Reply To: Sharing my Torah thoughts

Wow, it’s been a long time since I wrote down any of my thoughts here…

This is from a few weeks ago, but also relates to this time of year.

The question is asked, why is Parshas Mishpatim where it is? After hearing about all the incredible wonders that Bnei Yisrael experienced, all of a sudden, we go to just a series of laws, which seem to be somewhat mundane? We go from excitement to just dry reading of the laws?
One answer given is that we may think that the miracles are what show the greatness of Hashem. The Torah is showing us that the laws show the greatness equally as much as the miracles.
I had my own thought as to why the laws are written here. Chumash Shemos is about the founding of the Jewish nation. We went from being a family (descended from the Avos) to being a full-fledged nation, bound to Hashem at Har Sinai. To someone who was there at the time, or someone learning this for the first time, they may think, “What is being a Jew about? It’s about experiencing gilui Shechina, seeing these amazing wonders!” Hashem is telling us no, that’s not what it’s about. When we were formed as a nation, with yetzias Mitzrayim, Krias Yam Suf, and Matan Torah, yes, there were miracles. The nation experienced a gilui Shechina which was never replicated after, and won’t be until the coming of Mashiach. But going forward, we needed to know, that is not what being a Jew is about! In our day to day lives, it’s about the mundane, it’s about following the laws that govern our every action.
Perhaps that is why in Parshas Yisro, when it gives the response of the Jews, it only says the word Naaseh – Nishma is missing. Nishma is only mentioned at the end of Mishpatim, after the laws are given over. We can only have the full acceptance when we understand what it is that we’re accepting.

There are opinions that the Kabalas haTorah at Har Sinai was not fully sincere – one opinion even says that the Jews were trying to “trick” Hashem. We know that there was a second Kabalas haTorah, on Purim – kimu v’kiblu. What is the connection between Purim and Kabalas haTorah? Why was that the day that this occurred?

I thought that perhaps the connection to Parshas Mishpatim is the answer. The Jews experienced all the wonders, and were obviously so inspired by them. But when the wonders were gone, their acceptance slipped. “Where is the Shechina now?” they may have wondered. They didn’t see it openly before them anymore, and perhaps it affected them.

On Purim, they saw the nes nistar. They realized that even when they can’t see Hashem openly, He is still there behind the scenes, looking out for us. When they realized that, they knew that even without the gilui Shechinah, Hashem is with us. That inspired them to fully accept the Torah, knowing that we are never alone.