Mishpatim: Torah Carved in Heart and Wood. Rabbi Tuvia Bolton, Ohr Tmimim, Kfar Chabad, Israel
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Parshat Mishpatim
This week's Torah reading begins with G-d telling Moses 'These are the laws (Mishpatim) you should put before them (Lifnayhem)'.
'Mishpatim' are Torah laws that make practical sense (like the damage cases mentioned in our section).
The Lubavitcher Rebbe explains that there are three types of Torah laws:
'Aidut' make only religious sense (like Tefillin or Mezuza), 'Chukim' are totally illogical (like don't cook meat and milk together) and "Mishpatim" are logical.
So here G-d is telling Moses (and the leaders of every generation after him) to put these 'Mishpatim: logical laws 'inside' of each Jew. ('Lifnayhem' also means 'inside of them').
What exactly does this mean and how is it done? And why does it apply specifically to these 'sensible' laws, why not the religious Aydut or illogical Chukim? And why can only Moses do this?
To understand this here is a story. (Sichat HaShavua #998)
Despite the fact that the Polish and Ukrainian people were fanatic Catholics and rabid antisemites, Chassidic Judaism miraculously flourished in both Poland and the Ukraine. But occasionally something happened to remind them how miraculous their existence was.
Such a case occurred over one hundred years ago in the Polish city of Kaminsk. A young Torah Scholar, who we will call Zalman, for some reason got angry at one of his teachers in Yeshiva (the Torah academy) and spitefully decided to stop going. It wasn't long before boredom took him to the streets, he removed his beard, payos, long black coat, began enjoying gentile night life, found himself a girlfriend and she convinced him to leave Judaism and jump into the ocean of gentiles surrounding him.
His parents tried to convince him to change his ways with no success. He was familiar with the Torah and deftly countered all their arguments. He felt free and alive. What more was there to life! They thought it was just a whim and soon he would return to the ways of his fathers. But when he mentioned he was changing his religions they became desperate.
They made an urgent meeting with the elders of the town and they decided the only one who could save Zalman was the Tzadik, Rabbi Yissacher Ber of Rodshiz. They had to get him to Rodshiz.
But how? To convince him would be impossible and to force him would be suicide if word got out. There was hardly a worse crime than dissuading a convert to the Church. But they had to do something.
In desperation they decided to turn to the Feirman brothers.
These two husky religious Jews were a good head taller, fifty pounds heavier and twice as strong as anyone in the area. Even the gentiles kept their distance. And after some convincing they agreed to risk their lives and do the job.
They dressed in simple garb, went to Zalman's home with a bottle of vodka and, pretending to be interested in following his path to the gentile world, said they wanted to stroll outside of the town where they could talk freely. They looked really interested as Zalman was explaining his new philosophy. He was in the middle of a sentence when suddenly they grabbed, gagged and bound him and carried him to a carriage that they had hidden behind some bushes and sped off to Rodshiz.
Zalman's gagged screams attracted attention whenever their carriage slowed to go through a town. But when people began to get too close they explained it was their poor brother who had been possessed by a 'dibuk', an evil spirit and everyone fled in fear.
Finally they arrived in Rodshiz, pulled up as close as possible to the Synagogue of the Rebbe and whisked their thrashing captive in as efficiently as possible, slamming the door behind them.
But the Rebbe's secretary was startled and flatly refused them entrance to the Rebbe's room: "You should have asked before you brought him here. It's crazy!!" And when they explained the whole story he frantically whispered, "Get him out of here! You want to get us all killed!?"
But they pushed their way in to the Rebbe's room and, surprisingly, although Zalman still squirmed and occasionally let out a muffled sound through his gag, he stood silently before the holy man.
The Rebbe seated behind his desk looked up quietly as though he was expecting them. "What is this?" He asked.
He listened as they explained the whole story, then looked silently at the bound Zalman for a few seconds and finally said.
"Very good that you brought him here. You acted wisely. Tell me, what is his name and his mother's name?"
Meanwhile seeing the Rebbe continued to have a strange effect on Zalman. Although his eyes flitted about like a trapped animal and every few minutes he squirmed, he was silent as though waiting to see what would happen.
The Rebbe walked to the door opened it and entered the large Synagogue room. The two brothers and Zalman watched as he approached the huge, ornate, mahogany Aron HaKodesh (Ark that holds the Scrolls) that stood majestically some twenty feet high at the front of the Synagogue, took out what looked like a small folding knife from his pocket and began carving something into the gleaming wood of the Ark!
After a few minutes he finished and stepped back. Zalman's name was etched clearly in the smooth brown wood.
The Rebbe looked at his work for a second, returned to his room and told the brothers that they could free their prisoner and tell the elders of their community that Zalman would never even think of leaving the Torah again.
On the long journey home Zalman sat quietly sunk in deep thought and several weeks later, after they returned, he resumed his studies a different man. He eventually married and established a home based on the firm foundations of Torah.
This story was told by a Rabbi Noah Gad Vinetroub of Jerusalem who said he heard it from one of the brothers Feirman when he was a child. Today the great grandchildren of 'Zalman' are G-d fearing Jews living in Israel.
This answers our questions about Moses putting logical laws inside of the Jews.
Although the Torah is called the book of wisdom and understanding (Deut.4:6) nevertheless the Torah is far ABOVE understanding; directly from the Infinite Creator of the universe.
Through the Torah the Jews reveal their unity with G-d; that they are the 'sons' and 'servants' of HaShem.
This is why Jews have given their lives for the Torah since it was given over 3,300 years ago; because G-d's Torah is eternally carved into the heart of every Jew, whether they know it or not. Something like how the Ten Commandments were carved into the stone Tablets or how the Rebbe in our story carved Zalman's name into the ark.
But only a Rebbe, a leader of Jews like Moses, can really reveal this. Others can teach the Torah and inspire Jews to follow it... but only a Rebbe can arouse Jewish hearts to this inner, G-dly, above-normal connection.
And this is exactly what Moshiach will do. He will reveal the living connection of all the Jews to the Torah; above all logic and understanding so that even the logical laws of the Torah, the "Mishpatim' will feel G-dly.
But, unlike Moses who was just for the Jews, Moshiach will bring all mankind to feel this as well; All humanity will observe the Seven Noahide Commandments not only because they are wise and practical laws (which they are) but because they are written by G-d in His Torah.
All that is missing is for us to, in the language of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, open our eyes and do all we can; even one more good deed, word or even thought to see ...
Moshiach NOW!!
Rabbi Tuvia Bolton
Yeshiva Ohr Tmimim
Kfar Chabad, Israel
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