(Reprinted from 5778)

And these are the ordinances that you shall set before them. Should you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall work [for] six years, and in the seventh [year], he shall go out to freedom without charge (Exodus 21:1-2)

It is in this week’s Parsha, Mishpatim that God provides the legal foundation upon which to build a moral and ethical society. We are taught how to deal with damages, poverty and finances. We are given the necessary instruction to cultivate a meaningful relationship between man and his fellow. Yet, God teaches us about the Eved Ivri, the Jewish servant, first. Why is this the first mitzvah in this section? What is the message contained in this law which sets the tone for that follows?

Rashi explains, there are two ways in which a Jew becomes a servant.  If he steals and isn’t able to pay back, the Beis Din (Jewish court) can sell the thief and use the proceeds to repay the victim. Or, mipnei dochko, if he is destitute. If a person has no money, no means of financial support, he can choose to sell himself into servitude.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe focuses on the Jew who has stolen and sold into servitude. The Rebbe builds on this concept and explains: the act of theft represents a moral failure. It is a trespass against a fellow human being. To take something from someone else, to deprive someone of something they have worked for, is a blatant disregard for the dignity of the other. But theft is not only a crime against man, it is also a crime against God. Each person is given a celestially ordained amount of material wealth. We are given what we need in order to accomplish our individual sacred mission in this world. When a person steals, he is making a dramatic statement, “God hasn’t given me enough. I will take that which belongs to the other, thereby enriching myself.” The act of theft violates the will of God, not only because theft is biblically forbidden, but because it is an indictment of God for having given something to someone else instead of oneself. Furthermore, the thief feels that he will retain that which he has stolen, even though this act was against the will of God. As such, the thief has transgressed against God and his fellow man. What should we do with this individual? Logic would dictate that we cast him aside, make a pariah of him and remove him from society. Yet, we do just the opposite. We give him a job and a place to live. His lifestyle must mirror his master’s. Whatever the master provides for his own family, he must provide for the servant. We say to this thief, “We will not give up on you. You have made some mistakes, but we still believe you can turn it around. It’s not too late. Use this time to rebuild and rehabilitate, use this time to introspect and reflect. Use this time to figure out what has gone so wrong and then find the courage to fix it.”

The Rebbe adds in one more piece. The laws of the Eved Ivri, are not just about the other – they are about each of us. Each of us messes up. We each make mistakes and sometimes those mistakes land us in significant trouble and life difficulty. When we feel we have stolen our potential and squandered it in a variety of fruitless initiatives and bad choices it is easy to give up.  But then we remind ourselves: the thief is sold and rehabilitates himself – we have the ability to do the same. There is an important point to remember: “Sheysh shanim ya’avod, u’ba’shviis yetzei l’chofshi, for six years you must work on the on the seventh you can go free.”  It can take a long time to turn yourself and your life around. It can take a long time to rehabilitate and rejuvenate. But if we are willing to put in the work – our 7^th year will come. We can change, we can improve, we can become someone better.

The laws of the Eved Ivri, the Hebrew servant teach us these two valuable lessons; never stop believing in the other, never stop believing in yourself. No matter how badly my fellow messes up, he is never beyond salvation. No matter how severe our mistakes may be, if we work hard, we can rehabilitate and rejuvenate. God chooses to place the law of Eved Ivri first, for it create the foundational understanding for how we view the other and how we view ourselves.

“And these are the ordinances that you shall set before them.” (Exodus 21:1)

Society is built on laws. Our legal system creates expectations, obligation and attempts to safeguard the individual from harm and society from decay. Mishpatim is filled with detailed laws regarding damages, fair treatment for servants, charity and looking out for the needs of the underprivileged. These laws serve to create an atmosphere of justice, fairness and compassion.

The Talmud (Sanhedrin 7b) notes an interesting juxtaposition between the first verse in this week’s Parsha (mentioned above) and the last verse in Parshas Yisro; “And you shall not ascend with steps upon My altar, so that your nakedness shall not be exposed upon it (Exodus 20:23).”  The Talmud explains:

Bar Kafra asked: ‘From where do we know the concept of hevu misunim b’din (one must be deliberate in judgement)? The verse says, ‘you shall not ascend with steps,” and then afterwards it says, ‘These are the laws.”

The Torah prohibits the use of stairs to ascend the altar – we must construct a ramp. A ramp represents incremental ascension, whereas as a step must be taken all at once. The Talmud explains that the juxtaposition of these verses teaches that just as the Kohen (priest) must ascend slowly to the top of the altar, so must the judge take his time in deciding and adjudicating the legal disputes before him. The judge must take the time to analyze, process and review all pertinent information before issuing a proper verdict. The placement of this important lesson comes at the end of Yisro, the parsha in which Moshe sets up the Jewish judicial system and the beginning of Mishpatim where Moshe gives us the body of tort and interpersonal law.

But there is another lesson to be learned, a lesson that applies to us all. Rav Chaim Shmulevitz zt’l (1902-1979) explains that the word misunim does not simply mean deliberate, it means patience. The Rabbis were not simply telling us to take our time in issuing judgement; they were telling us to learn the art of patience. Up until this point, whatever the people needed was provided immediately. They needed the sea to part – it split. They needed food – manna came down from the heavens. The desert was hot by day – there was constant cloud cover. The desert was cold at night – there was a fire to warm them. Whatever they needed – they were granted. And it is now that God instructs Moshe to tell the Jewish people – life is a ramp. You must take small steps to accomplish your goals. Your growth must be incremental. You won’t always see immediate results. You must work on creating a just society. You will not be able to solve all of the problems at once. There will be widows and orphans who you must help, yet you will never get to all of them. There will be the poor and hungry who you must clothe and feed, yet there will be those who remain destitute. At times you may feel frustrated and wonder if you are really accomplishing anything, you may wonder if you are really moving the needle on these dramatic life issues? And so, God tells us, you must be patient. You will accomplish, self-actualize, and grow – but it will all take time. I have provided you with instant gratification because in your embryonic national state – this is what you needed. But as you mature and develop – you will have to learn to wait. You will have to learn to be misunim b’din – patient, as you try to reach your goals.

We live in a world which craves instant gratification. We want it all and we want it now. And when we don’t get it – the process, the product or the person must be broken. Couples have challenges in their marriage and if the therapist can’t fix it immediately there is a temptation to throw in the towel. We take on certain responsibilities or embark on new life initiatives and if we can’t accomplish or cross the finish-line quickly we are ready to move on to other things. We work on finding inspiration in our Judaism and if we can’t feel it after one shiur, Drasha or lecture, we’re ready to move one. God teaches us that patience is not a virtue, it is a necessity. We must be patient and allow our efforts to bear fruit. We must be patient and find the strength to work through our challenges. If we learn to navigate the ramp of life, we will realize success as individuals and as a nation.

“And these are the ordinances that you shall set before them. Should you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall work [for] six years, and in the seventh [year], he shall go out to freedom without charge.” (Exodus 21:1-2)

 The Torah teaches us the details of the Hebrew servant, the Eved Ivri. Rashi explains, there are two ways in which a Jew becomes a servant. If he steals and is unable to pay back, the Beis Din (Jewish court) can sell the thief and use the proceeds to repay the victim. Or, mipnei dochko, if he is destitute. If a person has no money, no means of financial support, he can choose to sell himself into servitude. Why is this the first mitzvah God gives us in the aftermath of Sinaitic revelation?

The Lubavitcher Rebbe provides an incredible insight. The act of theft represents a moral failure. It is a trespass against my fellow human being. To take something from someone else, to deprive someone of something they have worked for is a blatant disregard for the dignity of the other. But theft is not only a crime against man, it is also a crime against God. Each person is given a divinely ordained amount of material wealth. We are each given what we need in order to accomplish our sacred mission in this world.  When a person steals, he is making a dramatic statement: “God hasn’t given me enough. I will take that which belongs to the other, thereby enriching myself.” The act of theft violates the will of God, not only because theft is biblically forbidden, but because it is an indictment of God for having given something to someone else and not to me. Furthermore, the thief feels that he will retain that which he has stolen, even though this act was against the will of God. As such, the thief has transgressed against God and his fellow man. So, what should we do with him? Logic would dictate that we cast him aside, make a pariah and remove him from society. Yet, we do just the opposite.  We give him a job and a place to live. His lifestyle must mirror that of his master. Whatever the master provides for his own family, he must provide for the servant. We say to this thief, “We will not give up on you. You have made some mistakes, but we still believe you can turn it around. It’s not too late. Use this time to rebuild and rehabilitate, use this time to introspect and reflect. Use this time to figure out what has gone so wrong and then find the courage to fix it.”

The Rebbe adds in one more piece. The laws of the Eved Ivri, are not just about the other – they are about us. Each of us messes up. We each make mistakes and sometimes those mistakes land us in significant trouble and life difficulty. We have stolen our potential and squandered it in a variety of fruitless initiatives and bad choices. It is easy to give up. But then we remind ourselves, the thief is sold and rehabilitates himself – we can do the same. But there is an important point to remember.  Sheysh shanim ya’avod, u’ba’shviis yetzei l’chofshi, (for six years you must work, on the seventh you can go free). It can take a long time to turn ourselves and our lives around. It can take a long time to rehabilitate and rejuvenate. But if we are willing to put in the work, the 7^th year will come. We can change, we can improve, we can become better. God chooses to place the law of Eved Ivri first, for it creates the foundational understanding for how we view the other and how we view ourselves.

The laws of the Eved Ivri, the Hebrew servant, teach us these two valuable lessons: never stop believing in the other, never stop believing in yourself. No matter how badly another messes up, he is never beyond salvation.  No matter how severe our mistakes may be, if we work hard, we can rehabilitate and rejuvenate.

And these are the ordinances that you shall set before them. Should you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall work [for] six years, and in the seventh [year], he shall go out to freedom without charge (Exodus 21:1-2)

 It is in this week’s Parsha, Mishpatim that God provides the legal foundation upon which to build a moral and ethical society. We are taught how to deal with damages, poverty and finances. We are given the necessary instruction to cultivate a meaningful relationship between man and his fellow. Yet, God teaches us about the Eved Ivri, the Jewish servant, first. Why is this the first mitzvah in this section? What is the message contained in this law which sets the tone for that follows?

Rashi explains, there are two ways in which a Jew becomes a servant.  If he steals and isn’t able to pay back, the Beis Din (Jewish court) can sell the thief and use the proceeds to repay the victim. Or, mipnei dochko, if he is destitute. If a person has no money, no means of financial support, he can choose to sell himself into servitude.

The Lubavitcher Rebbe focuses on the Jew who has stolen and sold into servitude. The Rebbe builds on this concept and explains: the act of theft represents a moral failure. It is a trespass against a fellow human being. To take something from someone else, to deprive someone of something they have worked for, is a blatant disregard for the dignity of the other. But theft is not only a crime against man, it is also a crime against God. Each person is given a celestially ordained amount of material wealth. We are given what we need in order to accomplish our individual sacred mission in this world. When a person steals, he is making a dramatic statement, “God hasn’t given me enough. I will take that which belongs to the other, thereby enriching myself.” The act of theft violates the will of God, not only because theft is biblically forbidden, but because it is an indictment of God for having given something to someone else instead of oneself. Furthermore, the thief feels that he will retain that which he has stolen, even though this act was against the will of God. As such, the thief has transgressed against God and his fellow man. What should we do with this individual? Logic would dictate that we cast him aside, make a pariah of him and remove him from society. Yet, we do just the opposite. We give him a job and a place to live. His lifestyle must mirror his master’s. Whatever the master provides for his own family, he must provide for the servant. We say to this thief, “We will not give up on you. You have made some mistakes, but we still believe you can turn it around. It’s not too late. Use this time to rebuild and rehabilitate, use this time to introspect and reflect. Use this time to figure out what has gone so wrong and then find the courage to fix it.”

The Rebbe adds in one more piece. The laws of the Eved Ivri, are not just about the other – they are about each of us. Each of us messes up. We each make mistakes and sometimes those mistakes land us in significant trouble and life difficulty. When we feel we have stolen our potential and squandered it in a variety of fruitless initiatives and bad choices it is easy to give up.  But then we remind ourselves: the thief is sold and rehabilitates himself – we have the ability to do the same. There is an important point to remember: “Sheysh shanim ya’avod, u’ba’shviis yetzei l’chofshi, for six years you must work on the on the seventh you can go free.”  It can take a long time to turn yourself and your life around. It can take a long time to rehabilitate and rejuvenate. But if we are willing to put in the work – our 7^th year will come. We can change, we can improve, we can become someone better.

The laws of the Eved Ivri, the Hebrew servant teach us these two valuable lessons; never stop believing in the other, never stop believing in yourself. No matter how badly my fellow messes up, he is never beyond salvation. No matter how severe our mistakes may be, if we work hard, we can rehabilitate and rejuvenate. God chooses to place the law of Eved Ivri first, for it create the foundational understanding for how we view the other and how we view ourselves.