Thought of the Week- Parshas Mishpatim

After we got the Ten Commandments, the basis of our Torah, Moses came down from the mountain after 40 days and forty nights. He came down with the two tablets, and then started telling the the rest of the commandments orally. Only after this did he write it down. All this created the Chumash we have today. All the rules and comandments, were taught to Moses during those forty days and nights, after the recieving of the actual ten commandments.

One of the lessons we learn in this weeks Parasha is (as it states): (23:5) "If you see your enemy's donkey lying under its burden, would you refrain from helping him? You shall surely help along with him."

The Holy Baal Shem Tov writes of the phrase "If you see," when you will see in your daily life, that you have a good inclanation and a bad one, you will find that "your enemy's donkey" (Donkey is 'Chamor' in hebrew. It comes from the word Chumriyut-Materialism) is the materialism of the world. It is what is considered your enemy to your good inclanation, for it bothers and hides the spirituality. It is like an obstruction in the middle of the road, in the path of good, just as a donkey sits in the middle of the road stuck. It can't move thus not allowing the traffic of people to pass by "Collapsing under it's burden," just sitting there. One might automaticaly think, 'should I "refrain from helping him?" Should I have anything what to do with him? The Torah therefore teaches us... "You shall surely help ALONG with him." He too has a divine task, his task is to try to divert you from doing good, however you use him, the material part, to do good.

Money is always the best example. Everyone wants "the bling-bling" the "cash" the, whatever they like calling it. Most will do anything it takes to have the latest car, the most recent technology, the most fanciest house. This may cause them to swindle, or cheat one another. It may cause them to scam the government, or worse comes to worse go to the fast cash such as drugs or gambeling. All the worst things can come from money. Why because it's there infront of us. We hear it in the lyrics of every other song, or Hip hop how they are roling in their Bentley's and now we suddely die for one. It's there in all the movies how these celebreties have their 15 billion dollar Beverly Hills homes. All this are obstacles in our spiritual journey in life. It's hard to be honest in a good business deal, because you really don't want to loose the client so you'll do every thing possible to sell the item at the most profitable way possible. However the Torah teaches us that even though it seems so bad and we must refrain any connection to it what so ever. The problem is, if you don't have money you won't have the bread on your table either. Therefore the Torah tells us that we must take this so called 'bad' and yet turn it into good. Be honest in your ligitamate clean business, G-d promises you that if your honest you'll do well. All you have to do is believe!

We may also take the verse to a more litarate note. If you see your enemy (someone you don't really like) who usually bothers you and bickers at you all the time. Don't lower yourself to his level and be like him. Even though it seems to you that you would rather ignore him and not pay attention to him (as sociaty dictates.) Rather you act nicely to him, you talk calmly and lovingly as though he is your friend this will naturally confuse him saying "Why can't I succeed in annoying him? Whatever I do doesn't bother him, he still shows me love and affection! This guy must really be a special guy!" This in most cases would cause him to stop bothering you. You may end up being good friends. This is why the Torah says, "you shall surely help ALONG with him." Why couldn't the Torah simply write "Help him." Rather it says "surely help along with him." The words "surely" "along" and "with" are all extra. This teaches us that in the end of the day he'll surely come to relise how foolish it is of him to bicker at you and he'll get along with you!

Remember an apple a day keeps the doctor away! And a good word a day keeps the hatred away! We can make this world a better place by doing ONLY GOOD

Good Shabbos!

© Thought of the week. Yermi Kurkus

Derived from the Teachings of the Baal Shem Tov (Kesser Shem Tov) and the Rebbe M. M. Schneersohn