Posted on 02/23/17
[Ed. Note] Out of the respect and recognition of the impact made by longtime BJL friend and contributor, Reb Shaya Gross, z’l, we will maintain a living memoriam to Shaya through the sweet words and thoughtful insights of his Divrei Torah. BJL readers will remember his weekly column on the Parsha and on various Torah ideas and concepts. These meaningful words will help us remember this special young man who will be sorely missed and for those who did not merit to know him, this will be the most appropriate way for them to become familiar with who he was.
This week’s Parsha, Parshas Mishpatim, discusses many laws relating to the daily life of a Jew. What is the connection between this Parsha and last week’s Parsha in which the Jewish People attained a spiritual high when Hashem revealed Himself to them on Mt. Sinai?
Rav Shraga Simmons answers, that the 2 Parshiyos are two sides of the same coin. Spirituality is not achieved by meditating alone on a mountaintop or by learning in an out-of-the-way monastery. Jewish spirituality comes through grappling with the mundane world in a way that uplifts and elevates it.
Hence we need to learn and practice the laws of everyday life in order to truly elevate everything we do as we interact in the ‘real’ world.
What then was the purpose of the super high revelation at Mount Sinai?
The answer is that we all need a powerful spiritual experience to get ourselves going. It gives us the knowledge and conviction that we are on the right path doing what Hashem wants us to do. The Rambam likens it to one who is lost trudging along in a dark and rainy storm unsure of where to go and what to do. Then there is a flash of lightning; it doesn't last long, but it illuminates the path on which he is traveling showing him where to go.
That was the purpose of the revelation at Mount Sinai. Once we have witnessed that 'illuminating light' we must channel its inspiration into our daily lives trying to elevate all the 'mundane' things we do.
I think this also explains why the last week of Shovavim [an acronym for the six Shabbosim during the winter from Parshas Shmos through Mishpatim, which are a special time for Teshuva] ends with our Parsha, Parshas Mishpatim. By now we hopefully have taken advantage of the spirituality of these past 6 weeks which will then enable us to continue elevating the mundane throughout the rest of the year.