Wednesday, Shevat 24, 5776 / February 3, 2016 – HAKHEL YEAR
Shalom. I hope this Torah Fax finds you in good health. The reason I took a break from Torah Fax is because we attended our grandson’s wedding last Wednesday in New York.
It is indeed a special blessing for which we are grateful to G-d for His great kindness and blessings to be able to partake in a grandchild’s wedding. I am also grateful that my parents were able to attend and enjoy the wedding. My father, who will be one hundred, G-d willing, in 7 weeks, attended the entire wedding and enjoyed every minute of it.
Unfortunately, this Sunday he wasn’t feeling well and was taken to the hospital. I ask you to pray for his health that he have a speedy recovery. His name is: Menachem Mendel ben Chaya Bracha. I thank you for your prayers and looking forward to celebrating his 100th birthday.
May G-d bless you and your loved ones with good health, long life and lots of simchas – happy celebrations.
This week’s Parsha, Mishpatim,is the first Parsha after the story of the Giving of the Torah. In this Parsha we find 53 of the 613 mitzvot.
Mishpatimare mitzvot (commandments) which affect the relationship between one person to another. They fall within the realm of logic and reason. In fact, many secular societies may contain similar laws. The name of the Parsha, Mishpatim, tells us that most of the mitzvot in this Parsha are such which teach us of our responsibility towards our fellow human being.
Q. Why is Parshat Mishpatim, which deals with the mitzvot between one person and another, immediately after Parshat Yitro where we read about the Giving of the Torah?
A. We find the same thing in the Ten Commandments, where there is great emphasis on the mitzvot between man and man. Our performance of these mitzvot is a good barometer of our relationship toward G-d. Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa says in the Mishna, "If your fellow is not pleased with you, then the spirit of G-d is not pleased with you."
For this reason, Parshat Mishpatim comes right after the Giving of the Torah, to teach us the importance of the mitzvot which emphasize proper conduct and love amongst ourselves.
Rabbi Yechezkel of Kuzmir would say, "The Jewish people are compared to a box full of glass dishes. If the dishes are packed tightly, the box can be moved about and transported and none of the dishes will break. But if the dishes are packed loosely, they bang into each other and will easily break. We, as a people, have to be close and tight with each other. This is the secret of our survival…”
HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY