilities as they relate to other people. Hashem is teaching us to approach each situation with an emphasis on helping others. We should not think that we live in a world in which we don’t have to watch over each other, rather an integral part of Judaism is recognizing that each of us as an individual are part of the greater whole. It is only through our commitment to unity that we can fulfill our goal of ultimate redemption and the coming of Moshiach!
Parshas Mishpatim: Recharging Your Battery
Technology has come a long way over the last few years. I remember when I bought my first cell phone in the ‘90s. Believe it or not, all it did was make phone calls. Moreover, it was the size of a regular portable phone, only had 5 preset ring tones, didn't come with a car charger, and on top of that, I paid $150.00 for it. Interestingly enough, I recently saw an ad for the Jitterbug phone by Samsung. Their unique way of marketing this phone: it's for the truly simple at heart, it only makes phone calls!
These days, you can buy a phone that is more of a home entertainment centre than a way of letting your wife know that you're going to be late for dinner. By today’s industry standards, any phone that isn’t equipped with a camera, video camera, mp3 player, wireless internet connection, daily organizer, several games, and free international texting, isn't really worth looking at and probably won't be considered by the large majority of cell phone users. Buy a phone today? Why that's crazy! Just sign up for a 2 year contract and you can get any number of phones such as the iPhone, Blackberry, Google Android, or other smart phone for free or at least at a fraction of the original cost.
Most of us have experienced the following scenario. You rush out of the house to start your day, which is packed from morning to evening. Later on at work you take a break and decide to make a quick call to your friend when you hear that dreadful sound; beep… beep… beep… beep! Then you realize one very
important task that you forgot to do the night before when you were reviewing your 'to do' list: charge your cell phone. You see, there is one factor in cell phone advancement that has remained steadfast, regardless of the ever evolving technology. If you want to use your cell phone, it has to be charged!
The Jewish people are very similar to cell phones. In this week's parsha, Mishpatim, B'nei Yisrael receive several commandments from G-d, one of which is to keep the Shabbos. Moshe tells the Jewish people, "Six days you shall accomplish your activities, and on the seventh day you shall desist..." (Mishpatim 23:12). Of course a person needs to work during the week, as earning a livelihood, making advancements in their field, and/or using their skills to help others are important aspects of life. However, what gives a person the energy and strength to work those days is keeping the Shabbos. As the saying goes, the Jews keep the Shabbos, and the Shabbos keeps the Jews. Shabbos is what allows us to take a step back and be refreshed.
The Chumash relates in parshas Ki Sisa regarding the Shabbos, "Between Me and the children of Israel it is a sign forever that in a six-day period Hashem made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed" (31:17). The commentator Sforno explains that the word for refreshed, "vayinafash," relates to the word "nefesh" (soul), meaning that Shabbos was endowed with an extra element of spirituality to help the Jewish people actualize their potential for the goal which Hashem created man in His image.
Our task in this world is to learn Torah and do mitzvahs. This of course takes a great deal of hard work; intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, and physically.
Therefore we need a way to keep ourselves energized and focused. How is this accomplished? How do we plug ourselves in and get recharged? Unlike the cell phone, you'll find that there are numerous ways to plug in and revitalize. You can go to shul, help your neighbour, learn Chumash or other Torah books, or do a mitzvah. However, Hashem has given us the privilege of keeping Shabbos as a means to charge our batteries on a weekly basis. Best of all, unlike charging your cell phone, plugging into Shabbos won’t violate any laws!
These days, you can buy a phone that is more of a home entertainment centre than a way of letting your wife know that you're going to be late for dinner. By today’s industry standards, any phone that isn’t equipped with a camera, video camera, mp3 player, wireless internet connection, daily organizer, several games, and free international texting, isn't really worth looking at and probably won't be considered by the large majority of cell phone users. Buy a phone today? Why that's crazy! Just sign up for a 2 year contract and you can get any number of phones such as the iPhone, Blackberry, Google Android, or other smart phone for free or at least at a fraction of the original cost.
Most of us have experienced the following scenario. You rush out of the house to start your day, which is packed from morning to evening. Later on at work you take a break and decide to make a quick call to your friend when you hear that dreadful sound; beep… beep… beep… beep! Then you realize one very
important task that you forgot to do the night before when you were reviewing your 'to do' list: charge your cell phone. You see, there is one factor in cell phone advancement that has remained steadfast, regardless of the ever evolving technology. If you want to use your cell phone, it has to be charged!
The Jewish people are very similar to cell phones. In this week's parsha, Mishpatim, B'nei Yisrael receive several commandments from G-d, one of which is to keep the Shabbos. Moshe tells the Jewish people, "Six days you shall accomplish your activities, and on the seventh day you shall desist..." (Mishpatim 23:12). Of course a person needs to work during the week, as earning a livelihood, making advancements in their field, and/or using their skills to help others are important aspects of life. However, what gives a person the energy and strength to work those days is keeping the Shabbos. As the saying goes, the Jews keep the Shabbos, and the Shabbos keeps the Jews. Shabbos is what allows us to take a step back and be refreshed.
The Chumash relates in parshas Ki Sisa regarding the Shabbos, "Between Me and the children of Israel it is a sign forever that in a six-day period Hashem made heaven and earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed" (31:17). The commentator Sforno explains that the word for refreshed, "vayinafash," relates to the word "nefesh" (soul), meaning that Shabbos was endowed with an extra element of spirituality to help the Jewish people actualize their potential for the goal which Hashem created man in His image.
Our task in this world is to learn Torah and do mitzvahs. This of course takes a great deal of hard work; intellectually, emotionally, spiritually, and physically.
Therefore we need a way to keep ourselves energized and focused. How is this accomplished? How do we plug ourselves in and get recharged? Unlike the cell phone, you'll find that there are numerous ways to plug in and revitalize. You can go to shul, help your neighbour, learn Chumash or other Torah books, or do a mitzvah. However, Hashem has given us the privilege of keeping Shabbos as a means to charge our batteries on a weekly basis. Best of all, unlike charging your cell phone, plugging into Shabbos won’t violate any laws!
