B"H

Tuesday, Shevat 23, 5779 / January 29, 2019

One of the mitzvot in Parshat Mishpatim, as mentioned yesterday, is to help those who are in financial need. The Torah commands, "When you lend money to My people, to the poor person [who is] with you, do not act toward him as a demanding creditor.  Do not place the burden of interest upon him."

Although the Torah uses the Hebrew expression, “Im”, which can be translated, "IF” you lend, which implies that one is not obligated to lend, our sages explain that here it doesn't mean "if" but rather "when.”  For giving a loan and helping those in need is a mitzvah and commandment which we are required to perform.

Q.  Why does the Torah use the Hebrew word “Im” which can be translated as "if"?

A. The Rabbis explain that the word “if” here means, "If G-d blessed you with money and financial means, make sure that you lend and help the poor man with you." In this context the Torah tells us, if you have been blessed with financial means, then you must help those who need help.  The true purpose for which G-d gives us also wealth is so that we shall be generous to others.

Another way of translating this verse is:  If you want to make sure that your wealth stays always yours, use it to help others.  For that which one uses to help the poor is the only possession which is truly theirs! The only possession which is guaranteed to be forever ours is the money we give to charity and help the needy.

Our sages say, "When a person passes away from this world, it is not their silver, nor gold and not the precious stones which will go with them.  Only the Torah and good deeds they performed during their lifetime will accompany them in the World-to-Come." Only the charity we gave and what we spent to help others, those are our everlasting possessions.

Q.  Why is there no blessing for the mitzvah of charity, as we do before performing other mitzvot?

A.  The blessings for mitzvot was established by our sages. The blessing is recited before performing the mitzvah. They didn’t want the person in need to have to wait, even the time it takes the giver to recite a blessing! It shows the importance of performing this mitzvah as quick as possible.

One of the elder Chasidim of Rabbi Shneur Zalmen of Liadi had a free loan society through which he would help people. He once asked the Rebbe for permission to hand over the society to someone else, claiming that it steals valuable time from me, which I would prefer to devote to study Torah.

Rabbi Schneur Zalmen replied, "It is not true that acts of generosity and kindness 'steal' your time. If anything, they give you more time!"  The Chasid continued administrating the Free Loan Fund and, the Rebbe's words were indeed fulfilled. He lived an additional 15 years and passed away at a very old age.  One does not lose by investing in a mitzvah!

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY

B"H

Thursday, Shevat 25, 5779 / January 31, 2019

This week's Parsha, Mishpatim, contains many of the 613 mitzvot of the Torah.  Most of the mitzvot in this Parsha are in the category of "Mishpatim"-- civil laws and statutes. These are mitzvot which apply between one person and another.

"Mishpatim" are mitzvot which, even if the Torah didn't command us to observe them, we would know and understand their importance.  Yet, as Jews, we treat them as divine commandments. 

The Torah commands us to be careful dealing with converts, widows and orphans; "A stranger [convert] you shall not wrong, neither shall you oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.  Any widow or orphan you shall not afflict.  If you do afflict them and they will cry to me, I will surely hear their cry." The Torah then spells out the punishment for afflicting widows and orphans.

Rabbi Yaakov Berlin was a wealthy man. One day, while the maid cleaned the house, she accidentally broke a very expensive dish. Rabbi Yaakov's wife became very upset and scolded the maid for being clumsy.

"You have no right to scream at her," Rabbi Yaakov said to his wife.

"But she caused us such a great loss, "answered the wife.

"It is your right to call her to Beth Din (rabbinical court) and present your claim," said Rabbi Yaakov.  "But you cannot mistreat her in any way."

Rabbi Yaakov's wife decided to take the maid to the rabbinical court. She put on her coat, telling the maid to come with her. Rabbi Yaakov also put on his coat.

"You don't have to bother," Rabbi Yaakov's wife said to her husband.  "I can plead my own case."

"I know you don't need my help.  But the poor maid is an orphan and has no one to help her.  She will be scared and will not know what to say in her defense.  It is to help her that I am going..."

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.  Rabbi Chanina ben Dosa says that the relationship between one person and the other has an effect on G-d’s relationship with us. It is our performance of the mitzvot between a person toward their fellow which affects our relationship with G-d. One cannot separate the two. Parshat Mishpatim comes right after the Giving of the Torah, to teach us this important lesson.

HAVE A VERY GOOD, HAPPY, HEALTHY AND SUCCESSFUL DAY

B"H

Friday, Shevat 26, 5779 / February 1, 2019

One of the laws in this week’s Parsha, Mishpatim, concerns passing just and truthful judgment: "Keep far from uttering a falsehood… Do not accept bribery, for bribery blinds the wise and falsifies the words of the righteous." 

The Torah tells us that receiving bribery will influence the outcome of the judgment.  Thus, a judge who accepts bribery will be punished by eventually forgetting all his knowledge of Torah, thus becoming intellectually blind as well as physically blind.

In addition to money and gifts, bribery even applies to favors and kind words from the litigants. Since this is done with the intent of influencing the judge, it is considered bribery. Our Sages were extremely careful about judging a case in which they felt there may be a remote resemblance of bribery.

A Talmudic story: Shmuel, one of the greatest Sages of the Talmud, was once crossing a bridge over a river, when a person stretched out his hand to help him along.  Shmuel began speaking to this man, and found out that he was on his way to the courthouse where Shmuel was one of the judges. "Because you helped me cross the bridge I cannot be your judge," Shmuel told the man. Although the person was sincere and did not intend to influence the case, Shmuel refused to judge it.

The prohibition against bribery also applies when a gift is offered unconditionally. It even applies when the judge is encouraged to judge the case fairly. Even if the judge is absolutely certain that he will remain impartial, he is prohibited to accept a gift/bribe. The very nature of bribery distorts the judge's clear thinking, and causes him to side with his benefactor. The following story illustrates the effect of bribery -- even when the judge is not aware of it!

Rabbi Teomim was a respected scholar who was a member of a Beth-Din (Rabbinical Court). Once, two businessmen brought their dispute before the court, yet Rabbi Teomim was unable to agree with the other judges and the case was adjourned until the following day. Rabbi Teomim left the courtroom puzzled, unable to understand why his thinking was so different from the other judges.

On his way home, Rabbi Teomim put his hand into his coat pocket and felt a bundle of money. He immediately realized that one of the litigants had tried to bribe him. The next day, when the case continued, he accused one of the businessmen who admitted his guilt. "Just see how powerful are the effects of a bribe," said Rabbi Teomim to the other judges. "I had no idea that this individual had bribed me yet, my thinking became biased and I could not agree with you and pronounce him guilty!"

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 too, have to be tight with each other. Our destiny depends on how tightly we are with each other.”

SHABBAT SHALOM

Montrealcandle lighting time: 4:42 / Shabbat ends: 5:49