Good Shabbos! Let’s rewind to last weeks parsha, Yisro. We received the 10 commandments at Mount Sinai. This event is said to be the holiest, most spiritual, greatest event to ever occur on earth. Hashem’s schina, his divine presence, came down from shamiam, heaven, to greet Beni Yisrael as they approached the mountain. He commanded the first two commandments with his voice and it was so powerful, so holy, that the Jewish people couldn’t handle it and their souls left their bodies. Hashem revived them all and Moshe had to continue commanding the remaining eight. This is undoubtedly Beni Yisrael’s greatest and most spiritual interaction with Hashem.

Fast-forward back to this week’s parsha, Mishpatim. Its all basically Moshe telling Beni Yisrael tons and tons of laws instructing them how to function as a society and how to interact with each other.

So as I’m reading the parsha, I think to myself, wow this seems really out of place! Last week we have the spiritual climax of the whole Torah, the entire nation is basically returning from an NCSY summer program that was packed into three days and is on the spiritual high of a lifetime. I understand that these laws are important, but couldn’t they wait another parsha or two? Why couldn’t this parsha be just a bit more spiritual like last weeks?

I’m going to answer my question with another question: why are half of the 10 commandments bein adam lechavero, between man and his friend? Why aren’t they all bein adam lemakom, between man and Hashem? It’s because serving and loving Hashem is also done through how we react with each other. You can be the most spiritual and torah observant person in the world, but if you’re disrespectful towards other people, you’re not really serving Hashem. All the time I see on the news stories of the ultra orthodox in places like Mea Sharim throwing rocks at people who aren’t dressed to their standards. I don’t believe that these people don’t have bad intentions, they are trying to serve Hashem, they are trying to make sure that people dress more tznius. But the way they are doing it is not how Hashem wants us to serve him. If we honor and are kind to Hashem’s creations we honor Hashem, but if we are disrespectful to Hashem’s creations we are disrespecting Hashem. In this parsha we really learn what it is to be a Kiddush Hashem, a good reflection on Hashem and the Jewish people. Go ahead and shuckle as hard as you want, grow your peyos to your knees, and eat kosher food all day every day; but also treat your fellow Jew and human being, Treat each other with kindness, patience, and fairness, because just as you were made Betzelem Elokim, in Hashem’s image, so were they.

Shabbat Shalom,

Richelle Willner-Martin