שמות פרק כא, ו וְׁרָצַע אֲדֹנָיו אֶּת -אָזְׁנוֹ בַמַּרְׁ צֵעַ וַעֲבָדוֹ לְׁעֹלָם
Why does the Torah use the word מרצע ? The Medrosh says since the Jews were to be servants to G-d and this person decides voluntarily to be a slave to a person, should have his ear bored, who’s soul heard the commandments at Sinai. But why by this commandment, and not by any other?
The Medrosh explains that the numerical value of מרצע is 400. This alludes to the concept that the Jews had been 400 years in position of servitude to others, and now should be free people. (Thus, the specific use of a מרצע is on the ear of a human.)
שמות פרק כא, יב מַכֵה אִ יש וָמֵת מוֹת יוּמָת :
The double language only applies when the human Bais Din has the responsibility to put someone to death. However, when a punishment is death by the Hands of Heaven, only one מות is used.
Now Rabbi Epstein explains the order of the verses in this section regarding the punishment of death by Bais Din, in a manner of לא זו אף זו. First is the case of one strikes another human and causes a death, this is the most severe action and surely deserves death. Next is the punishment for striking one’s father or mother, even though does not cause their death. This is followed by an action of kidnapping a person and selling them, without causing the person’s death, nevertheless the action warrants the death penalty. And the lowest level is one that curses one’s father or mother, an act without a physical action, just speaking, still warrants the death penalty.
שמות פרק כג, ח וְׁשֹחַד לֹא תִקָח כִי הַשֹחַד
Chaza”l explain the word שוחד as meaning שהוא חד, that a judge that takes bribery becomes one with the giver of the bribe, and inclines to make the judgment for the merit of that one.
Why does the Torah provide a reason for this Mitzvah? We see by the two mitzvos given to a King with explanation, and Shlomo rationalized how he would do the two actions and not violate the reason, yet he ultimately did. In the case of judge, they might rationalize that they would take the money in payment as payment for their time involved in making the judgment. Thus, the Torah testifies that the taking of money would surely blind the judge.
שמות פרק כד, יב וַיֹאמֶּר ה' אֶּל-משֶּה עֲלֵה אֵלַי הָהָרָה וֶּהְׁיֵה-שָם וְׁאֶּתְׁנָה לְׁךָ אֶּת - לֻחֹת הָאֶּבֶּן וְׁהַתוֹרָה וְׁהַמִּצְׁוָה אֲשֶּר כָתַבְׁתִי לְׁהוֹרֹתָם :
The Talmud (B’rachos 5a) לוחות this is the 10 commandments; תורה this is the written Torah, מצוה this is the Mishneh (Oral Torah); אשר כתבתי this is the Prophets and the Writings; and להורתם this is the Talmud. This teaches that all were given at Sinai to Moshe.
Torah refers to the five books of Moshe; then the four books of the early Prophets (Yehoshua, Shoftim, Shmuel, Melachim), and fifteen books of the later Prophets. Plus, the Writings include Tehillim, Iyov, Mishlei, Daniel, Ezra, Nechemiah, Chronicles, and the five Megilos. This entire group is called the כתבי הקודש, the 24 books of Tanach.
In the initial description by the Talmud of this verse, the Mishneh separates Torah from the Prophets and Writings. It is possible to explain like the Gemara (Nedarim 22b), if the Jews hadn’t sinned with the Calf, then the Jews would have only be given the Torah, and not the Prophets and the Writings (since they were mainly ethical teachings to “sinners”). Thus, the Mishneh, as part of the Oral Torah, has a greater connection to the Written Torah than the Prophets and the Writings.
