Parshas Mishpatim
I Want…Actually, I Don’t Want!!
“And these are the laws that you shall set before them.” (Shmos 21:2)
After Yehoshua conquered the city of Yericho, Achan sinned by taking from the forbidden spoils of the city. That act resulted in the death of 36 Jews in a later battle. It also resulted in Achan being killed. In his confession he said, “I saw among the spoils a fine Shinar mantle, two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold weighing fifty shekels, and I coveted them and took them.” (Yehoshua 7:21). Another example of the extremes to which coveting someone else’s property could lead to, occurred with King Achav. He had an uncontrollable desire to own the vineyard of Navos. Navos refused to give away land which was a family inheritance. As a result of Navos’s refusal, King Achav became depressed. Achav’s wife, Queen Izevel arranged for false witnesses to testify against Navos. Navos was found guilty and was killed by King Achav’s court. King Achav was then able to take possession of Navos’s vineyard. (Melachim I 21:1-24). Rabbeinu Bachya uses this as an example that coveting something can ultimately lead to committing murder in order to attain it. (Shmos 20:14).
In last week’s parsha, we read the Aseres Hadibros, the 10 Commandments. One of the commandments is לא תחמוד. You may not covet something that your friend has, be it his house, field, wife, …. Many of the commentaries, including Ibn Ezra and HaKsav VeHaKabalah (Shmos 20:14) are bothered by the obvious question. How can the Torah restrict a feeling? How can Hashem expect us to see something pleasing or beautiful and not desire it?
Ibn Ezra answers this question with a parable. A peasant who sees a beautiful princess will not entertain any desirous thoughts of marrying her, for he knows that it is an impossibility. It would be like someone desiring to sprout wings to fly to the sky, which is clearly an impossibility. If a man sees that his neighbor has a beautiful wife and or a magnificent home, he should realize that his neighbor only has it because that is Hashem’s will. They are not attainable for him. They are beyond his reach, and he should not covet them. He will therefore be happy with his lot and will not allow his heart to covet and desire anything which is not his.
Sforno answers that one should consider that which he would covet as utterly unattainable. One should train himself to pretend that which he covets does not exist at all.
HaKsav VeHaKabalah answers that the Torah says we should love Hashem with all our heart. Why does it say, “all” our heart and not just to love Hashem with our heart? He answers that our heart should be totally filled with love of Hashem and nothing else. Our heart should not be divided with loving Hashem and loving certain desirous things in the world. When we develop this overflowing love of Hashem, there will be no room to desire any worldly item. It is like a cup that is overflowing. There is no more room to pour any more liquid into it. However, until one can attain this all-encompassing level of loving Hashem, his heart will naturally desire the pleasures of the world that he sees.
The Ramban in this week’s parsha has another approach which may be more feasible for us. The Ramban says “הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים וְאֵלֶּה”, “and these are the rules”, (Shmos 21:1) corresponds to the mitzvah in the 10 Commandmants, “you shall not covet… anything that is your neighbor’s” (20:12). If a person does not know the monetary laws, he may think that something which is not his, belongs to him. Then he will covet it and take it for himself. Therefore, the Torah tells us the monetary laws. By studying the laws, one will not desire what is not his. We see from the words of the Ramban that studying Hashem’s laws will do more than simply teaching us what is permitted and what is forbidden. Learning the details of the mitzvos with concentration will impact our hearts, purifying us and removing any desire to sin.
Rav Yisroel Salanter zt”l (Igeres Hamussar) expounds on the Ramban’s idea. Rav Yisroel Salanter says, when you study the intricacies of the laws and in depth, you are not merely learning what is permitted and what is forbidden. Studying the laws actually influences your heart and removes the desire that you may have had for that particular sin. You won’t even desire someone else’s property. You won’t stumble in a particular mitzvah or character trait in the area that you study, b’iyun, in depth and with concentration. For example, if one has a desire to steal, he may rationalize and steal. He may not even realize that he is rationalizing. However, if he studies the technical laws about stealing, in detail and in depth, that will curb his desire for stealing.
If there is a particular mitzvah that we want to strengthen, or a particular sin that we want to avoid, or a character trait that we want to improve, we can do it! Studying, in depth, the laws in that particular area, will strengthen our heart, giving us the power to succeed.
Based on a dvar Torah by Rabbi Alter Henach Leibowitz zt”l
