The Parsha starts with the following Passuk: ‘Ve’eilah hamishpatim asher tosim lifneihem’ – Hashem said to Moshe, ‘and these are the laws that you should put in front of them (Klal Yisrael)’.
Rashi explains that Hashim said to Moshe that it isn’t enough just to teach Klal Yisrael Halachos two or three times until they know it clearly, Hashem told Moshe that he has to explain them the reasons that they should understand.
Moshe learned the whole Torah from Hashem. Hashem wanted Moshe to give over the Torah completely with all the explanations and reasons that Klal Yisrael should understand everything they learned and understand every Mitzva they do.
Why couldn’t Moshe just teach them a few times till they were clear and then let them study on their own to understand the reasons and explanations to the best of their ability? If they would get stuck they could come and ask?
The truth is that Hashem also explained everything to Moshe so He expected Moshe to do the same to Klal Yisrael. But there is a deeper message here.
Hashem taught Moshe a message in Chessed, the fact that Hashem gave over the Torah to Moshe completely and that He expected Moshe to do the same. That when one does Chessed one should try and to it ‘Bishleimus’ – to perfection.
The Gemarah (Erchin 16:) asks what is considered Yisurim (pain or discomfort)? The Gemarah explains that if a person put their hand into their pocket to take out three coins but only two came out and therefore the person has to put their hand again into the pocket, that is considered discomfort.
Hashem runs the world perfectly. He gave us the money, He gave us the healthy hand and the pocket. Are we meant to naturally take out exactly what we wanted the first time, that if it never happened it is considered a certain level of discomfort, that serves as a way to atone for our sins? (Or for a Tzaddik it is an opportunity to receive extra reward for accepting the discomfort with Emuna.)
And the answer is YES!
Because Hashem runs His world with kindness to perfection. So Hashem gives us money, healthy hands, a pocket and when we stick our hand into the pocket naturally the exact amount of money and coins will come out, and if they didn’t, there must be a reason for that discomfort. We were destined from Heaven to have to suffer that discomfort.
When Adam Harishon was created the Malaachim roasted meat for him and strained him wine. Only after he sinned was he given the punishment of having to work in the field to and do ten parts till he would get a loaf of bread. And when Mashiach comes and we have Gan Eden the trees will grow fancy cakes.
Hashem taught the whole Torah to Moshe to perfection. Not only because the Torah should be perfect but Hashem was doing the perfect Chessed by teaching Moshe everything. That is perfection, not only in Torah but also in Chessed and Hashem told Moshe to do the same.
One of the famous and popular places in Europe that people traveled to for business, was the fair (exhibition) in Danzig. There were many Jewish dealers who came to buy merchandise and do business. Baruch Hashem they were very successful, besides for one.
One dealer had borrowed ten thousand rubles to be able to buy and sell but his money was stolen. Not only was he left with no money to do business and make profit, but he would end up going home having to return a debt of ten thousand rubles.
There was a Jewish businessman who invited a hundred dealers to a party before they returned home. The dealer whose money was stolen was also invited.
Everyone had a great dinner and plenty to drink. Finally the host got up and spoke.
“My dear friends, we were all successful here in Danzig and we will all be going home happily with big profits. But amongst us we have a friend whose money was stolen and it was borrowed money. He had borrowed ten thousand rubles that he had hoped to double or triple but is going home penniless and with a debt. Let’s all join together and help him out. We should all give two hundred rubles and then our friend will go home with his capital doubled.”
He took off his hat and started going around. He put in the first two hundred rubles and he went around till everyone had put in two hundred rubles. Then he went over to the overwhelmed dealer who lost his money and said, “Here you have nineteen thousand eight hundred rubles. The last two hundred rubles you have to donate to reach the full twenty thousand, after all, now you are a rich man and you also have an obligation to give charity.”
When the man came to his Rebbi, Rabbi Simcha Bunim of Peshischa, his Rebbi told him, “I heard about your noble act of saving the man from his tragedy. But I have a criticism to point out to you. You shouldn’t have joined him in the collection. Because a Chessed should be done to perfection!”
There are so many times we are involved in doing Chessed and we will receive great reward for our kindness. But we should try and keep in mind when we are doing Chessed if we can polish up our Chessed to perfection, not just till eighty or ninety percent, to try and see that our Chessed was done to perfection.
Of course there are times that we cannot do the Chessed completely or perfectly, and that shouldn’t stop us from doing whatever we can, whenever we can. But there are times when we do Chessed and with a little more thought and effort we can transform our Chessed from a partial Mitzva to a complete Mitzva, to a Mitzva with perfection. That should be our goal when doing Chessed to aim, when possible, to reach a complete and perfect Chessed!
