Latest / Rabbi Benjy's Shiur / Midrash Raba Mishpatim 1
Transcript
- 0:00Midrash rabba parishat mishbatim.
- 0:03So interesting, the concept of being able to be a chafet, a
- 0:07judge. Seriously, how can human beings
- 0:09judge when we're so limited in our understanding and in our
- 0:13ability to know all the facts? And so the Midrashic tradition
- 0:17here weaves an interesting line through Hashem judging and us
- 0:22judging to read, I think indicate the divine nature of
- 0:26what it is to judge others. And we learn a lot from how
- 0:30Hashem does things to how we are meant to judge people.
- 0:34So for example, in a very long opening midrash, but towards the
- 0:38very end of a long peace, amari lahema kadosh baruchul Israel,
- 0:43Hashem said to the Jewish people, kashem shaniyah holla
- 0:47alvaret adin al Hamad. Just like I am able to go beyond
- 0:52the rules and punish the nations of the world harshly.
- 0:56Those who hurt you. I mean, I can do what I like and
- 1:00I don't feel I could. I don't have to follow the
- 1:02rules, but I need any mavi. But I don't, I don't do that,
- 1:07but rather tofess I need badin. I hold on to the set rules of
- 1:12justice. And it's based on the bosookin
- 1:15that we normally see in the opening of the Midrash, which
- 1:18we're not going to cover now. Kah atem lautitzu hotzladin.
- 1:22So should you, with regard to the way you act as judges, not
- 1:27depart from the parameters, the rules, the the structure of
- 1:33justice. Shenema, Vaella, Hamishbatim,
- 1:37Why Vaella And these these exact laws are to be followed
- 1:43exclusively. They may not be circumvented
- 1:47even when the judges might feel it's OK to do so.
- 1:53So what's the midriff telling us?
- 1:54Don't allow yourselves to react with anger in judging one's
- 1:58wrongs, but rather act as Hashem does and love justice.
- 2:06The the whole ability to judge must be recognized as emanating
- 2:11from Hashem. Because if we start thinking
- 2:13that we are in control ourselves, then all chaos can
- 2:17break loose. And I think that's the
- 2:19connection to the next midrashic piece, the he, the Madras says,
- 2:24what is the connection between the end of parachat Yitra going
- 2:27up on the altar in small steps and for Eila Hamish Batim.
- 2:31So says the Gemara says the Madras, the he ever tancha
- 2:35kanima Yamagula that that that was the nakedness of the priests
- 2:40really revealed if they would climb the steps to the to the
- 2:45altar, it wouldn't because they had trousers on.
- 2:47So what's what's the connection and what's really going on
- 2:49between these two, these two pieces?
- 2:52Ella amarabi Avina Avina says something very beautiful to
- 2:55shame. She is here Kadosh Baruch at the
- 2:57Kohanim, just like Hashem warns the Kohanim.
- 3:01Shiloh you POS impaciot gassot, don't take broad steps to get to
- 3:08the top of the altar, but should walk with the shortened steps.
- 3:13Kar, he's here, kadosh baraku at tadayanim.
- 3:17So Hashem warns the judges, shallot siat ghasat badin that
- 3:23they should not take broad steps in judgement either.
- 3:27The judgement should not be reached swiftly and recklessly,
- 3:30but again with care and deliberation, again weaving this
- 3:35sense of there's a real danger when human beings sit in
- 3:40judgement. We know from later on in the
- 3:43Parishad, the judges are told that it's repeated into Varium,
- 3:46not to take bribes, not to get biased.
- 3:49It's a it's a really risky occupation and the Gomorrah
- 3:53talks about that. When the judges sit, Hashem is
- 3:56present with them. Again, it's all these safeguards
- 3:59around the judges and how they need to be thinking when they
- 4:02sit in judgement. Yet they might have reached the
- 4:05pinnacle of a legal career or halachic career back in the day,
- 4:08but the dangers are there and they have to think how they act
- 4:11and take the initiative from how Hashem behaves and they have to
- 4:16them apply it to themselves. Take care, have a great day.