The word “mishpatim” in Hebrew means “laws”, and in this week’s Torah portion, many laws given by G-d to the Jewish people are listed and explained. When a person hears the word “laws”, likely he will imagine in his mind a body of do’s and don’ts, created to help society run smoothly. And he would be correct. However the Torah doesn’t only command us laws for this reason alone, but to enable us to create a society that is holy and G-d fearing, as well as orderly. Many of these “mishpatim” are only applicable when the Jews lived as a sovereign people in the land of Israel under the jurisdiction of the Sanhedrin(Supreme Court), as was the case in antiquity. And will be in the future when the Messiah comes. But beyond their strictly practical applications, there is also a spiritual message within these laws that each of us can apply to ourselves.
Verse 12 mentions the Mitzvah of observing the Sabbath, and even extends this observance to animals! “Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall desist, so that your ox and your donkey may rest…”. We understand there is a concept of allowing our animals to rest on Shabbat, but how exactly doesa donkey observe Shabbat?
Rashi addresses this question. He says, “Let it (the donkey) rest by allowing it to uproot grass and eat it from the ground.( i.e. let it be a donkey and graze unburdened by work.) Or maybe not, and you should actually make the donkey stay in the house to keep it from forbidden labor? This clearly cannot be true, because that would not be rest for the donkey, it would be suffering”. We see that Rashi has told us that intrinsic to the idea of “resting” on the Sabbath, there must be enjoyment, whereas suffering is not considered “resting”. If this is true for animals, all the more so for us.
Many people who have never observed Shabbat before are convinced that they would hate it. “Give up my iPhone for a whole day! Not drive! Too many ‘Thou Shalt Nots.” But the point they are missing in exactly the point of what Shabbat is all about.
True, there are rules about what not to do on Shabbat. But these rules are not there to cause discomfort (like the case of the donkey). These rules force us to remove ourselves from the mundane; they are a push to remind us that there is more to life than accomplishment and pursuit of success. And because we are humans, we need this push to come in the form of rules that make us rest. If left to our own devices, we would literally work till we drop. There would always be one more project, one more meeting.
And then there is the aspect of Sabbath observance that is often overlooked. The “Thou Shalts”. It is aMitzah on Shabbat to wear our best clothes. We have three festive meals consisting of our favorite foods. We have an opportunity every week to use those things that are hidden away “for a special occasion” like Grandma’s china, and the white table cloth. We are given time. Time to actually pray like we’re meant to. Time to learn Torah. Time to spend real quality time with our loved ones. Far from a burden, Shabbat teaches us what life is really about.
I challenge everyone, whether you’ve been “keeping” Shabbat for fifty years, or are just discovering its beauty, to learn more about this integral part of our heritage and to add something of Shabbat into your life. To learn more, or for help experiencing Shabbat, we at Chabad are always available.
I want to thank the Swift and Goldin families for their generous donations, helping us prepare for Purim. In this merit, Reuvain Ephraim ben Brancha Devorah should have a refuah sheleima and enjoy many happy years.
Wishing you and your family a shabbat shalom
Rabbi Akiva Hall