Mishpatim

22 Shevat 5782

“And if a man’s bull strikes his friend’s bull and it dies, they shall sell the live bull and divide the money received for it, and they shall also divide the dead body.” (Shemos 21:35)

One might ask, why the Torah, which encompasses all mystical worlds, hidden and revealed, “wastes” time on subjects as mundane and lowly as one bull striking another. The answer can be found at the beginning of our Parashah, “Ve’eleh hamishpatim asher tasim lifneyhem” (These are the ordinances that you shall set before them) (Shemos 21:1). Rashi explains, “Just as what has been previously stated [namely the Ten Commandments,] were from Sinai, these too were from Sinai.”

Sinai entailed the most profound spiritual revelation of all time. G‑d himself came to the Jewish people to manifest His authority over the world, and approve Moshe as the lawgiver of the entire Torah. What followed was not an exposition on the mystical proportions of the world, but a detailed and scrupulous explanation of Hashem’s will in man’s every day interactions. Carrying out this will in our daily lives is the focus of Hashem’s vision for the world, and the main point of our soul’s descent into the physical.

“For the Divine will is actually manifest in the soul and its garments that are engaged in Torah study, since it is identical with the Torah being studied.” (Lessons in Tanya, Likutei Amarim, middle of Chapter 23)

Hashem’s will is identical with the Torah. Hence, every little detail must be studied and performed to the best of our abilities. “When studying Torah have in mind the saying in the Gemara (Berachos 8a) that ‘The Holy One, blessed is He, has nothing in the world but the four cubits of Halacha.’ Say to yourself that He, blessed is He, constricted Himself and dwells here; thus it is appropriate to studying with joy, fear and love” (Tzava’at Harivash 119). When we study with this awareness constantly before us, we will merit unity, dveikus with Hashem that not even the supernal worlds could endure.

“Let them give thanks to the L‑rd for His kindness, and [proclaim] His wonders to the children of man.” (Tehillim 107:21)

It is not, however, enough to study these laws for yourself. You must also go out and teach others. Not only is it the explicit will of Hashem to spread awareness of His greatness, as stated above in Tehillim, it will also help in your own learning, as the Rebbe stated, “Anyone can study the Torah, of course, but the Divine inspiration that grants us additional insight and allows us to sense G‑d’s presence in the Torah is ours only when we are actively concerned for our fellow human beings” (Likutei Sichot, vol. 11, p. 250).