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Why does the Torah (תורה) begin Mishpatim with the laws of eved ivri before establishing that a thief must make restitution? The parasha addresses not compensation but rehabilitation: the ganav exhibits eved-like behavior—avoiding responsibility. Selling him as an eved forces immediate responsibility, teaching him accountability through the experience of paying off his debt upfront rather than over time.
Rabbi Zweig opens with Rashi (רש"י)'s statement that the opening vav of "v'ele ha-mishpatim" connects Mishpatim to Sinai, teaching that these laws too are "min Sinai." He questions what this means beyond the obvious—everything in Torah (תורה) is from Hashem (ה׳). He suggests that Sinai refers not just to divine origin but to the event itself, with its unique supernatural phenomena. The placement of Mishpatim sandwiched between two accounts of Maamad Har Sinai (beginning of Yisro and end of Mishpatim) suggests these laws were part of that dramatic Sinaitic event, not merely later transmissions in the Ohel Moed. The shiur then turns to the opening law: "Ki sikneh eved ivri." Rashi debates whether "eved ivri" means a Jewish slave or the slave of a Jew. Rabbi Zweig asks a compelling question: why does the Torah include the word "eved" at all? If it simply said "ki sikneh ivri," the meaning would be unambiguous—you're buying a Jew. The addition of "eved" creates the very ambiguity Rashi must resolve. Furthermore, the pasuk calls him an "eved ivri" before the purchase, but you don't buy an eved ivri—you buy a person who then becomes an eved ivri through the transaction.
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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
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