In fact, this is the overall theme of parshas mishpatim. We all suffer from a very debilitating illness. The illness is our state of being, the way we exist as a yesh, a metzius, an independent entity, that is not wholly united and botul to Elokus. It is an illness that has taken the form of a pandemic, that has infected the entire universe. Every single part of the world is afflicted with this virus, this lack of awareness of G-dliness. It is the very nature of the world, the olam מלשון העלם והסתר. It is our “covid”, that – together with הקנאה והתאוה – dull our senses and keep us preoccupied with ourselves and detached from the Eibishter.
There are many stages in this illness. But even someone who has only a mild form is still very much at risk. As we learn (in the maamar ve’atah Te’aveh, which is inyon de’yoma now) – even someone who is a tzadik etc., is still deemed a “choleh” as long as giluy Elokus – giluy ho’atzmus – doesn’t permeate the entire universe.
But it hasn’t always been this way. For a short time, we were elevated to a state, to a daled amos, where we were above all of these infections. When the Eibishter gave us the Torah, the entire world – and we especially – witnessed and sensed and acknowledged the Oneness of Hashem and the “Anoichi Hashem Elokecho”. Then we were cured of this ailment. Not just Yidden, the entire world was affected by the experience, and all temporarily gave up their selfishness, their yeshus, and were permeated with Hashem Echad.
But that was a cure that was not about us but about Hashem, about the limitlessness of giluy Elokus. It wasn’t that we ourselves were healed. It wasn’t a healing that was in teva and within teva.
It is for this reason that ma’amad Har Sinai was immediately followed by parshas mishpotim. Mishpotim is about connecting the cure with us, it’s about learning and understanding the Torah and mitzvos with our intellect and relating with them with our self. It’s the way to ensure that the healing is according to teva, - that it connects with and permeates our teva, our nature.
Because the ultimate goal, Hashem’s ultimate plan, is not that He should conquer the world because of His omnipotence (עליונים ירדו לתחתונים), but that we ourselves should care about Yidishkeit, should appreciate Torah and mitzvos on our own, with our personalities (תחתונים יעלו לעליונים).
Someone can do everything that he is supposed to do and refrain from doing anything wrong (לא עבר עבירה מימיו ולא יעבור לעולם וכו'). But if he’s doing only because he feels forced to by the commandment of Hashem, it’s not coming from himself, he doesn’t appreciate and enjoy it, then he is not fulfilling the ultimate goal of mishpotim. He is not even a real beinoni (as the Rebbe teaches us in the maamar ואלה המשפטים, - he’s an eved knaani).
In order to make the healing a part of us, we need to enjoy Yiddishkeit and appreciate G-tlichkeit. Learning, nigleh and chassidus needs to become something that we love to be immersed in. We need to take pleasure in our avodas hatefilah, in our ability to rise above the unhealthy universe and preoccupy ourselves with Emes Havaya leolam.
True, we’re human, we’re regular guys. But we got a chance to glimpse what is higher. So, although when a succulent steak or a sushi platter gets served we take pleasure in the experience of consuming tasty foods, still, we need to be bothered by the fact that that is so pleasurable to us. It makes us feel – well – diseased. We should be upset with our lowliness and disappointed in ourselves, because we are yearning and aspiring for higher.
Undoubtedly, this requires much effort (unlike the experience of Parshas Yisro, that was less dependent on our efforts, or the experience of the Jew who went into yechidus or into the Rebbe’s daled amos). But it is within our reach, it is the directive, and therefore the empowerment, of parshas mishpotim. We need to develop and cultivate these feelings, by putting more effort into our learning and davening, so that we can learn not just to do them but to enjoy them.
Through the combination of Yisro and mishpotim we will realize the ultimate goal of dira batachtonim, when the world will be cured of all of its’ ills with the complete and final geulah now!
L’chaim! May we use out this eis ratzon, rosh chodesh Adar and the ensuing days, to increase in our simcha through our appreciation of Yiddishkeit and of the אשרינו מה טוב חלקינו וכו', and may the Eibishter bring us the ultimate simcha and ultimate marbim besimcha with the immediate hisgalus of Moshiach Tzidkeinu NOW!!!
Rabbi Akiva Wagner
