>Parashat Mishpatim
>From the book ‘Me’ever LaMefursam’:
>“If a man steals a bull or a lamb and slaughters it or sells it, he shall pay five cattle for the bull or four sheep for the lamb.” [Exodus 21:37]
>A man who stole an animal and slaughtered it, what is his punishment? The Torah says he must pay five times the value of that animal, but if it is a lamb – then he pays only four times. And the question that arises is: Why regarding a lamb it’s only quadruple while an ox it’s five times? The Gemara’s answer is famous and well known: God had mercy on human dignity - an ox walked on its feet and the thief was not humiliated by carrying it on his shoulder – therefore, he pays five times. While a lamb needed to be carried upon his shoulders – therefore, the thief pays four times, since it was humiliating – because the one who stole the lamb had to carry it on his shoulders, then he was a little ashamed compared to the thief who stole an ox and pulled it without being humiliated.
>That said, I heard Rabbi Yehuda Yosefi Shlita ask a nice question about this: Can we imagine that there is some kind of court in the world (in northern Russia, in eastern Indonesia, or in South America) where a judge sat for the trial, and after deciding that the person facing him is a thief, he would turn to him and say: "But listen, sir thief, because you were a little ashamed when you stole, I’ll consider it..."?! Is there such a judge in the world?! Certainly not! Do you want to be considered? Do not steal and do not get involved in such actions. If so, how can God say that the true law is that the ashamed thief should be considered?
>Rabbi Yosefi answers: True, no judge in the world would consider that the thief was ashamed unless the judge is >the father of the thief!
>[Here are a few questions regarding our Parasha:]
>“An eye [Ain in Hebrew] for an eye, a tooth [Shen in Hebrew] for a tooth, a hand [Yad in Hebrew] for a hand, a foot [Regel in Hebrew] for a foot.”
>[What is implied in each of the first letters of these organs?]
>The 4 organs implied here – eyes, teeth, hands, feet - acronyms is Rich [Ashir - >עשיר>- in Hebrew], to imply to us that there is no wealth like health, and he who is healthy in these four organs - is rich!
>“He who slaughters [a sacrifice] to the gods shall be destroyed, except to the Lord alone.” [>Exodus 22:19]
>Who are those gods?
>Angels in heaven!
>“Distance yourself from a false matter” [such as lies] [Exodus 23:7]
>What is the punishment for those who adhere to a lie?
>Tanna Debei Eliyahu: If a person gets used to being a liar, then he is handed over by a lying angel [spiritually speaking], who always commands him and does not stop cheating and deceiving him >and tells him that sin is a mitzvah and mitzvah is a sin.> [The angel confuses him to think this way] And this is what the verse means: "Distance yourself from a false matter" – which means that by lies, the person distance himself from the Holy One, Blessed be He, and the mitzvah becomes a sin, and the sin becomes a mitzvah.
>Copyrights Approval
>The book: Me’ever Lamefursam
> Author: Rabbi Yaakov Maavri
> Number to purchase the book [in Hebrew]: +97250-7523086
Email: >meeverlamefursam@gmail.com
.Translated with the approval of the book’s author
Translator: Dor Graydi