Machshavot HaLev - Yeshivat Lev HaTorah

106
בלה תובשחמ
So therefore the םיטפשמ come to safeguard us from breaking the commandment
of not to covet that which does not belong to us.
At the start of the parsha (21:1-6), we also learn the laws of a Jewish slave who
works for six years. If at the end of his term he wishes to remain a servant to his
master, he must go through the process in which his master pierces his ear at the
door. In האר תשרפ it says that the reason a slave would ever want to stay a slave
is “ךמע ול בוט יכ,“ “because it has been good for him with you” (Devarim 15:16).
What does this mean that it has been good for the slave with his master? The
Talmud (Kidushin 22a) answers that from the word “ךמע“ (with you) we learn
the laws of how to treat a Jewish slave. It teaches that if one eats good bread, his
slave should also eat good bread. If one has good wine, so should his slave. It
even goes to the extent that if there is a case, for example, in which the master
only has one pillow for himself and his slave, it must go to his slave! This is why
is the Talmud goes on to say that anyone who buys a Jewish servant has virtually
bought a master for himself!
This unbelievable law is just one the many םיטפשמ that teach us how to act with
one another. However, one would not instinctively treat his slave in this manner
and one would not know how to deal with everyday cases of וריבחל םדא ןיב
without the םיטפשמ.This is why, Rav Yisrael Salanter explains, we make a point
to introduce the laws of םיטפשמ תשרפ to children as early as possible, so that
these laws and values will be in our blood as we grow up. We should grow up
with a strong sense of וריבחל םדא ןיב , and this is why the םיטפשמ are taught right
after the Ten Commandments. Similarly it is taught in the Talmud (Bava Kama
30a), “One who wishes to be a chasid (devout), should fulfill the words of Nezikin
(the tractates dealing with the laws that are taught in Mishpatim).” God willing
through this parsha, we should all grow in becoming true Chasidim.