Vol 11.12 - Mishpatim 1             Spanish French Audio  Video

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Translation:

1. Regarding a Hebrew slave who declares that he does not wish to be freed in the

seventh year, our parsha states: “His master shall pierce his ear with an awl.” 1

Rashi comments: “This refers to his right ear. Or perhaps this refers to his left

ear? The Torah uses the word ‘ear’ here, and it uses the word ‘ear’ in another

passage, in order to make the following analogy: It says here ‘His master shall 2

pierce his ear with an awl,’ and it says regarding one afflicted with tzara’as , ‘the 3

cartilage of his right ear.’ Just as there, the Torah refers to his right ear, so here it 4

is the right ear.” 5

The simple meaning of Rashi is as follows. The verse states, “His master shall

pierce his ear …,” using the singular form, without specifying the right or the left

ear. Therefore, Rashi explains that our verse refers to the right ear, by use of the

above analogy.

Still, this raises a question. Rashi is somewhat verbose in his commentary, when

he says, “Or perhaps this refers to his left ear?” This phrase seems to be

unnecessary, and its inclusion implies that it would be more logical for our verse

to be referring to the left ear, but Rashi is forced to explain our verse as referring

to the right ear, because of the analogy. What is the reason for Rashi’s

preference for interpreting the verse as referring to the left ear?

2. Rashi continues his commentary (in the same passage): “And why was the ear

chosen to be pierced rather than any other organ of the body? Rabban Yochanan

ben Zakkai said, ‘The ear that heard on Mount Sinai, “You shall not steal,” and 6

yet he went and stole -- let it be pierced! Or in the case of he who sold himself

into slavery, The ear that heard on Mount Sinai, “For unto Me the children of

Israel are servants,” and yet he went and acquired a master for himself -- let it 7

be pierced!’ Rabbi Shimon would expound this verse like a chomer : ‘In what 8

respect are door and doorpost different from all other objects in the house that

they should be singled out for this purpose? Hashem said: The door and the

doorpost that were witnesses in Egypt when I passed over the lintel and the two

doorposts, and when I said, “for unto Me the children of Israel are servants” -- 9 10

servants to Me but not servants of servants, and yet this man went and acquired

a master for himself -- let him be pierced in their presence!’” 11

Several difficulties arise from this passage:

● Rashi’s comment “The ear that heard on Mount Sinai… let it be pierced!”

explains why the ear, rather than any other bodily organ, was pierced, but it does

not explain why specifically the right ear is pierced. Since this comment is not

related to Rashi’s earlier interpretation of “ear” as the right ear, Rashi should

have written these two comments separately, each under its own heading. 12

Certainly, this second comment, dealing with a different issue than the first,

should not begin with the connecting word “and”: It should have begun, “Why

was the ear chosen...” and not, “And why was the ear chosen….”

● Rashi’s quotation of Rabbi Shimon’s interpretation later in this commentary is

even more problematic . It begins with the question, “In what respect are door

and doorpost different….” If Rashi’s intention in quoting this exposition is to

explain why the Torah specifies the door and doorpost, he should have explained

it earlier, under its own heading, on the words, “to the door or to the doorpost,”

which appear earlier in this verse. The fact that Rashi does not present this

explanation earlier, when those words appear in the verse, demonstrates that

there is no difficulty in understanding the plain meaning of the text, as to why 13

the door and doorpost were chosen. (Rashi is also precise in his choice of words

when presenting this comment: “Rabbi Shimon would expound … in what 14

respect are door and doorpost different…?”) Rashi brings the comment of Rabbi

Shimon, not to resolve a difficulty in the plain meaning of the text, but rather as a

continuation of Rashi’s previous explanation. We must understand -- what is the

connection between Rabbi Shimon’s exposition and Rashi’s previous comment?

• There are several difficulties with the reasoning Rashi brings for piercing a

slave’s ear: “The ear that heard… ‘You shall not steal,’ and yet he went and 15

stole -- let it be pierced! The ear that heard … ‘For unto Me the children of Israel

are servants,’ and yet he went ... let it be pierced!” The difficulties are as 16

follows:

○ Based on these verses, the slave’s ear should be pierced immediately

upon entering slavery and thereby violating these commandments. Why is

his ear pierced only after six years, and only after “the slave declares…” 17

that he does not wish to be freed?

○ Why does the Torah teach this law of piercing only with respect to a thief

who, unable to pay, is sold into slavery by the Jewish court? The reason

Rashi gives for the piercing (“The ear that heard… ‘You shall not steal,’ 18

and yet he went and stole -- let it be pierced!”) applies to any thief, even

one who has the ability to repay his theft.

○ The reason for piercing brought by Rashi in this passage applies to all of

the Torah’s commands. Based on this reasoning, a person violating any 19

law of the Torah should have his ear pierced. Why does the Torah limit the

law of piercing to a person who violates the commandments which state,

“do not steal,” and “for unto Me the children of Israel are servants”?

3. Some further difficulties with Rashi’s commentary:

● Why does Rashi bring an additional reason for piercing a slave’s ear in the case

of one sold by the Jewish court (for violating the prohibition against theft)? Since

a slave’s ear is pierced only after six years, and after making the free-will choice

to remain enslaved to his master, a slave who “sells himself” also has his ear

pierced, when he has “acquired a master for himself”? 20

● Regarding one who sells himself into slavery, Rashi writes, “The ear that heard...

‘For unto Me the children of Israel are servants,’ and yet he went and acquired 21

a master for himself -- let it be pierced!” This implies that he is punished because

he went and sold himself at the outset , before the commencement of the

period of slavery. Why does Rashi not interpret that his ear is pierced for his

pronouncement, “ I will not go free,” made by the slave at the conclusion of six

years of slavery, which accords with the plain meaning of the verses?

● It is a well known principle of Rashi’s methodology that when he quotes from the

Talmud or from midrashim , he only quotes the words necessary to explain the

simple meaning of the text. Based on this principle, Rashi’s commentary poses a

couple of difficulties:

○ Rashi quotes the words, “...that heard on Mount Sinai .” It would seem

sufficient for Rashi to have quoted just the words, “...that heard,” leaving

out the reference to Mount Sinai.

○ In introducing Rabbi Shimon’s exposition, Rashi quotes, “Rabbi Shimon

would expound this verse like a chomer .” Why is this introduction

necessary?

● It has been mentioned several times that when Rashi notes the name of the

author of a teaching, he does so in order to further clarify an issue in the simple

understanding of the text. When Rashi does so, the issue at hand is not overly

difficult, but an eager and sharp student will raise the issue, and so Rashi hints

at the solution to the issue, by mentioning the name of the author. In Rashi’s

commentary quoted above, we must determine in the simple meaning of the

verse, what issue led Rashi to mention the name of the sages he cites.

4. The explanation of the above difficulties is as follows. Rashi’s primary intent in

asking, “And why was the ear chosen to be pierced,” is not to explain why the

Torah chose specifically the ear rather than any other organ (because the simple

method of interpretation does not require us to give reasons behind the details 22

of the Torah’s laws). Rather what bothers Rashi is a difficulty that arises (in the

simple meaning of the verse) in his explanation that “ear” refers to “the right ear,”

as will be explained.

We must first make sense of a baffling aspect of this procedure: Why does this

slave, whose ear is pierced, deserve such a humiliating punishment, being

inflicted with a permanent blemish? After all, we are dealing with a person who

stole and is neither able to return the stolen object nor to repay it. Usually, only

extreme poverty brings a person to steal, in order to satiate his hunger and that

of his family. His poverty causes him to become unhinged, and causes him to

transgress against his Creator. Why then should he receive such a severe 23

punishment? (As the verse states: “ They will not despise a thief if he steals to

satisfy his soul, for he is hungry.” ) 24

The same applies to a person who sells himself into slavery as a result of

grueling poverty. The fact that he humiliates himself by accepting the authority of

a master demonstrates how severely he suffers privation, to the extent that he is

willing to do what goes against human nature.

Similar to the thief described above, such a person should not be punished to

such a degree, because now he wishes to remain enslaved to his master, (“I will

not go free”), for after all he has a reasonable claim: “I love… my wife and my

children ….” (This refers to the wife who his master gave him, and the children 25

whom she bore to him.) When he goes free, he will be compelled to leave them,

as the Torah writes, “The woman and her children shall belong to her master,”

and regarding such love is written, “For He said and it came about; He

commanded and it endured.” 26

5. Based on all the above, the reason the ear was chosen to be pierced (according

to the plain meaning of the verse) is in order to lessen the punishment.

Understandably, lessening the punishment means piercing specifically the slave’s

left ear. Since the left is of lesser importance than the right -- as Rashi comments

regarding the left arm: “‘Your arm’ -- this is the left arm … the weak arm” -- it 27 28

makes sense that the left ear should be pierced since it is of lesser importance --

and not the right ear, which is of greater importance.

That is why Rashi asks, “ Or perhaps this refers to his left ear?” immediately after

explaining that “ear” refers to the right ear, because it is more logical for the

Torah to be referring to the left ear. Rashi then goes on to say that the analogy

between the ear of the slave and the ear of the metzora forces him to conclude

that it is the right ear that is pierced (which is contrary to simple logic.)

This also answers the question asked later in Rashi, “And why was the ear

chosen to be pierced?” The fact that the Torah commanded us to pierce the

slave’s right ear suggests that the reason the ear was chosen was not to lessen

the slave’s punishment, but for another reason. That is why Rashi asks, “Why

was the ear chosen to be pierced rather than any other organ of the body?”

Rashi goes on to explain, “The ear that heard on Mount Sinai... -- let it be

pierced!” The punishment must specifically be inflicted on the ear, since the ear

heard these commandments on Mount Sinai, which the person violated.

(Therefore, the right ear, the superior ear, is specifically the one to be pierced.)

6. Rashi goes on explain that the reason the thief, sold into slavery by the Jewish

court, is given such a humiliating punishment, is because his ear heard the

command, “ You shall not steal ,” at Sinai. (This punishment is not given on

account of declaring, “I will not go free,” after hearing, “For unto Me the children

of Israel are servants.”) An impoverished person who sells himself into slavery

receives the same punishment but for a different reason. It is because he went

and sold himself at the outset , before the commencement of the period of

slavery, (and not because of the pronouncement “ I will not go free,” that the

slave says at the conclusion of six years of slavery).

We explained above that when a person steals and thereby violates the 29

commandment, “You shall not steal,” he is likely compelled by extreme distress,

and therefore he should not be punished by being pierced. (That is not to justify

his improper conduct, yet we see that not every thief is punished by having his

ear pierced. Clearly, piercing is not the usual punishment for theft.)

It is understood that a person who feels compelled to steal by his desperate

situation is embarrassed by what he has done, and does not want his shameful

act of theft publicized. If he is sold into slavery, and the reason for his servitude

becomes publicized, it will pain him greatly. As long as he remains enslaved, he

feels tremendous shame, and anticipates the moment he will be set free.

However, if he does not yearn for freedom, and on the contrary, he wants to

remain enslaved, he demonstrates that from the outset he felt no shame. It would

not bother him if news of his theft and his subsequent enslavement were

publicized. His desire to extend his period of servitude reveals his depravity at

the outset. He stole not out of desperation, but due to his debased nature. And

so, “The ear that heard on Mount Sinai, “You shall not steal,” and yet he went 30

and stole -- let it be pierced!”

We can similarly understand the punishment of one who sells himself into slavery

due to his oppressive situation. He does not deserve to have his ear pierced

when he enters slavery; such a punishment is not appropriate, as he feels

compelled by desperate circumstances. But if, afterwards, he claims, “I love my

master…,” and he does not want to go free, he demonstrates that slavery is not 31

so onerous for him, and when he sold himself into slavery at the outset , he did

so not because he felt that he was compelled by desperate circumstances but

because being enslaved doesn’t bother him.

Therefore, although he desires to remain enslaved at the conclusion of six years,

for this alone he does not deserve to be punished by having his ear pierced, for

he is (at least partially) compelled by his natural love for his wife and children, as

mentioned above32. Nonetheless, when he claims, “I love my master …” , he  33

demonstrates that he doesn’t really mind being a slave, and his desire to

continue to subject himself to his master’s control demonstrates that from the

outset, he did not feel compelled to sell himself into slavery out of desperation;

rather, he did so willingly. Thus, his ear is pierced because, “he went and

acquired a master for himself.” 34

We now understand that a slave sold by the Jewish court against his will, who

declares, “I love my master…,” does not deserve to be punished based on the

verse, “For unto Me the children of Israel are servants,” for at the time of his

declaration he felt compelled, as mentioned above. Therefore, Rashi is forced 35

to explain that a slave sold by the Jewish court has his ear pierced for violating

the prohibition, “Do not steal.”

7. Based on the above, we can understand why Rashi specifically quotes the

words, “The ear that heard on Mount Sinai .” Mention of Mount Sinai stresses 36

the severity of the sin, and the reason for the severe punishment of ear-piercing.

These commandments were heard from Hashem on Mount Sinai. Hashem

knows that a person may become impoverished, and will as a result feel

compelled to steal or to sell himself into slavery in order to support himself and

his family. Nonetheless, Hashem commands him: “Do not steal,” “for unto Me the

children of Israel are servants.” Hashem feeds and supports all of his creations, 37

and He is certain to provide sustenance to the poor man through other means,

without him being compelled to violate Hashem’s will. Therefore, even when in a

state of adversity, a person must trust in Hashem, who most certainly will come

to the person’s aid, and extricate him from his distress. It is because the person

did not trust in Hashem and violated His commandments, that, “The ear that

heard... ‘You shall not steal’ ... -- let it be pierced! The ear that heard… ‘For unto 38

Me the children of Israel are servants’... -- let it be pierced!” 39

8. In order to add clarity and to “sweeten” the above explanation, Rashi brings, as 40

a continuation of his explanation: “Rabbi Shimon would expound this verse ….”

We see from here that the Torah is very precise in each detail of the punishment,

stressing and hinting at the nature of the slave’s sin. In the actual words of the

verse, “For unto Me the children of Israel are servants….”

Rashi himself explains his reason for citing Rabbi Shimon’s exposition, by also

quoting the remark, “Rabbi Shimon would expound this verse like a chomer .”

“ Chomer ” means “a string of pearls and a pouch of perfume.” Rashi includes 41

Rabbi Shimon’s teaching in his commentary to indicate that his explanation

functions in a manner similar to, “a string of pearls and a pouch of perfume.”

Pearls shine, and a string of pearls will brighten up a room and everything in the

room. When a person wears pearl jewelry as ornaments, although the pearls are

worn on a particular part of the body, they actually adorn the entire person

wearing them. Similarly, a “pouch of perfume” disperses a pleasant fragrance to

its entire surroundings.

Rashi refers to this explanation as a chomer because this explanation of Rabbi

Shimon also “disperses,” in a sense, adding clarity to Rashi’s previous

interpretation. Rashi explained previously that the slave’s ear was pierced

because it “heard... ‘ For unto Me the children of Israel are servants ...,’” and

Rabbi Shimon’s exposition clarifies that the, “door and doorpost are different”

because they were “witnesses in Egypt... when I said, “ for unto Me the children

of Israel are servants ….”

Based on all the above, it is clear that Rashi’s intention in asking, “And why was

the ear chosen to be pierced...” was not in order to give a reason why the Torah

chose specifically the ear, rather than any other organ. Rashi’s methodology in

explaining the simple meaning of the Torah text does not include giving reasons

for the details of the Torah’s laws, nor explaining the rationale behind the Torah’s

punishments. The reason Rashi is forced to give a reason for the piercing of the 42

ear is in order to address a difficulty arising at the beginning of Rashi’s

commentary on the word, “his ear,” which Rashi interprets as “his right ear,” (as is

explained in section 2 at length.) That is why Rashi begins his quote of Rabbi

Shimon’s exposition with the word, “and,” and he does not quote Rabbi Shimon’s

teaching earlier, under its own heading, on the words, “to the door….” Rashi does

not cite this exposition to explain the reason behind the choice of the right ear,

as his commentary is intended to explain the plain meaning of the verse. That is

why Rashi quotes Rabbi Shimon by name: “ Rabbi Shimon would expound …,”

in order to hint to us that the intent of this explanation is to give a reason behind

the Torah’s law. Rashi informs us that Rabbi Shimon, whose methodology was to

“expound the reasoning behind the Torah’s laws,” was the author of this 43

passage. Although its primary intent is not to explain the plain meaning of the 44

text, Rashi quotes this teaching of Rabbi Shimon following that of Rabban

Yochanan ben Zakkai, because it is “like a chomer ,” adding clarity to the verse ,

as discussed above.

9. We mentioned above that when quoting a passage, Rashi will mention the 45

author’s name in order to answer a subtle question that an eager and sharp

student might raise. Why does Rashi quote Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai? A

sharp student might very well want to know why a person who had no malicious

intent, and stole as a result of oppressive poverty, receives such a harsh

punishment of having his ear pierced. The slave’s claim, “I love my master,” also

does not seem to justify the piercing of his ear, for he also claims to love his wife

and children, as explained above.

In response to this question, Rashi quotes Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai by

name. Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai’s mission in life was Torah learning (after

receiving the title Rabban). Although he lived during the time of the destruction 46

of the Second Temple and in the period immediately following its destruction, a

time of severe poverty, he persevered in his life mission. Our sages say about

him, “For forty years he was in business; for forty years he studied Torah; and for

forty years he taught.” “He did not walk four cubits without (reciting) words of 47

Torah… and no one arrived at the study hall earlier than he.” At the time of the 48

destruction of the Second Temple, he ensured the survival of Torah study by

requesting from the Roman emperor Vespasian, “Give me Yavneh and its

scholars.” 49

Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai’s famous maxim, which he taught to the masses,

is recorded in Pirkei Avos: “If you have learned much Torah, do not claim special

credit for yourself, since that is the very purpose for which you were created .”

 He taught that Torah study is the ultimate purpose and primary occupation of 50

each and every person, including business people.

The reason why Rashi deliberately quoted Rabban Yochanan ben Zakai,

(whose mission in life was Torah learning ), by name, is because the Torah

commands a person to get married. The verse, “For he said and it came about”

refers to the love one has for one’s wife, as mentioned above. In spite of the 51

command to love one’s wife, the Torah commands the Jewish slave to leave his

wife after six years and to go free. The Torah also teaches that “ there will never

cease to be needy within the land,” yet despite the inevitability of poverty the

Torah instructs us not to steal.

10. We also find that Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai was exceptionally charitable.

Avos d’Rabbi Nosson relates that Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai and his 52

student Rabbi Yehoshua were passing by the site of the Temple, and they saw

the site in ruins. Rabbi Yehoshua exclaimed, “Woe upon us, for the Temple lies in

ruins.” Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai responded, “Do not be distressed, for we

are able to achieve atonement in a manner similar to the way Temple sacrifices

atoned, by performing acts of kindness.” In this passage, Rabban Yochanan 53

ben Zakkai equates acts of kindness with the Holy Temple.

By quoting Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai by name, Rashi sheds greater

understanding upon the reason for piercing the slave’s ear, and its justness. The

Torah is concerned about the desperate circumstances of the poor, and

commands: “‘When you lend money to my people’ -- this is obligatory!” Since it 54

is an obligation to support the poor by lending them money, the poor person will

certainly find many people willing to lend him money. He should therefore make

and effort to borrow money and not violate the commands prohibiting theft and

extending one’s state of slavery. By quoting the author by name, Rashi reminds

the keen student of Torah of Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai’s emphasis of acts of

kindness toward the poor, and justifies the punishment of the slave for refusing to

take advantage of the community’s philanthropy.

11. From the “wine of Torah” in Rashi’s commentary: There are those who are so 55

busy with business affairs during the six days of the week that they become

“enslaved to slaves,” enslaved to their physical desires in a manner similar to a 56

person who enslaves himself for six years; even as the seventh day comes, the

holy Shabbos when a person must go free, to refrain and desist from all

mundane endeavors, they do not wish to go free and release themselves from

their love for materiality, and their servitude to it. They toil in, and are troubled by

worldly matters.

In response to this mindset, the Torah teaches: Hashem commands, “For unto

Me the children of Israel are servants.” A Jew’s mission in life is to learn Torah 57

(and observe the mitzvos ), “ that is the very purpose for which you were 58

created.” That is the purpose for which his soul came down into this world. Since

this is the command of Hashem, who gives life and existence to all of creation,

He certainly gives a Jew the power and ability necessary to fulfill their mission in

the world. Even during the weekdays, when a person is involved with their own

material matters, he must know that he is not enslaved to his work , and he shall

not conduct himself in the manner of “a slave to slaves.” On the contrary, he

should utilize his profession for its true purpose -- in order to serve Hashem.

When the holy Shabbos arrives, he should recite kiddush and havdalah , and 59 60

elevate himself entirely above mundane, weekday matters. He should occupy

himself with Torah study and the service of Hashem.

When a person conducts himself in the manner described above, his involvement

in Torah (and mitzvos ) frees him from his personal state of exile. This in turn 61 62

hastens the Jewish people’s departure from their national state of exile. The

power of an individual’s Torah to liberate not only the person himself, but the

entire nation from their state of exile, is exemplified in the incident involving

Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai, described above. At the time of the destruction 63

of the Second Temple, he was able to persuade the one responsible for

destroying the Temple to spare for him Yavne and its sages, thereby preserving

the Torah of the Great Sanhedrin. When a person involves himself with Torah, 64

he becomes free, analogous to a slave being freed by his master. We shall soon

merit the coming of Moshiach and the rebuilding of the Temple. At that time, the

“door and the doorpost” (that were “witnesses” in Egypt), “her gates that were 65

sunk into the ground” will be revealed and will complete the ultimate rebuilding 66

of the Temple.

-- From a sicha on Shabbos parshas Beshalach 5730 (1970)

https://projectlikkuteisichos.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/11_Mishpatim_1_English_Translation_Updated.pdf

1 Shemos 21:6

2 This type of analogy is called a gezeira shava , whereby details provided in one verse are applied to another verse on the basis of the two verses sharing a similar word.

3 Tzara’as is a spiritual affliction with physical symptoms, affecting the skin.

4 Vayikra 14:14 The passage there refers to the purification process of the metzora , one afflicted with tzara’as .

5 Rashi on Shemos 21:6 based on Mechilsa

6 Shemos 20:13

7 Vayikra 25:55

8 Chomer , commonly translated to mean “a parable,” is explained in Section 8 below as a string of pearls and a pouch of perfume.

9 Shemos 12:7 The night before the Exodus, freeing Israel from slavery, Hashem commanded that the blood of the Pesach sacrifice be placed on the doorposts and the lintels of their houses.

10 Vayikra 25:55

11 Rashi on Shemos 21:6

12 Rashi begins each of his comments by quoting one or more words of the verse, known as the dibbur hamaschil . The Rebbe suggests that since each of these comments comes to explain a different issue, they should each have their own dibbur hamaschil .

13 In the original, “ p’shuto shel mikra ,” often referred to as “ pshat .” Rashi states in his commentary to

Bereishis 3:8: “I have come only to give the plain meaning of the Torah.” When the plain meaning is clearly understood, Rashi does not comment.

14 In the original, “ doresh. ” This term refers to the drash method of commentary, which is more analytical than pshat , in which the words of a verse are used as a platform to express an extrinsic idea.

15 Shemos 20:13

16 Vayikra 25:55

17 Shemos 21:6

18 Shemos 20:13

19 Rabbinic tradition teaches that the entire Jewish people heard all of the commandments at Sinai.

20 This question implies that the fundamental reason for piercing the slave’s ear is to be his free-will

choice to remain enslaved after six years of slavery, and not, in the case of a thief, the theft itself, which took place before her entered slavery, leading his involuntary enslavement.

21 Vayikra 25:55

22 i.e. pshat

23 Eruvin 41b. In the original, he’evira oso al da’aso, v’al da’as kono

24 Mishlei 6:30

25 Shemos 21:5

26 Tehillim 33:9, Shabbos 152a, Which views this verse as allegorically referring to the love Hashem

implants in a person for his wife and children.(Rashi). See Tanya ch. 49, which explains that “With all your heart” in the Shema relates to a person’s wife and children, “For his heart is by nature bound to them.”

27 Shemos 12:16

28 Rashi on Shemos, 12:9. Regarding the mitzvah of tefillin , the unusual spelling of “your arm” --“ yad’chah ” with a final letter “ heh ” is understood by Rashi to indicate the weaker, left arm.

29 Section 4.

30 Shemos 20:13

31 Shemos 21:5

32 Section 4.

33 Shemos 21:5

34 Rashi on Shemos 21:6

35 Earlier in this section. He is compelled by love of his wife and children. His mention of the love for his master is not held against him, as it does not enlighten us about his willingness to enter slavery at the outset, which that phrase indicates with respect to the slave who sold himself, because the slave sold by the court entered slavery against his will.

36 This relates to a question the Rebbe asked in section 3.

37 See Shabbos 107b: “Hashem sits and provides sustenance, from the horns of antelopes to lice eggs.”

38 Shemos 20:13

39 Vayikra 25:55

40 regarding the reason for piercing the ear, “that heard… ‘For unto Me the children of Israel are servants…’”(In the main body of the text, in the original.)

41 Rashi on Kiddushin 22b

42 As explained at the beginning of section 4 above.

43 Yoma 42b, Yevamos 23a

44 Since explaining the reason for the Torah’s law deviates from Rashi’s usual methodology, Rashi informs us that he is not the author of this teaching, rather Rabbi Shimon is.

45 Section 3

46 Parentheses in the original. Rabban was the title given to the head of the Sanhedrin , the Jewish High Court.

47 Sanhedrin 41a

48 Sukkah 28a

49 Gittin 56b

50 Avos 2:8

51 In section 4. Tehillim 33:9; Shabbos 152a, Which views this verse as allegorically referring to the love Hashem implants in a person for his wife.(Rashi on Shabbos 152a).

52 An aggadic work, printed among the “minor” tractates of the Talmud.

53 Avos d’Rabbi Nosson 4:5

54 Shemos 22:24; Rashi on the verse. See also Sicha 2 on this parsha .

55 I.e. the teachings of Chassidus .

56 “For unto Me the children of Israel are servants.” (Vayikra 25:55) The Talmud comments, “They are My servants; they shall not be servants to servants.” (Bava Metzia 10a)

57 Vayikra 25:55

58 Parentheses in the original

59 Sanctification of Shabbos at its onset.

60 Sanctification of Shabbos at its conclusion. See Rambam, M.T., Laws of Shabbos 29:1

61 Parentheses in the original

62 Exile or “ galus ” in the original implies a state of separation from Hashem.

63 Section 9

64 Rosh Hashana 29b, 31a. The Jewish High Court, charged with teaching the Torah’s laws to the Jewish people, was saved by Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai upon the destruction of the Second Temple, when he secured permission from Vespasian to move it from Jerusalem to Yavne.

65 Shemos 21:6

66 Eicha 2:9. Referring to the gates of Jerusalem, at the time of the destruction of the First Temple.