Rabbi's Blog

The Aseres Hadibros which were read last week in Parshas Yisro is divided between Mitzvos Bein Adam Lachaveiroi and Lamakom: Mitzvos between man and God and between man to man. The second half of the commandments strictly focus on the mitzvos between man and man and immediately following with this week's Parshas Mishpatim. Mishpatim is full of Mitzvos that deal on the human level. There are set Mitzvos in the Torah and Halachos/laws set up in the Shulchan Aruch, the code of Jewish law. Beyond the letter of the law are those individuals who go Lifnim Meshuras Hadin - above and beyond the letter of the law. A few weeks ago I observed something I have never seen before, something that takes care and concern to a new level. In a very simple manner a person came up with a clever idea for dealing with a messy situation. Living in San Diego we know it doesn't rain too often, but when it does all havoc breaks loose. Car accidents galore top the news of the day.People living in San Diego really don't know what to do when it rains. Immediately, stores break out the umbrellas and start selling them like hot cakes. An umbrella is a wonderful invention and really can keep a person dry. One problem associated with the umbrella, however, is that when coming inside the wet umbrella drips, making the floor wet, muddy and sometimes downright slippery. On a rainy day recently I walked into a store and noticed that they were providing plastic umbrella bags, similar to the bags used when purchasing flowers which keep the flower stems moist while preventing in the residue of water in which the flowers were immersed from dripping on the floor. These larger umbrella bags, provided at no charge, are designed for anyone entering the store to put their wet umbrellas into to keep the floor dry! Someone who cares about the safety of others came up with this brilliant idea.Everyone understands that when it's raining and people use their umbrellas, the entry-area floor of a store will be wet.One person, however, wasn't satisfied with this status quo and found a way to make life safer and more pleasant for his fellow man. It is curious that most of the five Aseres Hadibros that are on the left side which address Mitzvos between man and man are in the negative:Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal,.....etc. I believe this is a remez, a hint, that a person can learn from something bad just as much, and at times even more, than from something good. In this week's Parshas Mishpatim 21:37 the Torah states: 'Ki Yignove ish Shor oh She Utvacho oh M;charo Chamisha Bakar Y'Shaleim Tachas Hashor V'Arba Tzon Tachas HaSeh':'When a man will steal an ox, or a sheep or a goat, and slaughter it or sell it, he shall pay five cattle in place of the ox, and four sheep in place of the sheep'.. Sure, the Torah delineates laws that govern our society with penalties and taxes and fines. In addition to every black and white law, every mitzvah and situation in life, there is a tinge of Mussar - of ethical character refinement - from which we can learn and grow. Reb Simcha Bunim of P'Shischa says we can always learn from a Tzadik, a righteous person. It is easy and obvious how we should act when we observe a holy person. But yet there may even be other lessons and features in life to derive and learn from the wicked individual. Reb Bunim lists three things a person must learn from a thief in order to better serve Hashem: 1. A thief or robber (known in Hebrew as a Ganav) is not lazy. This is especially true at night when he goes out to steal. He goes out to work whether it's cold or raining. He never stays home, even if he is sick. 2. A thief never gives up. When a thief goes out and is unsuccessful in his first attemptto steal,he tries again and again and doesn't rest until he is successful (or gets caught). 3. The thief does not get embarrassed by stealing something small. Even though he may not be able to rob a big bank, he still tries to steal something smaller. Even though the amount may only be small, the thief is still encouraged to steal; his limited ambition does not hold him back. There is great determination and satisfaction the thief has about his "profession"; he does it with a passion. In a related manner we can also learn a great deal from individuals who are not fully developed yet possess tremendous strength and determination to grow and to learn. In the sefer Eser Oros authored by Yaakov Yitzchok Halevi, the Chozeh of Lublin, quotes in the name of the Magid of Mezeritchthat there are three things a person can learn from a child and incorporate into his own life: 1. A child is always happy. 2. A child never sits idly by 3. In general whenever a child wants something, he cries for it. Every day we battle the Yetzer Hara, and it usually boils down to a tug of war. The evil inclination is only tugging a little more than we are, yet we want to give up and throw in the towel. Where is our determination?If we just tug and pull the yetzer hara a little bit to our side we will experience incredible accomplishments. It just takes a little movement, a little push in the right direction. If we don't succeed on the first or second try, try again. If we daven to Hashem and don't get what we want, then think of the young child: cry a little more, plead your case, until Hashem gives in. Let us figure out the little extra ways of defeating our Yetzer Hara so that we can climb to the next level. Each step is a progression to strengthen our commitment to growth. Let's go the extra mile even if it takes us step by step to get there. Ah Gut Shabbos Rabbi Avram Bogopulsky