| "Six years he
will work, and in the seventh he will go out free." (Ex 21:2)
"Six
years" is an allusion to the six thousand years of the existence of the world.
"He will work" during this time to keep Torah and Mitzvot. "And
in the seventh" - the seventh millenium corresponding to the seventh year
- "he will go out free"- that is when we will be released from all the
distractions and the concealment of the Divine light, and we will merit the highest
revelations of the time to come.
(from The Lubavitcher Rebbe -translated
from Sichat HaShavua 112)
"…Only his Shabbat (ceasing
from work) he shall give and his healing he will certainly provide."
(21:19)
If a Jew will only give to G-d proper Shabbat observance according
to the laws of Shabbat, G-d will immediately heal him from any illness. Thus,
the blessing we say over the Torah on Shabbat for sick people is worded, "Shabbat
is a day of refraining from calling out; and healing is soon to come."
(Rabbi
Boruch-Mordechai of Kwaidenov translated from Sichat HaShavuah 476)
"If there is fatality, you must give a life for a life." (21:23)
If
a Jew is in critical danger, you have to "give your life for a life":
be prepared with 'all your heart, all your life, all your resources' to save the
life of a Jew that befell a tragedy.
(Sossover Rebbe translated from Sichat
HaShavuah 321)
"If a man digs
a pit... the owner of the pit shall make it good, and return money (kesef) to
the owner." (21:34)
Every person "digs a pit" with
his sins into which other people fall and get hurt. The way to correct this situation
and "make it good" is by "returning kesef (related to the word
kisuf - longing and yearning) to the owner" - with a sincere desire to return
to the "Owner" of the world in repentance.
(Likutei Sefat
Emet) "If the stolen article is found in the thief's possession...
he must make double restitution." (Ex. 22:3)
It is possible
to utilize for G-d's service, according to the Torah, all behavior-traits. This
includes those traits that are unwholesome, and even those that are evil. For
example, Rabbi Meshulam Zusya of Anipoli learned a number of methods of serving
G-d from a thief: a) He works quietly without others knowing. b) He is ready to
place himself in danger.
c) The smallest detail is of great importance to
him. d) He labors with great toil.
e) Alacrity. f) He is confident and optimistic.
g) If he does not succeed the first time, he tries again and again.
(Hayom
Yom) "If you will lend money... to
the poor person among you..."
(22:24)
(The word used for 'money' is
the word for 'silver.') The Tzemach Tzedek explained: silver (kesef
in Hebrew, also meaning longing, desire etc) hints at the soul, because she always
longs to rise up and be elevated higher and higher. "If you will borrow silver"
- the soul is given to the person as a loan for a certain period of time. Everyone
has an allotment of days and years, how long he will live in this world, and it
is up to him to make the most of the time that this loan is in his possession.
(HaYom-Yom) "If you will lend
money... to the poor person among you..." (22:24)
One is obliged
to fulfill the mitzvot of charity and loving kindness even under conditions
of "the poor among you", i.e. when poverty is also your lot and you
suffer lack; even so, you have to share your bread with the poor.
(Rebbe Shmelke
of Nikolsburg) "For all manner of transgression...of which he can
say, 'this is it.'" (22:80).
Pride is the root of all transgression.
The essence of sin is when a person says of himself--"this is it"--"I
am the most important thing in the whole world!"
(Rabbi Yisrael of Modzitz) "Do
not put your hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness." (Mishpatim
23:1)
You must never say anything bad about any Jew, God forbid, because then
you will have to serve as an "unrighteous witness." When the evil inclination
accuses someone, he will call you to bear witness to his words.
If you must
speak disparagingly about some bad trait or person, you should state clearly that
you are not referring to any specific individual, but only to the bad character
trait itself.
(Baal Shem Tov - Translation and Commentary by
Rabbi Dr. Eliezer Shore for //baalshemtov.com) "Keep far
away from a false matter." (23:7)
Although the Torah contains 365
negative commandments, lying is the only sin the Torah warns us not only to avoid,
but from which to "keep far away." This teaches that it isn't enough
for a person not to lie; he must actively distance himself from falsehood and
flee from it.
(Rebbe Zushe of Anipoli)
"We will do and
obey whatever G·d says." [24:7]
Since the Jewish people had
already said, "We will do and obey whatever G·d says,"1 why does
oral tradition say that G·d had to impose the Torah on the Jewish people
by holding Mount Sinai over their heads and threatening to bury them underneath
it if they didn't accept it? The answer is that this comes to teach us
that even when one has no desire to learn Torah and serve G·d, nevertheless,
one is not absolved from doing so, and one must force oneself by visualizing that
[G·d] is [now holding Mount Sinai over his head and] forcing him.* *
This is not meant merely as a theoretical thought, but as a meditative visualization
that can re-ignite the enthusiasm of, "We will do and obey," that naturally
wanes and waxes throughout the day. (The Baal Shem Tov Kst 47, Translation
and commentary by Rabbi Yehoshua Starrett.) "The appearance of the
glory of G-d was like a devouring fire." ( 24:17)
The litmus test
to determine if our service is indeed acceptable before G-d is whether or not
we feel a fiery enthusiasm and zeal in our worship. The excitement and ardor we
experience is proof that G-d approves of the path we are embarked upon. Conversely,
a cold and indifferent attitude in our service signals that we still have far
to go.
(Kedushat Levi) "Moses was on the Mountain forty days
and forty nights." (24:18)
"Not until after forty years does
a person fathom the full intent of his teacher" the Talmud tells us. One
day "Above" is equal to a year in this world. Moses was on Mount Sinai
- "Above" - for exactly forty days and nights. Thus he was able to fully
fathom Torah and wholeheartedly accept its obligations.
(Ohr HaTorah) (from
L'Chaim #808) | "Six years he will
work, and in the seventh he will go out free." (Ex 21:2)
"Six
years" is an allusion to the six thousand years of the existence of the world.
"He will work" during this time to keep Torah and Mitzvot. "And
in the seventh" - the seventh millenium corresponding to the seventh year
- "he will go out free"- that is when we will be released from all the
distractions and the concealment of the Divine light, and we will merit the highest
revelations of the time to come.
(The Lubavitcher Rebbe) [Reprinted
with permission from L'Chaim Magazine (www.lchaim.org).] "You
shall not afflict any widow or orphan." (Exodus 22:21)
Whenever Rabbi
Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev reached this verse he would cry out. "Master
of the Universe! You instructed us in Your holy Torah to be kind to widows and
orphans, and yet we are like orphans in this bitter exile! You must therefore
take us out of this exile at once!"
(Reprinted with permission from L'Chaim
Magazine (www.lchaim.org).) "When you lend money to My people, to
a the poor man among you, do not press him for repayment." (22:24)
A noted rabbi came to the Lubavitcher Rebbe and asked for an explanation of the
purpose of the Moshiach campaign. The Rebbe did not reply and shifted the conversation
to other issues, among them a free-loan fund which the other Rabbi managed. "Do
you know so-and-so?" the Rebbe asked. "Would you give him a loan?"
"Of course," the other Rabbi answered. "I didn't know that he was
in financial difficulty. I'd be happy to help him." "Would you extend
the loan until Moshiach comes?" The other Rabbi hesitated. "My goal
in the Moshiach campaign," the Rebbe continued, "is to eliminate this
hesitation."
(From L'Chaim #877) "He that kindled the fire
shall surely make restitution." (Ex. 22:5)
The Holy One, Blessed
Be He, said: "I, too, must make restitution for having kindled the fire in
Zion, as it states, 'He has kindled a fire in Zion and it has devoured its foundations.'
Indeed, Zion will be rebuilt with fire, for (Zechariah 2:9) "I will be to
her a wall of fire round about."
(L'Chaim #1006) G-d commands us,
"You shall not take bribery" (Ex. 23:8). Yet,
G-d accepts
bribery!What type of bribery? He accepts from sinners repentance, prayer and charity,
to atone for their sins. G-d says, "Return while the heavenly gates are opened
and I will accept your bribe. But when Moshiach comes, and I will be sitting in
judgment, I won't accept it anymore. As it says: "He will not regard any
ransom, neither will he rest content, although you give him a lot of bribes."
Thus, we must use every opportunity that we have in exile to add in these three
areas to bring Moshiach now.
(Midrash Tehillim, Torah Shleima p. 182) "I
will set your borders from the Red Sea to the Philistine Sea, from the desert,
to the river." (Exodus 23:31)
This verse refers to the days of Mashiach
when our borders will be expanded, as it says: "May he have dominion also
from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the world."
(Torah
Shleima)(from L'Chaim #808) |
