Haftoras Vayakhel: Yachin, Boaz And The Yam

Dear friends, 

The Haftora for parshas Vayakhel is hardly ever read, but it is connected to our parsha. I wrote this a while back, but I haven't had a chance to publish it. It will be over ten years (that is how far I looked ahead) until we will be reading it, so I am publishing it now as a bonus dvar Torah for this week. Enjoy. 

Note: This Haftora is read by Chabad and Sefardic communities. Ashkenazic communities read the Haftora for the second Shabbos of Chanukah. 

Yitzi 

Print         All Shekalim Articles          All Vayakhel Articles

The Haftora for parshas Vayakhel is from the book of Melachim Aleph (I Kings). It tells us details of the construction of the Temple that King Shlomo built, specifically but the great pillars of copper that were at the entrance of the Heichal, and the Yam, which was a pool of water for the Kohanim to immerse in, also made of copper. 

The connection to our parsha, is that parshas Vayakhel tells about the construction of the Mishkan and its vessels, by Betzalel and Eliav. The Haftora tells about the construction of the Temple by Chiram. In a way, it is a continuation of the parsha, because it only tells about the construction of two vessels, that didn't exist in the Mishkan. 

The Chiram of our Haftora was from Tzur (Tyre), he was a Jewish coppersmith, not to be confused by Chiram the king of Tyre, who was involved in the construction of the Temple itself, supplying materials and craftsmen to help in the building of the Temple. 

You may ask: How could the Temple be built by the King of Tyre and his craftsmen, when they were not Jewish, shouldn't the Temple be built by Jewish people? 

In Torah there are three levels in accomplishing what Hashem wants. First is that the thing gets done. Second is the act of doing it. And third is the person who is doing it. Depending on how holy the thing is, so is the investment in the three levels. Something that is very holy, not only does it have to get done, but how it is done and who does it is super important. On the other hand, something that is not holy, it doesn't matter so much how it gets done or who does it, rather, that it gets done. 

This is one of the reasons why the Temple could be built by King Chiram and his craftsmen, and the supplies could be provided by him. Because first of all, the cedars and the other supplies that Chiram provided would not become holy until later, when the Temple was completed. Now that they were just bringing the materials, there was certainly no holiness in that. The same is with the construction of the Temple, being that the holiness wouldn't come until it was completed, it was able to be done even by King Chiram and his craftsmen, who were not Jewish. 

However, Chiram the coppersmith was Jewish, his father was from the tribe of Naftali and his mother was from the tribe of Dan. The Haftora tells us that his father was a coppersmith. Why is this important to know? Our sages learn from here, that a son should learn his father's trade, and that is what Chiram did. Chiram was also a skilled goldsmith, silversmith, and blacksmith, but since he was only hired to do copper work, the Haftora only mentions that. 

The pillars that he made were 4 cubits wide (6 to 8 feet wide), and 18 cubits high (27 to 36 feet high). The pillars had crowns shaped like spheres and the tops of the spheres were like a rose. Around the spheres was nets resembling interwoven branches, and on the nets were pomegranates. The spheres were 5 cubits high (7.5 to 10 feet high), and they were made of copper, including the nets and the pomegranates. Altogether they were 23 cubits high (34.5 to 46 feet high). 

The one on the right of the entrance of the Heichal, was named Yachin, similar to the word yicon, meaning, established, that the Temple should stand forever. And the pillar on the left was named Boaz, made of two words, bo az, meaning, in it is strength, that the Jewish people should get strength from the service in the Temple. 

The Yam was a huge basin, 10 cubits wide (15 to 20 feet wide) and 5 cubits high (7.5 to 10 feet high). It had two rows of egg shapes around it, 2 cubits beneath the rim, in the egg shapes were the shape of a face of an ox. It had a base that was made of twelve oxen, facing outward, three oxen to every direction. 

This Haftora is hardly ever read, because on many years Vayakhel is read with Pekudei, and when that happens it is either parshas Para or Hachodesh, which have special Haftorahs, and even when it is read alone, it is often parshas Shekalim or Para, which also have special Haftorahs. 

May we merit to see the third Temple built, with the coming of Moshiach. May he come soon. 

Machatzis Hashekel: We Are One With Hashem

Print         All Ki Sisa Articles
This week we read about the mitzvah of machatzis hashekel, every Jewish male, from the age of 20 to 60 had to give a half shekel coin. This was an atonement for the sin of the golden calf. 

On the verse, "This is what they should give... a half shekel," the Talmud Yerushalmi and the Midrash tell us that Moshe didn't understand, so Hashem took out a coin of fire from under His throne, showed it to Moshe and said, "like this is what they should give." And Tosafos explains that Moshe knew what a half shekel coin was, his question was:  How can a person give an atonement for his soul (through a half shekel)? As the Midrash continues, "Who can give an atonement for his soul, '... A person would give everything he has as an atonement for his soul,' and it still wouldn't be enough..." In response, Hashem "showed him a coin of fire." 

In other words, the half shekel was an atonement for the sin of the golden calf, which was Idolatry. How can a half shekel be an atonement for such a grave sin? 

Mitzvahs are compared to the organs of the body. In the body there are vital organs and non-vital organs. Then there are organs that are the most important, the brain and the heart, in which the neshama resides, and they control or enliven the entire body. The same is with mitzvahs, there are those that are more vital to the rest of the body of mitzvahs, and there are those that are less vital. Then there are general mitzvahs that the whole Torah and all the mitzvahs are dependant on, like, "I Am Hashem your G-d," which is the belief in Hashem, and "you shall not have any gods before Me," which is the prohibition against Idolatry. How could it be possible for idol worship, such a grave sin, to be atoned for by merely giving a half shekel? 

Being that Moshe knew what a half shekel was, and he wondered how is it possible that a half shekel coin could be an atonement for the soul of a person, how did Hashem's response, showing him "a coin of fire," answer the question? 

We will understand it through a parable of the Baal Shem Tov. There was a man who was a goldsmith and a silversmith, and he took an apprentice. He taught him everything there was to know about shaping the precious metals, the only thing that he didn't teach him, was that he had to put a fire under the gold or silver in order to shape it, and surprise surprise, no matter how hard he tried, he only ended up with a clump of metal. 

The same is with the half shekel, the coin itself might be of little value, but it is how they gave the half shekel that made all the difference. They had to give it with fire, the whole fire of their being, the whole fire of their neshama, then it was an atonement. 

When one does a mitzvah, the actual act of the mitzvah brings out the accomplishment that is being done by doing the mitzvah. Here he is giving a coin. How does that act show the atonement over Idolatry? 

By the mitzvah of machatzis hashekel the Torah says, "This is what they should give... a half shekel of a holy shekel, a shekel is twenty gera, a half shekel donation to Hashem." Later, when it gives the total of the half shekels, it says that they gave "A bekka per head, a half shekel of a holy shekel." The Torah doesn't use extra words, however, here it seems to go on and on. First it calls it a half of a shekel, then it explains that a whole sheke is twenty gera, and it continues, that we have to give a half shekel, then later on it calls it a bekka, and again a half shekel. Why doesn't it simply say that we should give ten gera, and it would be clear? The must be something deeper going on here. 

It is clear from the verse, that the fact that it is ten gera is unimportant, what is important, is that it is a half. And the Torah goes to explain a half of what. In order to do that, it has to explain what a holy shekel is, twenty gera. Then it makes it clear that it is a half, because that is what's important. 

Why is the fact that it is a half so important? 

Another question. Usually everything in Torah has to be complete, as we should give the best to Hashem. And here Hashem insists on a half and only a half, as He said, "The rich person shouldn't add and the pauper shouldn't subtract from a half shekel." Why? 

The question becomes stronger, when you consider that the Torah calls it a bekka, which is a whole coin that is worth a half shekel or ten gera. So it could have been a whole thing, a bekka. Why then does it insist on using the term half shekel? And if it's insisting on a half shekel, then why mention bekka all together? 

Bekka is mentioned earlier in the Torah. When Eliezer went to find a wife for Yitzchak, he found Rivka and he gave her a nose ring that weighed a bekka. Rashi tells us that it is a hint to the half shekel. 

The explanation. When Hashem told Moshe that He is going to forgive the Jewish people for the sin of the golden calf, He said that He would "cut a covenant" with the Jewish people. Why is the term "cut" used to actualize a covenant? Because it was the way of people who were making a covenant to cut animals in half, and they would pass through them, like the Bris Bein Habesarim, the Covenant Between the Parts. The idea is that the two parties are saying that just as the two parts are one animal, so too, although they are two people, they will be as one in respect to one another. 

The sign of this covenant between Hashem and the Jewish people, is a half shekel, specifically a half. Because Hashem and the Jewish people are, so to speak, two halves of one whole, as He says in Song of Songs, that we are "tamasi," that we "complete" Him. Each half is ten gera, ten is a whole number, symbolizing the ten attributes of the soul, and although Hashem is infinite and beyond this world, He compresses Himself into ten G-dly attributes. By giving a half shekel, we realize that we are half and that Hashem is our other half, in other words, we are one. 

When we realize this truth, we touch our essence, which is one with Hashem. This essence is not touchable and it is not affected by any sin, not even Idolatry. When we reveal this essential oneness with Hashem, it is so powerful, that it is an automatic atonement, because in that moment there is nothing but complete oneness, everything else falls away. 

The separation that we experience between us and Hashem, is only superficial, the true essence is one. 

This is also true for a marriage, the two are truly one, and that is why, the half shekel is hinted to in the marriage of Yitzchak and Rivka. And perhaps that is the reason that bekka is mentioned by the mitzvah of machatzis hashekel, because it is a reminder of the marriage between Hashem and the Jewish people, that makes us one. 

If a marriage is two that is really one, then why doesn't it say machatzis hashekel by the marriage of Yitzchak and Rivka? Because it was before the giving of the Torah, the complete oneness wasn't revealed, however, at the giving of the Torah, our oneness with Hashem was open and revealed. 

So the half shekel reveals the essence of the neshama, which is only revealed through the fire, and it probably is the fire itself. 

May we feel the oneness with Hashem once again, with the coming of Moshiach. May he come soon. 

Dedicated to my other half shekel, Dina, who is in Israel, lifting the spirits of our brothers and sisters. It is an honor to be her husband and best friend. 

The Altar - The Pintaleh Yid

Print         All Tetzaveh Articles

There were two altars in the Mishkan, parshas Teruma teaches us about the copper altar, upon which animal sacrifices and meal offerings were brought, and parshas Tetzaveh tells us about the golden altar, upon which incense was offered. 

The last Mishnah of Tractate Chagiga, which is also the last Mishnah of the Order of Moed, speaks about these two altars. It says that the two altars cannot become impure. What is the reason? According to Rabbi Eliezer, "since they are like earth," meaning, that the Torah calls them earth and earth cannot become impure. According to the sages, "since they are (only) coated (with gold and copper)," meaning, that since the coatings of gold and copper are just that, coatings, they are secondary to what is underneath. And being that what is underneath cannot become impure, the coatings don't become impure. 

Being that Hashem is infinite, the Torah, which is His knowledge, is infinite as well. That means that it applies to us at every time and in every place. Just as when the Torah was given, it applied to every one of us, so too, it applies to each and every one of us, as if it was given today. It also has an infinite number of interpretations, as everyone of us has a different neshama, and we see the Torah through the lens of our neshama. We also approach Torah from our own circumstances and our own paradigm. 

What is the lesson that we are meant to learn from this teaching, that the two altars cannot become impure? 

We are all a small Temple, where the Divine Presence wants to reside, just as the Temple had different vessels in it, so too, we have different aspects to our makeup, mind, thoughts, emotions, etc. 

Sometimes we can have a mundane unholy thought, it is also possible to have an inappropriate sinful thought. In other words, it is possible for one of the persons "vessels," mind, thoughts, feelings, etc., to become impure. When this happens, we have to find a way to make the vessel pure again, that it should be worthy of a Temple vessel, where Hashem could reside once more. How does one go about doing this? 

People can be generally divided into two categories, whether physically or spiritually, they are rich or poor. By the rich everything is gold and by the poor, their money is copper.  

Every Jew, irrespective of how he or she feels inside or acts on the outside, the essential Jew, the pintaleh Yid, can never be touched, it can never become impure. And that is the altar of the person, on which we sacrifice the evil inclination, and come closer to Hashem. When we connect with the pintaleh Yid, we become totally pure. 

Why do we become totally pure? "Since they are like earth," and earth cannot become impure. What is the symbolism of earth? The earth is nullified before everyone, as we all trod on it. When we connect with the pintaleh Yid, we are totally nullified before Hashem, and as we say at least three times a day, "And my soul should be like earth before all." When we are nullified, there is no self, there is only Hashem's will that is revealed in the Torah. 

"Since they are like earth," are the words of Rabbi Eliezer ben Hurkanus, who was known as Rabbi Eliezer Haggadol (the great), who was greater than all the sages of Israel together, and still he had no ego, as the Talmud tells us, "He never said anything that he hadn't heard from his teachers." He was like earth, nullified before Hashem, and that was the path of service he taught his students to follow. On a deeper level, he was at such a high plane, that he only saw that everything was the essence of Hashem, he didn't see the external shell, whether it was gold or copper, he only saw the essence, earth. 

The sages say, "since they are (only) coated (with gold and copper)." They are saying that not everyone is at Rabbi Eliezer's level, most of us recognize the exterior, and at times we will have failings. The wealthy see the gold, and they may be tempted to follow the desires that come with affluence, and the poor, all they have is copper, and they may be tempted to do something dishonest to get ahead. 

Whether rich or poor, we must realize that the gold and copper are only an exterior shell, that is nothing and nullified to what is underneath, the pintaleh Yid. Ultimately we will come to realize this and do teshuva, and we will merit to see the coming of Moshiach. May he come soon. 

The Incredible Potential Hidden In Our Struggles

Print        All Teruma Articles
In this week's parsha, Teruma, Hashem commanded Moshe to accept the donations that the Jewish people would bring for the construction of the Mishkan. And He listed thirteen or fifteen physical items that they could bring for the Mishkan. "Gold, silver and copper..." And He continues, "They should make Me a Mikdash (a Temple), and I will dwell within them." This is a guarantee that if they will build it, He will come and dwell in the Mishkan. 

Hashem is not bound to the boundaries of time and space, He is above time and space, but here He says that He will rest His presence in a physical space, a Mikdash, which is precise in its measurements. This is not only referring to the Temple that stood in Jerusalem on the Temple Mount which was stationary, but to the Mishkan that traveled with the Jewish people all over, and wherever they settled, Hashem's presence came to rest in the Mishkan. 

Hashem is not bound by space, He is everywhere, as it says, "I fill the heavens and the earth." Why did Hashem say to make a particular place for His presence to rest? 

It is true that Hashem is everywhere, however, His presence is hidden, and it is only revealed through our service. But isn't it true that we can draw Hashem's presence in any place that we serve Him? Why can't we do the Temple service wherever we are? Why is it connected to a particular place, the Mishkan and the Temple? Hashem said, "In every place that I will (allow the) mention of My name, I will come to you and bless you." Only where He allows, the Mishkan and the Temple. 

The main service in the Mishkan and the Temple, physically and even spiritually, was offering sacrifices. The physical sacrifices were actual animals that were offered on the altar. The spiritual sacrifices nowadays is our prayers, as the Talmud tells us, that the prayers "Were established in the place of the daily sacrifices." 

Both the physical and spiritual sacrifices are connected to the Mishkan and the Temple. The rule was that "Once the Mishkan was erected, they weren't allowed to use the personal altars," they were only allowed to offer their sacrifices at the Mishkan. And the same rule applied "when they came to Yerushalayim," were the Temple was built. And when we say our prayers, we face towards the Temple, "the gateway to heaven," where all our prayers ascend on high. 

I understand why physical sacrifices had to be brought in the physical Temple, but prayers are a spiritual thing, why do they have to be connected to a physical place? The main thing is that we bring ourselves close to Hashem through our prayers. That is the meaning of the word korban, that we usually translate as sacrifice, it is from the word karov, which means close, to bring yourself closer to Hashem. Prayer is the service of the heart, it is totally spiritual. Even though we have to say our prayers with our lips, that helps us awaken the feelings in our hearts. However, the main thing is that we connect spiritually with Hashem. If that is the case, why do our prayers have to be connected to a physical place, the Temple? 

To understand this, let's take a look at a rule in spirituality, "Anything that is higher (spiritually), falls to a lower place (physically)." 

When Hashem says, "I will dwell within them," He is saying that His essence - which is higher than any physical limitations, and even higher than the idea of no limitations, infinite, which comes with its own set of limitations - wants to dwell in the physical world. Since He is higher than anything, He is revealed in the lowest, in measured physical places and objects, namely the Mishkan, the Temple and their holy vessels. 

He is above any limitations, and above the idea of no limitations. Therefore, He can bring infinite and finite together. In other words, where is the essence of Hashem revealed? Where infinite and finite come together, He is the enigma of all enigmas. 

And where did infinite and finite come together? In the Mishkan and Temple. In both the Mishkan and the Temple, there was a chamber called the Holy of Holies, and while the room could be measured, and the holy vessel that was there, the Ark of the Covenant, could be measured, it didn't take up any space. If you were to measure the space between the Ark and the walls of the Holy of Holies, you would end up with the exact total measurement of the whole chamber. In the Mishkan, 10 cubits by 10 cubits, and in the Temple, 20 cubits by 20 cubits. That means it took space, and at the same time, it didn't take space, infinite and finite together, the enigma of enigmas, in the physical. 

That is why our prayers are connected to a physical place, because it is through the physical that we encounter Hashem's essence. 

In Torah, the world is divided into four kingdoms. The lowest is domem, inanimate things, like stones, earth and water. Higher than that is tzomeach, vegetation, things that grow, like grass, plants and trees. Then there is chai, living things, like animals, birds and fish. And finally, there is medaber, people that have conversation. 

The Mishkan was made mostly of tzomeach, vegetation, and chai, animals, like the wooden panels and the coverings and curtains, which were made of wool, linen and animal skins. There was also domem, inanimate, but it wasn't the main part of the construct of the Mishkan. 

The Temple was built of stone, domem, inanimate. 

When we had the Mishkan, we were only able to reach the levels of G-dliness that were hidden in tzomeach and chai. When we built the Temple, we were able to reach the levels that were hidden in domem also. 

Now that we are in exile, and we don't have our Temple, we are able to reach even lower, and draw G-dliness into the lowest physical places and objects. The Temple was a place of open G-dliness, as they witnessed ten miracles there daily. Yes it was made of the inanimate, but it was the holiest inanimate ever. We now have the lowest and darkest world, and it continuously gets darker and darker. We have the ability to draw G-dliness into the lowest possible levels, that is where Hashem wants to be, and that is where the deepest levels of His essence can be found. 

Why are we able to draw and reveal Hashem's deepest essence? Because we each are a small Temple. That is the meaning of the verse, "They should make Me a Mikdash (a Temple), and I will dwell within them." Why does it say, "within them," when it should say within it? Our sages tell us, that it means "within each and every one" of us. Hashem wants to dwell in us. We are also the enigma of enigmas, we have a body that is the most physical and at the same time, we have a neshama that is truly a part of Hashem. 

How do we draw G-dliness into the lowest possible levels? Learning Torah and doing mitzvahs only effect the physical that is connected to our Torah study and our performance of mitzvahs. If we want to effect the lowest levels, we have to take the most mundane physical parts of our lives and make them holy too. We have to, "acknowledge Him in all our ways," similar to Shabbos, when even eating and sleeping are holy. 

I feel that the more difficulties one faces and the darker things seem, the more you can accomplish in the world drawing Hashem's essence into the lowest place, simply because you are in a lower place. So the lower you stand and the more difficulties you face, the more you are in a position to draw G-dliness into the world, and do Hashem's deepest desire, "to make Him a home in the lowest realm." 

This doesn't mean that you should want to struggle, that would be silly, but if you are already there, know that you are in a position to accomplish amazing things. 

This idea keeps me positive, so much has been taken away from me, but I see the opportunity found in my struggle, I see the great light in the darkness, to lift others up with my heart, my smile and my writing. I also see what my amazing wife Dina has done with the tremendous struggles that she has been dealt. A sick husband, who can't do husband things and fatherly things for our children. So much has fallen on her shoulders, and on top of that, she makes sure that I am taken care of. But from her difficulties and darkness, she has managed to lift the spirit of tens of thousands, with her talks and blog posts. That is truly amazing and I am inspired by her. I don't even know if she knows how incredible she is. 

May we use the potential in the situation that we are dealt, it will surely make this world into a home for Hashem, no more will we suffer, because Moshiach will be here. The time has come. 

This is dedicated to my wife Dina, I am truly grateful for her and I am blessed to be her husband. She is medicine for the world. 

Even The Simplest Torah Law Is Hashem's Deepest Will

Print        All Mishpatim Articles

This week's parsha, Mishpatim, begins, "And these are the laws that you should tasim (set) lifnayhem (before them)." On the word lifnayhem, there are several different explanations.

One of the explanations in the Talmud is brought by Rashi, "Before them, and not before the Idol worshippers." When Jewish people have a dispute amongst them, they should bring it before a Jewish court and not before the court of the land. This is true, even if you know that in this case, the jurisprudence of the land is the same as that of the Torah. The first explanation is, lifnayhem, before a Jewish court.

Another explanation in the Talmud, is that when you are teaching a student, you have "to show him the panim," the reasons for the laws, and not leave him to figure them out on his own. Everything should be laid out clearly for the student. Panim, which means a face, means that nothing is hidden, the face shows who the person is and what he or she is feeling. The second, is lifnayhem, to teach the panim, the reason.

The Alter Rebbe tells us the Chassidic and esoteric explanation, that lifnayhem means "lipnimiyusam," that these laws should reach the innermost hidden recesses of the neshama. As the Talmud Yerushalmi translates the word before lifnayhem, tasim, to mean sima, a treasure, which is a hidden thing. In other words, if you will teach the treasure of the Torah, the esoteric part of the Torah, then you will reach the treasure of the person, the innermost depths of the neshama.

When there are different explanations on one word of the Torah, there has to be a common link between the explanations. What is the connection between these three explanations?

We also have to understand why did Hashem put the teaching of lifnayhem specifically by the laws called Mishpatim?

There are three kinds of laws. The first is chukkim, decrees, laws that we don't know the reason for. Hashem decreed them and we do them because He wants us to, and for no other reason. Examples of these laws are kosher, shatnez, and the laws of purity and impurity.

Then there are laws called eidus, testimony, these are laws that bare witness to an event, like Shabbos and the holidays, or that remind us of something, like Teffillin, mezuza and bris. We wouldn't understand them on our own, but once Hashem told us about them, they make sense.

Finally, there are Mishpatim, torts, and other laws that make sense, and if Hashem wouldn't tell us them, we would understand them on our own.

Which laws does the teaching of lifnayhem make more sense to apply to?

If you go with Rashi's explanation, that we shouldn't bring our cases before a non-Jewish court, it makes sense to have this teaching by Mishpatim, because it is the only kind of laws they adjudicate. They have nothing to do with Shabbos, kosher, etc.

If you go with the Talmud's explanation, that lifnayhem means to teach the reasons behind the laws, Mishpatim seem the least necessary to give the reasons for, because they make sense to us. On the other hand, eidus and chukkim, that are unclear to us, it would make more sense to have to teach the reasons.

And if you go with the Alter Rebbe's explanation, that they should reach the innermost depths of the neshama, for Mishpatim it seems unnecessary to be inspired to the depths of the neshama. On the other hand, eidus and chukkim, that aren't natural to us, for them we need to reach to the depths of our neshamas, and be inspired.

With all this stated, we have to ask: Why is the teaching of lifnayhem specifically taught by Mishpatim and not by eidus and chukkim?

Even though "the main thing is the action," for example, Teffillin. If one studies all about Teffillin, and is inspired to the depths of his neshama, but he hasn't put on Teffillin yet, he has done nothing, and he is considered "a head that has never put on Teffillin," which is a very sorry state for a Jewish man. On the other hand, if one knows nothing about Teffillin, and is not in the least inspired, but he puts on Teffillin, he does the mitzvah and he is required to say the blessing over Teffillin, pronouncing Hashem's name.

Nevertheless, what Hashem really wants, is that when we do a mitzvah, it should affect our whole person. Not only action, speech and thought, but even the mind, the emotions and even the higher faculties of will and pleasure. This is not only referring to mitzvahs of the heart, like love and fear, belief and knowing Hashem, but also the most simple of mitzvahs, Mishpatim, should permeate the whole of the person, that he should take pleasure in doing the simplest action for Hashem.

This works the other way around too, Chukkim, that we don't understand, and do out of accepting Hashem's will, should also be accepted by the mind.

This doesn't mean that he thinks, "True I don't understand them, however, there is a reason that is above my ability to understand, but someone smarter than me understands them, and Hashem has a good reason for them, so I will rely on their understanding." Because we are meant to do them out of accepting Hashem's will, and this way of thinking, is not accepting His will, rather it is relying on another's understanding. What we are meant to do, is to get to a point, where the mind is totally on board and fully accepts that it is good to do Hashem's will, even without understanding. Because of his simple faith, his mind doesn't even question about the reasons behind the chukkim.

It turns out, that in order to do chukkim in a way that permeates all of the faculties of the person, one would have to reach deep inside, to the depths of his neshama. And if he does, he will find pleasure in doing chukkim, that don't seem to have any purpose, he will take pleasure in doing Hashem's will. So it seems more important "to show him the panim" of the laws, to give him a deeper understanding, in order that he could attain this great level of service. However, since Mishpatim make sense to us, we don't need to reach deep inside or have a deep understanding to find pleasure in doing them.

The question now becomes stronger. Why is the teaching of lifnayhem specifically by Mishpatim?

To understand this, let's take a look at another teaching on this verse, "And these are the laws that you should set before them," Our sages say, "And these (means), in addition to the first (laws)." In other words, these laws are in addition to the Ten Commandments, in the previous parsha. Just as the Ten Commandments were said at Sinai, also these Mishpatim were said at Sinai.

The Ten Commandments are made up of the most sublime ideas, "I Am Hashem your G-d..." and "you shall not have any other gods before Me." And at the same time, it has "do not murder." and "do not steal." The fact that these laws of stark contrast, the most holy, and the most base, are together in the Ten Commandments, shows us that we should bring the two ideas together. The laws that even the simplest of people understand on their own, like "do not murder," and "do not steal," we shouldn't keep them because they make sense, but because of the "I Am Hashem your G-d," that is hidden in them, that they are Hashem's deepest will.

The same is true for Mishpatim, the simple laws that make sense to everyone, they have to be "in addition," and similar to the Ten Commandments, meaning, that we shouldn't keep them because they make sense, but because they are Hashem's deepest will.

And this is the connection between the three explanations. The Mishpatim should reach the innermost hidden recesses of our neshamas. That, for a Jew, is step number one. Step two, therefore, we shouldn't take our disputes to a non-Jewish court, because although they may rule the same as the Torah, they are not ruling that way because it is Hashem's will. Step three, Hashem also wants us to understand them with our minds, but the understanding works this way. I understand that it is Hashem's will, therefore, it makes sense.

And now we can understand why the teaching of lifnayhem is specifically by Mishpatim, because for eidus and chukkim we don't have to apply ourselves to know that they are Hashem's will first. On the other hand, Mishpatim, we need to put in the effort to see them as Hashem's will. They need to reach the innermost depths of our neshamas.

May we see Hashem's will in the simplest and most mundane of laws, bringing Him into every aspect of our lives. This way we will make a home for Hashem in ourselves, our homes, and our place in the world. This will usher in the time of Moshiach, when the whole world will be a home for Hashem. The time has come.