Shmot

Ever since the dawn of time, people have pursued the goal of eternal life. The ancient Egyptians, for example, mummified their bodies, in the belief that this would grant them continuity from one world to another. Even today, many contribute to various Torah or kindness organizations in order to memorialize their loved ones... On a simple level, the aspiration for eternity stems from a positive place in one's soul: the striving to be like our eternal Creator. If so, when we consider the other levels of G-d's creation, we will realize that we are not very close to reaching this goal...

...The first utensil that Moshe Rabbeinu was commanded to prepare for the Mishkan was the Holy Ark (Aron), in which the Two Tablets were to be placed. That it was first indicates its importance and central role in the dwelling of the Divine Presence in the Mishkan. And in fact, we find that the very presence of the Aron in the Tabernacle and, later, in the Holy Temple, is what bestowed upon them their special status...

One of the Torah's guidelines for our everyday lives found in this weekly portion is a special instruction as to how to lead the public when there are differences of opinion: "Do not follow a majority for evil… [but otherwise,] follow the majority" (Sh'mot 323,2)... With this, our holy Torah teaches us an important chapter in democracy...

This week's Torah reading of Mishpatim appears to be a major departure from the stories of our Patriarchs and the stories of Divine miracles that we have read until now, in that it is largely a list of civil laws: Who is responsbile for which damages under what circumstances, who pays if one ox gores another, how much a thief must compensate his victim, lost objects, majority rule, milk and meat, and much more. One of the questions we must ask is: Why did the Torah make rules for civil law in certain areas, and not leave them up to the will of the people in each society?

The Torah threatens punishment for idol-worshipers that is only 1/500th of the reward that the righteous will receive: "Concerning My enemies, I keep in mind the fathers' sins for their descendants, [only] to the 3rd and 4th generations. But for those who love Me and keep My commandments, I show love for [at least two] thousands of generations" (Sh'mot 20,5-6). The punishment is for four generations, and the reward for 2,000 generations. But the question we would like to address is: Why are the righteous termed both "those who love Me" and "those who keep My commandments?" Is not one enough?

...We all understand that the mitzvot are meant to bring us to spiritual heights. Some of our mitzvot are clearly "spiritual," and it is easy to see how they help a person rise up in Divine service and closeness. But there are also mitzvot that appear to be "materialistic," of which it is hard to see the spiritual benefits. On a superficial level, it is hard to see the mitzvot of working, building, and settling the Land as bringing about a higher level of spirituality. After all, people do these very same things on their parcels of land throughout the world! Perhaps we can see spirituality in synagogues and other holy sites, where people come to pray and the like – but what of regular pieces of earth? Where is the sanctity there?...

The attribute of kingdom is the last among seven important characteristics in Jewish thought.

We read in this week's Torah portion of Bo that G-d gave Moshe and Aharon the following commandment: "This month [Nissan] shall be the first of the months of the year for you" (Sh'mot 12,1). It is from here we learn the laws of how the rabbinical court sanctifies the new months and determines the holidays accordingly. One of these laws, as taught in Tractate Sanhedrin, is that this mitzvah may be performed only in Eretz Yisrael.