Mishpatim משפטים

My Musing

Using three Biblical figures, Goliath, Bilaam , and Haman, the midrash ends with a sobering thought. Goliath was courageous and strong, Bilaam had the wisdom to be able to converse with God, And Haman boasts of his wealth and power.All these gifts can disappear. As the Rabbis taught, the rich can become poor and the poor can just as easily become rich. What we do with our courage, wisdom and wealth is what remains and creates our legacies. We need to use our God given gifts responsibly.

מדרש תנחומא  פרשת משפטים (וורשא) סימן ח
(שמות כב:כד) "אִם-כֶּסֶף תַּלְוֶה אֶת-עַמִּי, אֶת-הֶעָנִי עִמָּךְ--לֹא-תִהְיֶה לוֹ, כְּנֹשֶׁה; לֹא-תְשִׂימוּן עָלָיו, נֶשֶׁךְ"

“If thou lend money to any of My people, even to the poor with thee, thou shalt not be to him as a creditor; neither shall ye lay upon him interest.”

זה שאמר הכתוב, (קהלת ה יב-יג) " יֵשׁ רָעָה חוֹלָה, רָאִיתִי תַּחַת הַשָּׁמֶשׁ:  עֹשֶׁר שָׁמוּר לִבְעָלָיו, לְרָעָתוֹ. וְאָבַד הָעֹשֶׁר הַהוּא, בְּעִנְיַן רָע; וְהוֹלִיד בֵּן, וְאֵין בְּיָדוֹ מְאוּמָה"   הכל הקדוש ברוך הוא מנסה את העשירים. אם ידיהם פתוחה לעניים אוכלין נכסיהם. וצדקה שעושין, הקרן קיימת להם לעולם הבא, שנאמר,(ישעיהו נח:ח) " אָז יִבָּקַע כַּשַּׁחַר אוֹרֶךָ, וַאֲרֻכָתְךָ מְהֵרָה תִצְמָח; וְהָלַךְ לְפָנֶיךָ צִדְקֶךָ, כְּבוֹד יְקוָה יַאַסְפֶךָ" ואומר,(תהלים מא:ב) " אַשְׁרֵי, מַשְׂכִּיל אֶל-דָּל;בְּיוֹם רָעָה, יְמַלְּטֵהוּ יְקוָה"  והעניים מנסה אותן, אם אינן מבעטים בעולם הזה, נוטלין שכרן לעתיד לבא, שנאמר,(תהלים יח:כח) " כִּי-אַתָּה, עַם-עָנִי תוֹשִׁיעַ; וְעֵינַיִם רָמוֹת תַּשְׁפִּיל"

This is what the scripture says, “There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun, namely, riches kept by the owner thereof to his hurt; and those riches perish by evil adventure; and if he hath begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand. Everything, the Holy One, blessed be He, tests the wealthy, as it says, “Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thy healing shall spring forth speedily; and thy righteousness shall go before thee, the glory of the LORD shall be thy rearward.” And it says, “Happy is he that considereth the poor; the LORD will deliver him in the day of evil.” And the poor test them, if they do not kick them away in this world, they take their reward into the world to come, as it says, “For Thou dost save the afflicted people; but the haughty eyes Thou dost humble.”

איוב נתיסר בעולם הזה ושלם לו כפלי כפלים, שנאמר, (איוב מב:י)  " וַיקוָה, שָׁב אֶת שבית [שְׁבוּת] אִיּוֹב, בְּהִתְפַּלְלוֹ, בְּעַד רֵעֵהוּ; וַיֹּסֶף יְהוָה אֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר לְאִיּוֹב, לְמִשְׁנֶה"

Job was afflicted in this world, and he was compensated twice, as it says, “And the LORD changed the fortune of Job, when he prayed for his friends; and the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.”

ועשיר שעינו רעה, אבד הוא וממונו מן העולם, שנאמר, (קהלת ה:יג) " וְאָבַד הָעֹשֶׁר הַהוּא, בְּעִנְיַן רָע; וְהוֹלִיד בֵּן, וְאֵין בְּיָדוֹ מְאוּמָה"

And a wealthy person who has the evil eye, he and his money are removed from the world, as it says, “and those riches perish by evil adventure; and if he hath begotten a son, there is nothing in his hand.”

לא כל מי שהוא עשיר היום עשיר למחר, ולא כל מי שהוא עני היום עני למחר, שנאמר,(תהלים עה:ח) " כִּי-אֱלֹקִים שֹׁפֵט; זֶה יַשְׁפִּיל, וְזֶה יָרִים"

And not everyone who is rich today is rich tomorrow, and not everyone who is poor today will be poor tomorrow, as it says, “For God is judge; He putteth down one, and lifteth up another.

יש עושר שמור לבעליו לטובתו, ויש עושר שמור לבעליו לרעתו.

There is wealth that protects and brings good to the possessor and there is wealth that brings bad tidings to their possessor.

שמור לבעליו לרעתו, זה עשרו של קרח, שנאמר,(במדבר טז:לג) "וַיֵּרְדוּ הֵם וְכָל-אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם, חַיִּים--שְׁאֹלָה; וַתְּכַס עֲלֵיהֶם הָאָרֶץ, וַיֹּאבְדוּ מִתּוֹךְ הַקָּהָל." ועשרו של המן, שנאמר,(אסתר ה:יא) "וַיְסַפֵּר לָהֶם הָמָן אֶת-כְּבוֹד עָשְׁרוֹ, וְרֹב בָּנָיו; וְאֵת כָּל-אֲשֶׁר גִּדְּלוֹ הַמֶּלֶךְ וְאֵת אֲשֶׁר נִשְּׂאוֹ, עַל-הַשָּׂרִים וְעַבְדֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ"  ולבסוף (אסתר ז:י) "וַיִּתְלוּ, אֶת-הָמָן, עַל-הָעֵץ, אֲשֶׁר-הֵכִין לְמָרְדֳּכָי; וַחֲמַת הַמֶּלֶךְ, שָׁכָכָה"

That brings evil to the possessor, that is the wealth of Korach, as it says, “So they, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit; and the earth closed upon them, and they perished from among the assembly.” And the wealth of Haman, “And Haman recounted unto them the glory of his riches, and the multitude of his children, and everything as to how the king had promoted him, and how he had advanced him above the princes and servants of the king.” And in the end, “So they hanged Haman on the gallows that he had prepared for Mordecai. Then was the king's wrath assuaged.”

שמור לבעליו לטובתו, זה עשרו של יהושפט, שנאמר, (דברי הימים ב, יח:א) " וַיְהִי לִיהוֹשָׁפָט עֹשֶׁר וְכָבוֹד, לָרֹב; וַיִּתְחַתֵּן, לְאַחְאָב"  ומה היה לו? (דברי הימים ב, יח:לא) " וַיְהִי כִּרְאוֹת שָׂרֵי הָרֶכֶב אֶת-יְהוֹשָׁפָט, וְהֵמָּה אָמְרוּ מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא, וַיָּסֹבּוּ עָלָיו, לְהִלָּחֵם; וַיִּזְעַק יְהוֹשָׁפָט וַיקוָה עֲזָרוֹ, וַיְסִיתֵם אֱלֹקִים מִמֶּנּוּ"

Protects and brings good to its possessor, that is the wealth of Yehoshphat, as it says, “Now Jehoshaphat had riches and honour in abundance; and he allied himself with Ahab by marriage.” And what did he have? “And it came to pass, when the captains of the chariots saw Jehoshaphat, that they said: 'It is the king of Israel.' Therefore they turned about to fight against him; but Jehoshaphat cried out, and the LORD helped him; and God moved them to depart from him.”

יש גבורה נעשה טובה לבעליה, ורעה לבעליה.

טובה לבעליה זה גבורת דוד, שנאמר,(שמואל א,טז:יח) " וַיַּעַן אֶחָד מֵהַנְּעָרִים וַיֹּאמֶר, הִנֵּה רָאִיתִי בֵּן לְיִשַׁי בֵּית הַלַּחְמִי, יֹדֵעַ נַגֵּן וְגִבּוֹר חַיִל וְאִישׁ מִלְחָמָה וּנְבוֹן דָּבָר, וְאִישׁ תֹּאַר; וַיקוָה, עִמּוֹ"

 וכתיב בו, (שמואל א,יח:ז) "וַתַּעֲנֶינָה הַנָּשִׁים הַמְשַׂחֲקוֹת, וַתֹּאמַרְןָ:הִכָּה שָׁאוּל בַּאֲלָפָו, וְדָוִד בְּרִבְבֹתָיו"  וכתיב,( שמואל א,יח:טז) "וְכָל-יִשְׂרָאֵל וִיהוּדָה, אֹהֵב אֶת-דָּוִד: כִּי-הוּא יוֹצֵא וָבָא, לִפְנֵיהֶם"

There is courage that is good for its possessor and that which is bad for its possessor.

Good, that is the courage of David, as it says, “Then answered one of the young men, and said: 'Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Beth-lehemite, that is skilful in playing, and a mighty man of valour, and a man of war, and prudent in affairs, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him.'” And it is written about him, “And the women sang one to another in their play, and said: Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands.” And it is written, “But all Israel and Judah loved David; for he went out and came in before them.”

רעה לבעליה, זה גבורת גלית שחרף וגדף ואמר, (שמואל א, יז:ח) "וַיַּעֲמֹד, וַיִּקְרָא אֶל-מַעַרְכֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל, וַיֹּאמֶר לָהֶם, לָמָּה תֵצְאוּ לַעֲרֹךְ מִלְחָמָה:  הֲלוֹא אָנֹכִי הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי, וְאַתֶּם עֲבָדִים לְשָׁאוּל--בְּרוּ-לָכֶם אִישׁ, וְיֵרֵד אֵלָי"  לסוף, (שמואל א, יז:נא) "וַיָּרָץ דָּוִד וַיַּעֲמֹד אֶל-הַפְּלִשְׁתִּי וַיִּקַּח אֶת-חַרְבּוֹ וַיִּשְׁלְפָהּ מִתַּעְרָהּ, וַיְמֹתְתֵהוּ, וַיִּכְרָת-בָּהּ, אֶת-רֹאשׁוֹ; וַיִּרְאוּ הַפְּלִשְׁתִּים כִּי-מֵת גִּבּוֹרָם, וַיָּנֻסוּ" שמת באבן הקלע.

That brings evil to its possessor, that is the courage of Goliath who blasphemed and taunted and said, “And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them: 'Why do ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me.” And in the end, “And David ran, and stood over the Philistine, and took his sword, and drew it out of the sheath thereof, and slew him, and cut off his head therewith. And when the Philistines saw that their mighty man was dead, they fled.” That he had died from a small stone.

יש חכמה טובה לבעליה ורעה לבעליה.

טובה לבעליה, זה יהושע בן נון, שנאמר, (דברים לד:ט) " וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ בִּן-נוּן, מָלֵא רוּחַ חָכְמָה--כִּי-סָמַךְ מֹשֶׁה אֶת-יָדָיו, עָלָיו; וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ אֵלָיו בְּנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיַּעֲשׂוּ, כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה יְקוָה אֶת-מֹשֶׁה"

There is wisdom that is good for its possessor and there is that which is bad for its possessor.

Good refers to Joshua bin Nun, as it says, “And Joshua the son of Nun was full of the spirit of wisdom; for Moses had laid his hands upon him; and the children of Israel hearkened unto him, and did as the LORD commanded Moses.”

משל למה הדבר דומה? לנמסינן המשקה את כל המדינה, והיו הכל משבחין אותו. אמר להן אחד, שבחו למעין שמספיק לו. כך היו משבחין ליהושע, שהיה משקה מחכמתו לכל ישראל. אמר להן, שבחו למשה, שנאמר " כִּי-סָמַךְ מֹשֶׁה אֶת-יָדָיו, עָלָיו"

To what is this similar? To the minister who provides drink for the state. Ann praise him. One said to them, praise the spring that provides the water to him. Such they were praising Joshua, that he shared his knowledge with all of Israel. He said to them, praise Moshe, as it says, “for Moses had laid his hands upon him”

חכמה רעה לבעליה, זה בלעם, שנאמר, (במדבר כד: טז) "נְאֻם, שֹׁמֵעַ אִמְרֵי-אֵל, וְיֹדֵעַ, דַּעַת עֶלְיוֹן; מַחֲזֵה שַׁדַּי יֶחֱזֶה, נֹפֵל וּגְלוּי עֵינָיִם"  ולבסוף, (יהושע יג: כב) " וְאֶת-בִּלְעָם בֶּן-בְּעוֹר, הַקּוֹסֵם--הָרְגוּ בְנֵי-יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּחֶרֶב, אֶל-חַלְלֵיהֶם"

Wisdom that is bad for its possessors, that refers to Bila’am, as it says, “The saying of him who heareth the words of God, and knoweth the knowledge of the Most High, who seeth the vision of the Almighty, fallen down, yet with opened eyes:” and in the end, “Balaam also the son of Beor, the soothsayer, did the children of Israel slay with the sword among the rest of their slain.