|
“Hashem spoke to
Moshe and Aharon and commanded them regarding the Children of Israel….”
(6:13)
The Talmud
Yerushalmi relates that prior to leaving Mitzrayim, Hashem commanded
Moshe to teach Bnei Yisroel the details involved in fulfilling the mitzva
of “shiluach avadim” – “emancipation of slaves”.[1] However, the laws
connected to slavery were not pertinent to Bnei Yisroel until the laws of
Yovel, the Jubilee year came into effect in the Land of Israel, over
fifty years later. Why then is this the most opportune time to instruct
Bnei Yisroel concerning these laws?
The Talmud states
that giving charity on a fast day is the most effective manner to harness
the energies of the day[2]. Why is charity essential to fasting?
Furthermore, Rashi interjects that the best time to give the charity is
immediately after the conclusion of the fast. How does Rashi draw this
conclusion?
The most effective
way to perform a mitzva which involves human interaction in an act of
chesed is to become completely sensitive to the plight of the recipient.
A fast day is the most opportune time to empathize with the needy. When a
person suffers from the pangs of hunger, he understands the daily
struggle of the recipient of his charity. Therefore, Rashi teaches that
after the conclusion of the fast, prior to sitting down to a meal, a
person should give charity, for this creates the greatest level of
empathy for the needy recipient.
When Bnei Yisroel
were about to embark upon their passage from slavery to salvation, Hashem
commanded Moshe to instruct them regarding the emancipation of slaves. It
was at that moment that Bnei Yisroel could internalize the sensitivity
required to perform this mitzva. They could empathize with the slave who
they were commanded to set free and would treat him with greater
sensitivity.
1.Rosh Hashana 3:5
2.Berachos 6b
From The Mouth
of Babes
“Aharon took
Elisheva daughter of Aminadav, sister of Nachshon…”(6:23)
We find the
genealogy of Moshe and Aharon in this week’s parsha. The Torah
uncharacteristically records not only Aharon’s wife, Elisheva, but her
brother Nachshon as well. From this the Talmud derives that if a person
desires to know the true nature of his wife-to-be, he should investigate
her brothers[1]. It would seem logical to think that in order to discover
the nature of a future spouse, a person should investigate her parents.
Furthermore, the Talmud on numerous occasions espouses the desirability
of a spouse based upon the parents’ qualities[2]. Why then does the verse
emphasize investigation of the brother?
An adult is capable
of projecting an image which does not truly reflect his or her essence.
The facades which people create for themselves make it impossible to
assess their true nature. Children are not as sensitive to the need to
project an image which will give them good social standing as are adults.
Therefore, a child’s behavior generally reflects his true nature. The
nature which a child reflects is not only his own, but that of his
parents as well, for they mold his behavior patterns during his formative
years. Consequently, investigating a woman’s brother is the best way to
investigate her parents, for the behavior of the child, impervious to any
facade his parents may be hiding behind, reflects every nuance and
inflection of the parents’ behavior. The reason why the brother exhibits
the parents’ traits to a greater extent than his sister, is that a Jewish
girl is, by nature, more reserved, and this may impede the detection of
character traits and attitudes imbued in her by her parents. On the other
hand, her brother, who is more aggressive and therefore, less reserved,
can offer a more comprehensive evaluation of the parents’ attitudes and
nature.
1.Bava Kama 110 See
however Rashbam
2.See Kiddushin 69-70, Berachos 64b the Talmud describes the importance
of marrying a bas Talmid Chacham
|
Comments
Post a Comment