Parshat Mishpatim Based on a Naaleh.Com Shiur by Mrs

Dedicated in memory of Rachel Leah bat R' Chaim Tzvi

Volume 7 Number 48 Brought to you by Naaleh.com

Blood and Bonding: Parshat Mishpatim Based on a Naaleh.com shiur by Mrs. Shira Smiles

“Moshe took half the blood and placed it in the princes of the angels. He explains that the basins and half the blood he threw upon the altar represented Hashem's role in the The world is based on two matching halves, altar. He took the Book of the Covenant and covenenant. Half the blood was sprinkled on writes Rabbi Epﬆein, male and female, giver read it to the people, and they said, ‘Every- the altar and half was sprinkled on Bnei and receiver. For chessed to be possible, there thing that Hashem has said naaseh venishma Yisroel, in equal amounts, This is reminiscent muﬆ be both a giver and a receiver. For twenty – we will do and we will liﬆen.’ Moses took the of two lovers in which neither is greater than six generations, writes Rabbi Friedlander, we blood and threw it upon the people and said, the other and each half needs the other. were receivers, surviving only through ‘Behold the blood of the covenant that Hashem’s eternal chessed. Then with our Hashem has sealed with you concerning Moshe is called Ish HaElokim, The Man of accepting the Torah and proclaiming, “Naaseh these matters.’” This ritual cemented the God. The Maharal explains that Moshe was venishma,” we too became givers, earning the relationship between Hashem and Bnei more than juﬆ an intermediary between man ability to effect changes in heaven and on Yisroel. However, it seems enigmatic and and God. He connected the two and could earth through our deeds. demands elucidation. Why was the blood therefore ascend to the heavens and return to divided in half? Exactly where was the blood the earth. Targum Yonatan notes that also The Shem MiShmuel quotes the Zohar that the thrown? Chanoch, who is mentioned in Bereishit, blood intended to be sprinkled on the altar and merited to ascend to heaven while ﬆill alive. the blood intended for the people were Even more puzzling is the Medrash that ﬆates He became the angel Matatron, the scribe who reversed, thereby sealing the covenant and that it was not Moshe himself who collected records the good deeds of Bnei Yisroel and the truﬆ of the two parties to the covenant. the blood, but rather an angel that appeared thereby acts as their defender and protector. Furthering this idea, Rabbi Munk notes that like him. Rav Diskin explains that it was Juﬆ as Moshe was an Ish HaElokim, incorpo- this covenant was sealed in blood. Whether in necessary for an angel to collect the blood rating both human and Godly elements, so too this covenant, or the Covenant between the since the blood had to be sprinkled from the Matatron encompassed both elements. Juﬆ as Halves, or the Covenant of Circumcision, we original collection pan without being Moshe was inﬆrumental in creating the pledge our very life force as individuals and as transferred. How could a human being know covenant between Hashem and Bnei Yisroel a nation to preserving this covenant. when to ﬆop collecting in one pan and begin by bringing the Torah from Hashem to this the second pan so that the two halves would people, so was Matatron inﬆrumental in The Shvilei Pinchas writes that throughout the be equal? While there are several answers sealing that covenant in blood by assiﬆing generations, Hashem has witnessed our given as to how the blood was split in exactly Moshe in the division of the blood. Chanoch, willingness to die for the sanctification of His two halves, the only one that is not supernatu- like Moshe, as much of an angel as he name. As we read in the Passover Haggadah, ral is cited by Rabbi Yishmael who explains became, underﬆood the challenges humans “I have seen you downtrodden in your blood, that Moshe himself was such an expert that face in maintaining their spiritual purity on this and I have said to you: ‘Through your blood he knew exactly when half the blood had earthly world. you shall live!” Our bond to Hashem becomes been collected and another vessel should be ﬆrengthened through our blood, until the time used to collect the remaining blood. He In Toward a Meaningful Life, Rabbi Jacobson when the Covenant of Blood will be replaced achieved this expertise through Torah ﬆudy, writes, “Remember that in the journey of life, with a Covenant of Life. Hashem shares in our which can lead a person to supernatural your body is the vehicle and your soul is the suffering, and He promises us that “in your angelic maﬆery over nature. compass. By following its voice, you remain blood you will live,” that the blood spilled focused on your deﬆination.” Our challenge is during the many years of our exile will be The Shvilei Pinchas identifies the angel to dedicate everything we do to the service of replaced with a Covenant of Life in the future. disguised as Moshe as Matatron, one of the Hashem and to recognize that within each act May it be speedily in our day. we can find an element of spirituality.

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Volume 7 Number 48 Brought to you by Naaleh.com

The Art of Jewish Parenting: The Path of God Based on a Naaleh.com shiur by Rabbi Hershel Reichman The firﬆ reference to Jewish parenting we find front of Moshe and called out the 13 Attributes in the Torah is when Hashem explains that he of Mercy. We repeat these attributes again and We say in our daily prayers, “Magen yisheinu had chosen Avraham. “Ki yedatev l’maan again on Yom Kippur. They contain the secret misgav b’adeinu. Hashem is our shield who asher yetzave et banav…v’shamru et derech of our ability to receive atonement and saves us, our baﬆion.” Juﬆ as Hashem is our Hashem. For I know that he will command his forgiveness and the qualities we are meant to fortress, every parent muﬆ be a source of children… to keep the ways of Hashem.” We model. Juﬆ as Hashem is merciful and ﬆability and ﬆrength for his children. No see that the essence of Jewish parenting is gracious, so too should we be. matter how badly we behave, Hashem training children to follow the path of Hashem. remains our source of reliance and protection. The Rambam quotes the Gemara in Shabbat The 13 Attributes begin with the words, Similarly, a parent’s commitment to his child that says the positive commandment of, “Hashem, Hashem.” The four letter name of muﬆ be total, absolute, and unshakeable. “V’halachta b’drachav,” (You shall walk in His Hashem denotes Hashem's role as the source One could think that a sinner disappoints ways) tells us that we are meant to imitate the of all of exiﬆence. Everything exiﬆs because Hashem’s expectations of him. Hashem attributes of Hashem. “Mah hu rachum, af ata Hashem wills it to be. Juﬆ as Hashem is the expects us to be righteous, kind, and moral tehei rachum. Juﬆ as He is merciful so too source of all exiﬆence in this world, parents and unfortunately we let Him down sometimes should you be.” Every Jewish parent has a are the source of their children’s lives. It is when we give in to our evil side. Yet He does special mitzvah to teach his children the ways both a privilege and an awesome responsibil- not say, “This sinner betrayed my truﬆ. I will of Hashem. One who traverses this path ity. When we create life we become a abandon my truﬆ in him.” He remains faithful brings blessing and goodness to his family. reflection of Hashem Who produces life. Yet it to him. does not ﬆop there. We say every day in Hashem is omnipotent and beyond anything Shachrit, “Hamechadesh b’tuvo b’chol yom The prophet Malachi explains the double we can fathom. How is it possible to imitate tamid. Hashem renews the world conﬆantly expression of Hashem in the 13 Attributes, His ways? Hashem fashioned us in His divine through His goodness.” He is continuously “Hashem, Hashem.” Malachi explains, quoting image. He gave us the ability to train breathing new life into the universe and Hashem as saying“Ani Hashem lo shoniti. I ourselves and our children to follow His ways. enabling it to exiﬆ. We are meant to follow His am Hashem, I do not change.” I am the same In the book of Shemot, Moshe asked Hashem ways, not juﬆ by producing life but by Hashem before the person sins and after he to explain to him the way He conducted His continuously giving life to our children. We sins. My commitment never wavers. Similarly, world. There are so many inscrutable things, have a responsibility to provide for our children no matter how badly a child has betrayed the such as why the righteous suffer and the on both a physical and spiritual level. One of truﬆ of his parents, they muﬆ never abandon wicked prosper. Hashem told Moshe, “You my great teachers once said, “We don’t him. We have to keep our inﬆinctive belief in will see My back but not My face will not be graduate from parenting. It’s a lifetime our children alive always. seen.” He would reveal a part of His essence, commitment.” Juﬆ as Hashem never but not everything. Then Hashem passed in abandoned his commitment to us, so too muﬆ we remain committed to our children.

Ask The Dayan #4 Based on a Naaleh.com Q&A Series by Dayan Shlomo Cohen

Queﬆion: was obligated to recompense her with the obligation to give Sarah the imported A week before Rosh Hashana, Sarah bought produce he had in his shop. Whose claim is vegetables. He is however obligated to refund a bag of vegetables for 20 shekels. When she correct? her the money she paid. This is because in came home she realized that the expiration Answer: Jewish law, any case of an invalid sale date on the package had already passed. She If all that happened between the time that obligates the seller to return the money. had no time to return it that day so she waited Sarah bought the vegetables and the time she Nowadays it may be that the accepted cuﬆom till after the holiday. When she finally got to came to return it, was that the price of amongﬆ shops is to provide a replacement the ﬆore and asked for a replacement, the vegetables had gone up, maybe Sarah would product in place of the one that was faulty. This owner said he could not give her anything, as have been right. The fact that the produce may obligate the cuﬆomer to accept the the Shemitta year had already ﬆarted. All the coﬆs more now is the owner’s problem, not product in place of cash. However, if the owner vegetables in the ﬆore were imported and hers. However, since the Shemitta year had doesn’t believe that Sarah bought the now coﬆ double the price. Sarah argued that begun, the vegetables in the shop are vegetables from him, the onus is on Sarah to had she had been sold something unfit for considered a totally a different product. prove it. If she cannot, the shop owner has no use. The fact that the owner only had coﬆly Imported produce cannot compare to home obligation to repay her. vegetables on hand was not her problem. He grown produce. Therefore the owner has no