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Why does the Torah (תורה) begin the Mishpatim—civil law—with the obscure case of eved ivri (Hebrew servant)? The shiur develops that a ganav (thief) is one who refuses to take responsibility for his actions, sneaking rather than owning his deeds. The six-year servitude forces total compensation while simultaneously testing whether he learns to value responsibility or merely enjoys being cared for without obligation. The pierced ear at the end reveals whether he grasped that consequences must be reasonable—not terrorizing—for genuine responsibility to emerge.
Rabbi Zweig opens with Rashi (רש"י)'s statement that Parshas Mishpatim was given at Sinai, not merely at the Sinai location but as part of the actual Sinaitic *event*—the seven days of revelation before the mountain returned to normal. This positioning between the two accounts of Matan Torah (תורה) (kabbalas haTorah) in the parsha structure signals that these civil laws are not merely social legislation but foundational to the very experience of Sinai itself. The question becomes: why should the laws of eved ivri be so central to the Sinaitic revelation? Rashi further states that the laws must be taught "k'shulchan aruch lifneihem"—like a set table, ready to be tasted and enjoyed. This is a radical definition of halacha (הלכה): not rules and regulations imposed from above, but laws that must resonate as reasonable, desirable, and fitting. The Torah demands that consequences for actions must make sense to the person, must have *ta'am* (taste/reason), if they are to lead to genuine responsibility rather than mere coercion.
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Why does the Midrash connect Pharaoh's expulsion of the Jews to the mitzvah of shiluach hakan? The shiur develops a chiddush that Pharaoh's sin wasn't only drowning the children, but the insensitivity of expelling the parents afterward. The deeper analysis reveals that Pharaoh may have valued the Jews greatly and wanted to control them—making his expulsion an act of tremendous cruelty, not liberation.
Why does Moshe respond to the splitting of the sea with shirah rather than praise or thanksgiving? Rashi's use of "al libo" reveals that shirah is an emotional expression—a response of love to love. When Hashem shows personal care, the only adequate response is "I love You too," not mere gratitude or praise, and this principle applies to all relationships.
Parshas Mishpatim (Shemos 21:2-6)
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