Is Story-time Over?
A short thought on Parashas Mishpatim
I saw a tweet this week that really got me thinking.
Now that Yisro is over, is the story time really now over? It seems the excitement has settled. The dramatic stories may pause temporarily, yet we know that they will undoubtedly return. Furthermore, although the Torah delves into intricate legal details, the Halachos are critical to the story of the Jewish people. They have sustained us through the ups and downs of history, and without them, our tale would be incomplete.
In the words of Echad Ha'Am, Shabbos is not just something that the Jewish people have upheld, but it is also the force that has kept the Jewish people intact. Similarly, as Rav Aryeh Kaplan has observed, God has provided guidelines to ensure the continuance of Judaism as a unified way of life.1
The letter between Parashas Mishpatim and Parashas Yisro is the letter "vav." According to the Midrash, the use of the word "eileh" in the Torah indicates separation, while "v'eileh" implies connection and correlation. In Parashas Yisro, we witnessed the pinnacle of the giving of the Torah, and we remain there, currently immersed in studying the details of the Torah. We are acquiring the knowledge necessary to sustain us throughout the generations.
The Tiferes Shlomo teaches that the mishpatim are actually gifts from Hashem. By fulfilling them, we can forge our unique path in this world. The main point is not to set us up for earning punishment, but rather to bestow kindness upon us as we do what we should do. Keeping the laws of Torah serve to refine Hashem’s creations and provide a means to draw down kindness into the world. Fulfilling these laws can arouse Hashem’s infinite kindness and bestow bracha. The mishpatim of Hashem unify justice and righteousness, and following them can exempt one from other forms of judgment. Keeping the laws of Torah can bring kindness, goodness, satisfaction, and blessings to the Jewish people.
The mitzvos are designed to cultivate the habit of goodness in us so that we will, almost unthinkingly, act better to others than we would if each time we were making a choice.
So, let's not close the book just yet. Let's keep the mishpatim close to our hearts and continue to follow Hashem’s guidelines. After all, they have kept us going this far and will continue to do so for generations to come.
Shabbat Shalom
