B"H
Thursday, Shevat 23, 5778 / February 8, 2018
This week’s Parsha, Mishpatim, is the eighteenth Parsha in the Torah. Until this Parsha the Torah was mostly about the history of the Jewish people. The stories of our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and Sarah, Rivkah, Rachel and Leah. How the Jewish people ended up in Egypt and how they were liberated from slavery. In last week’s Parsha, Yitro, we read how the Jewish people came to Mount Sinai and received the Ten Commandments.
From this week’s Parsha, Mishpatim, the Torah begins to records the 613 mitzvot. In Parshat Mishpatim alone we find 53 of the 613 mitzvot.
In memory of my father, of blessed memory, and in connection with this Parsha, I would like to relate the following story, which he used to tell many times, to impress upon his children, grandchildren and great grandchildren the value and importance of abiding by the Torah and its mitzvot. Not to try to copy what others do, only to follow the laws of Torah, which is our first class ticket to travel through life.
Many years ago, there lived a wealthy farmer in one of the remote cities in Russia. From time to time he had to travel to Moscow and the trip by horse and carriage would take him a few weeks.
Then the train was introduced. Now instead of a few weeks, he can get to Moscow in a few days. The next time he had to be in Moscow he decided to travel by train. T the ticket counter, he was told that he had a choice of a third, second, or first class ticket. Being a wealthy man he bought a first class ticket.
As he was waiting for the train, he saw people congregating on the platform. It was his first time travelling on a train, so he decided he would watch what others do and do the same. When the train pulled into the station and the doors opened, he saw that some of the people rushed into the last car of the train. He followed them in and saw that they went under the train seats, so he did the same. After a long while the train puled out of the station.
Suddenly, he is pulled out. “You thief!,” the conductor screams at him. What are you doing there? Ah! You have no ticket.. You thief.. I will teach you a lesson and with that he gives him a few smacks.
“But, I do have a ticket,” he protests and shows him his first class ticket! “If you have a first class ticket why would you be riding under a seat in third class?”
He replied, “It’s the first time I’m travelling on a train. I had no idea how to go about it, so I did exactly what others did.” The conductor laughed, “You have a first class ticket and you’re copying those who have no tickets?”
My father, may his soul rest in peace, would conclude, “Remember, we Jews have a first class ticket to get us through this world to our final destination. It is the Torah which has proven itself for over 3,000 years. We should follow it and not be so foolish, as that silly farmer, to copy what others do.
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY