Rabbi Frand on Parshas Mishpatim
These divrei Torah were adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi
Yissocher Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Tapes on the weekly portion:
Tape # 134,Hashovas Aveida: Returning Lost Objects.
Good Shabbos!
One Who Cheats In His Business Doesn't Believe in G-d
Our Parsha begins "And these are the statutes that you shall place
before them." There is a very famous Rashi on the words "And these".
Normally "these" would mean "to the exclusion of others". But Rashi
says that the conjunction "and" adds to what came before (vov mosif),
in Parshas Yisro.
In Parshas Yisro, G-d gave us the Ten Commandments. Rashi here says
that just as the Ten Commandments were given at Sinai, so too the
laws that are recorded in Parshas Mishpatim were also given at Sinai.
The truth of the matter is that this Rashi requires understanding.
There is another famous Rashi [Vayikra 25:1] on the words "On Mount
Sinai" (mentioned in connection with Shmita) which asks, "What is the
connection between Shmitah and Mount Sinai?" Rashi there answers that
just like the laws of Shmita were given with all their rules and
intricate details at Sinai, so too all other commands were given with
their rules and intricate details at Sinai.
If that is the case, what is Rashi adding here, by telling us that
the laws of Parshas Mishpatim were given at Sinai? We know that --
the whole Torah was given at Sinai!
The Ramba"n says a very interesting thing. According to the Ramba"n,
Parshas Mishpatim and the Parsha of the Ten Commandments were said
together at the initial meeting of G-d with Moshe on Sinai (prior to
the 40 day period when Moshe learned the rest of the Torah).
Subsequent to that, Moshe Rabbeinu came down, taught the Jewish
people what he had learned from G-d and then went back up to Mount
Sinai to learn more.
What emerges from this Ramba"n is that the laws of one ox goring
another ox, of digging a hole in the public domain, or paying workers
on time, all the mundane intricacies of life have the same status and
were given at the same time as the Ten Commandments. Therefore, Rashi
is stating something significant.
But, is it not peculiar that almost in the same breath as G-d spoke
"I am the L-rd your G-d who took you out from Egypt...", the
foundation of Judaism, He also told us about our responsibilities
when we borrow our neighbor's car?
Why does Parshas Mishpatim rate the same session as "I am the L-rd
your G-d"?
Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt"l, said that this comes to teach us that if a
person does not keep Parshas Mishpatim (monetary laws), he doesn't
believe in "I am the L-rd your G-d" either.
"I am the L-rd your G-d" is the theory --- I believe. But the other
side of the coin, the practice, is do you cheat in your business? If
you cheat in your business, you do not believe in "I am the L-rd your
G-d".
Rav Moshe continues, if a person believes in G-d with more than lip
service, then the person believes that G-d provides him with a
livelihood. If a person believes that G-d provides the livelihood,
then what reason is there to cheat? "A person's livelihood is fixed
for him from Rosh HaShannah" [Beitzah 16a]. If one believes that,
there is no need to cheat. Anyone who cheats, does not believe it.
That is why "I am the L-rd your G-d" is in the same session as the
law of how to pay one's workers.
There was recently a meeting in New York of the Association of Jewish
Certified Public Accountants; an organization appropriately called
Cheshbon. Rav Schwab told this group that a person who is dishonest
in business is a Kofer b'Ikkar (He denies G-d). For the same reason
that we just mentioned -- that if a person really believed, he would
not need to cheat. One cheats because he thinks -- "this will get me
the parnossah". Cheating indicates that he does not believe that G-d
will take care of him.
Then Rav Schwab continued by saying the following. "You will ask that
we see people who cheat a tremendous amount and are nonetheless,
successful. Now if parnossah comes from G-d, how can that be?"
Rav Schwab explained that such people's money comes from the 'Sitra
Achra', from the forces of impurity in the world, not from G-d. No
good will ever come out of the money that comes from the powers of
impurity (Kochos HaTumah) in the world. He or his children or someone
down the line will never see satisfaction (nachas) from that money.
The 'test' of earning a livelihood is not only a test of telling the
truth, of not stealing, etc. It is a test of 'I am the L-rd your G-d'.
Daily, we are put to the 'test' of whether or not we really believe.
If we really, really believe, then there is never a reason to be less
than 100% honest in our dealings with other people and with ourselves.
Personalities & Sources:
Rash"i -- Rav Shlomo ben Yitzchak (1040-1105); Troyes and Worms,
France. "Father of all Torah commentaries".
Ramba"n -- Rav Moshe ben Nachman (1194-1270), Gerona, Spain; Eretz
Yisroel.
Rav Moshe Feinstein -- (1895-1986) Rosh Yeshiva of Mesivta Tifereth
Jerusalem; Author of Igros Moshe and Dibros
Moshe.
Rav Shimon Schwab -- (1908-1995) Rav of the 'Breur Kehilla' in
Washington Heights, New York; previously a Rav
in Baltimore, MD.
Glossary
Shmita -- Sabbatical Year
Cheshbon -- Calculations (both mathematical as well as ethical)
Parnossah -- Livelihood
Sitra Achra -- kabbalistic concept "the other force"
This week's write-up is adapted from the hashkafa portion of Rabbi
Yissochar Frand's Commuter Chavrusah Torah Tapes on the weekly Torah
portion #134. The corresponding halachic portion for this tape is:
Hashovas Aveida: Returning Lost Objects. The other halachic portions for
Parsha Mishpatim from the Commuter Chavrusah Series are:
Also Available: Mesorah / Artscroll has published a collection
of Rabbi Frand's essays. The book is entitled:
