By Rabbi Dovid Sapirman, Dean, Ani Maamin Foundation
This week’s parsha discusses the halachos of shemittah and yovel. Inserted in the middle are two negative commandments. One is the prohibition to cheat in business by overcharging or underpaying, and the second is the prohibition against hurting feeling through insults or ona’as devarim. Pairing mitzvos bein adam lamakom with mitzvos bein adam lachaveiro is a common pattern in the Torah.
In last week’s parsha, too, the Torah inserts the mitzvah of various harvest-related gifts to the poor in the middle of a discussion of various Yamim Tovim. Rashi says that this teaches us that whoever gives leket, shikcha, and peah (stalks of grain that fall to the ground during the harvest, forgotten bundles, and an unharvested corner designated for the poor, respectively) is considered as if he has built the Beis Hamikdash and brought his korbanos in it.
Parshas Kedoshim, which we read two weeks ago, contains 72 mitzvos. Some of them are bein adam lamakom, while others are mitzvos bein adam lachaveiro. One might expect the Torah to separate them into different thematic sections, placing all the bein adam lamakom in one section and all the interpersonal commandments in another. But that is not what the Torah did. The two types of mitzvos are intermingled, switching back and forth from one to the other. Honoring parents, avodah zarah. Korbanos, gifts for the poor. Lashon hara, workers’ wages, shaatnez, orlah.
Likewise, in Parshas Mishpatim, Rashi tells us that the Sanhedrin must be placed right near the mizbei’ach. Indeed, the marble chamber in which the highest court convened was situated just steps away from it. The mizbei’ach, where we offer korbanos, represents the ultimate in bein adam lamakom. The Sanhedrin is the seat of justice, the place from which societal workings and disputes are resolved.
Why must these two be placed together? To teach us that our Torah is a unified system of avodas Hashem. No one may favor one type of mitzvah over another. Let no one think that being machmir on frumkeit makes him a tzaddik although his business dealings are not honest. One may not block another’s driveway when rushing to catch Barchu. Nor may a person treat Shabbos and kashrus lightly and make up for it by donating a lot of money to tzedakah.
Hashem expects us to honor our fellow Jew with utmost sensitivity and attention to his needs. He also expects us to constantly draw closer to Him through the performance of His mitzvos. We can do both.
