ואלה המשפטים. כָּל מָקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "אֵלֶּה" פָּסַל אֶת הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, "וְאֵלֶּה" מוֹסִיף עַל הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, מָה הָרִאשׁוֹנִים מִסִּינַי, אַף אֵלּוּ מִסִּינַי
וְלָמָּה נִסְמְכָה פָּרָשַׁת דִּינִין לְפָרָשַׁת מִזְבֵּחַ? לוֹמַר לְךָ, שֶׁתָּשִׂים סַנְהֶדְרִין אֵצֶל הַמִּקְדָּשׁ (מכילתא):
ואלה המשפטים NOW THESE ARE THE JUDGMENTS — Wherever אלה, “these are”, is used it cuts off the preceding section, where, however, ואלה “and these” is used it adds to the former subject. Just as the former section (The Ten Utterances) were given at Sinai, so these, too, were given at Sinai! (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 21:1:1; Shemot Rabbah 30:3; cf. also Midrash Tanchuma, Mishpatim 3)
Then why is this section dealing with the “dinim/civil laws” placed immediately after the section about making the altar? To tell you that you should seat (i. e. provide quarters for) the Sanhedrin in the vicinity of the Temple.
- What are some implications for the internal relationship between Jewish civil law and ritual law?
- What are some implications for the relationship between civil and religious authority?
אשר תשים לפניהם. אָמַר לוֹ הַקָּבָּ"ה לְמֹשֶׁה: לֹא תַעֲלֶה עַל דַּעְתְּךָ לוֹמַר, אֶשְׁנֶה לָהֶם הַפֶּרֶק וְהַהֲלָכָה ב' אוֹ ג' פְּעָמִים, עַד שֶׁתְּהֵא סְדוּרָה בְּפִיהֶם כְּמִשְׁנָתָהּ, וְאֵינִי מַטְרִיחַ עַצְמִי לַהֲבִינָם טַעֲמֵי הַדָּבָר וּפֵרוּשׁוֹ, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר אֲשֶׁר תָּשִׂים לִפְנֵיהֶם – כְּשֻׁלְחָן הֶעָרוּךְ וּמוּכָן לֶאֱכֹל לִפְנֵי הָאָדָם (שם):
אשר תשים לפניהם WHICH THOU SHALT PUT BEFORE THEM — The Holy Bountiful One said to Moses: It should not enter your mind to say, “I shall teach them a section of the Torah or a single Halacha twice or three times until it will become ordered in their mouths exactly according to its wording, but I shall trouble myself to make them understand the reasons of each matters and its significance”; therefore Scripture says, אשר תשים לפניהם, “which you shall set before them” — like a table fully laid before a person with everything ready for eating (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 21:1:1).
- What is the issue being addressed in this comment? How does this solution address the issue?
- What is the responsibility of the teacher with this approach?
- What is the responsibility of the student with this approach?
לפניהם. וְלֹא לִפְנֵי גוֹיִם, וַאֲפִלּוּ יָדַעְתָּ בְדִין אֶחָד שֶׁהֵם דָּנִין אוֹתוֹ כְּדִינֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אַל תְּבִיאֵהוּ בְעַרְכָּאוֹת שֶׁלָּהֶם, שֶׁהַמֵּבִיא דִּינֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְנֵי גוֹיִם, מְחַלֵּל אֶת הַשֵּׁם וּמְיַקֵּר שֵׁם עֲ"זָ לְהַשְׁבִּיחָהּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר כִּי לֹא כְצוּרֵנוּ צוּרָם וְאֹיְבֵינוּ פְּלִילִים (דברים ל"ב) – כְּשֶׁאוֹיְבֵינוּ פְּלִילִים זֶהוּ עֵדוּת לְעִלּוּי יִרְאָתָם (תנחומא):
לפניהם BEFORE THEM — but not before the nations [of the world]. Even if you know that in a particular matter of law they will decide it the same as Jewish law, do not bring it into their courts; for the one who brings Israel’s law-cases before the nations [of the world] profanes the God’s Name and pays honour to the name of the idol (in the name of which the foreign court administers justice), giving it [undue] importance, as it is said, (Deuteronomy 32:31) “For their rock is not as our Rock, that our enemies should be judges [over us]”, - when our enemies are judges over us (i. e. if we make them judges over us) it is testimony to the superiority of that which they revere (Midrash Tanchuma, Mishpatim 3).
- What does Rashi’s think the line should be between the Jewish courts and the local courts of his time period?
- Where is that line today?
- Where has that line been in the past?
- Where should the line be between Jewish courts/legal matters and local courts?