Mishpatim 5782 – Is Your Emunah Complete?
L’ilui Nishmat Michael Ben Renee
Shiur presented in 5779
L’ilui Nishmat Michael Ben Renee
Shiur presented in 5779
In the parshah it says, “if you walk in my statutes” (Vayikra 26:3). Rashi says when it says “and you should be shomer all My mitzvos,” so fulfillment of all the other mitzvos is covered with these words. That covers all the mitzvos. So how do I explain the words “if you walk in my statues”? What does that refer to?
fter the sin of the cheit ha’eigel, Hashem Yisbarach was quite upset at Klal Yisrael, to say the least, and Moshe Rabeinu appeared as a tremendous shaliach of the tzibbur, to plead for us, to beseech Hashem for us. It would appear that Moshe Rabbeinu didn’t react in any negative manner, only in a positive manner, although he did break the luchos in response to encountering the event of worshiping the eigel which was a tremendous act of sacrifice on Moshe Rabbeinu’s part. But in realityץץץ
We’re coming down from the mountain. Shavuos is over. You know, there is one maalah of Yom Tov over Shabbos. The Ramban says that the neshamah yeseirah of Shabbos leaves by Motzei Shabbos. By Yom Tov, it doesn’t leave. But lema’aseh, after matan Torah, you know what Hashem said? שׁוּבוּ לָכֶם לְאָהֳלֵיכֶם, “Go back to your tents” (Devarim 5:27). Go home. Do you know what Hashem wanted us to do? To take the Torah we just learned, take the Torah we were just mekabel, and bring it home.
In this week’s parshah, we encounter the mitzvah of tzedakah. Tzedakah is something that everybody is familiar with. In all the shuls, people are collecting tzedakah. It is collected everywhere; on the streets, in newspapers, by phone, and through many other mediums and venues.
Today, I want to share with you something that I heard from my Rebbi (HaRav Meir Halevi Soloveichik, zt”l) many years ago. It’s what you would refer to as a Brisker chiddush. One of the uniquenesses of the Briskers, is that they took nothing for granted. All assumed understandings were always re-analyzed and re-studied in order to find the emes. I remember hearing this chiddush from my Rebbi and thinking, “Wow! That’s an interesting devar Torah!” And then I realized it wasn’t a devar Torah. They generally don’t say divrei Torah. What they try to find is the emese pshat in the pesukim. Let me share with you this wonderful chiddush.
These parshiyos of the Torah teach us the foundation of our lives. A foundation is something upon which other things are built. If you have a small foundation, you can build a small binyan. If you have a large foundation, you can build a large binyan.