Isn't It Time? Self, Possessions, Community

THIS SERIES:

This sheet accompanies Isn't It Time for Rereading Exodus podcast and blog. Related free, downloadable booklet and links to the full paperback text are found at Rereading4Liberation.com. Subscribe to the podcast and CONTRIBUTE TO THE DISCUSSION.

TEXT NOTES:

Wherever possible without changing the meaning, translations below are slightly adapted to avoid unnecessarily gendered language. Some old-fashioned expressions and grammatical forms are also updated. In a few cases, as noted, translation is provided by another Sefaria user. In addition, I use "Mitzrayim" and the invented "Mitzrayim-ites" along with Yisrael and Yisraelite to emphasize that references are to biblical places and people, not any nation, ancient or contemporary.

מדרש תנחומא, משפטים ב׳

(א) ‎וְאֵלֶּה הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים. זֶה שֶׁאָמַר הַכָּתוּב: מֶלֶךְ בְּמִשְׁפָּט יַעֲמִיד אֶרֶץ, וְאִישׁ תְּרוּמוֹת יֶהֶרְסֶנָּה (משלי כט, ד). מַלְכָּהּ שֶׁל תּוֹרָה, בְּמִשְׁפָּט שֶׁהוּא עוֹשֶׂה, מַעֲמִיד אֶת הָאָרֶץ. וְאִישׁ תְּרוּמוֹת יֶהֶרְסֶנָּה. אִם מֵשִׁים אָדָם עַצְמוֹ כַּתְּרוּמָה הַזּוֹ שֶׁמֻּשְׁלֶכֶת בְּזָוִית הַבַּית וְאוֹמֵר מַה לִּי בְּטֹרַח הַצִּבּוּר, מַה לִּי בְּדִינֵיהֶם, מַה לִּי לִשְׁמֹעַ קוֹלָם, שָׁלוֹם עָלַיִךְ נַפְשִׁי, הֲרֵי זֶה מַחֲרִיב אֶת הָעוֹלָם. הֱוֵי וְאִישׁ תְּרוּמוֹת יֶהֶרְסֶנָּה.

Midrash Tanchuma, Mishpatim 2

(1) Now these are the ordinances (Exod. 21:1). Scripture says elsewhere: The sovereign by justice establishes the land, but the individual setting themself apart (terumah) overthrows it (Prov. 29:4). The Torah’s sovereign rules through justice and thereby causes the earth to endure, but the one setting themself apart overthrows it. This implies that if someone acts as though they were a terumah (the portion separated, or set aside, for the priests) by secluding themself in the corner of their home and declaring: “What concern are the problems of the community to me? What does their judgment mean to me? Why should I listen to them? I will do well (without them),” they help to destroy the world. Hence the one of separation (terumah) overthrows it.

-- JPS 1985, adapted slightly

Alternate translation for Tanchuma Mishpatim 2

If a person of learning participates in public affairs and serves as judge or arbiter, that person gives stability to the land... But if a person sits in their home and says to themselves, “What have the affairs of society to do with me?... Why should I trouble myself with the people’s voices of protest? Let my soul dwell in peace!”—if one does this, they overthrow the world. [translation by Hazon, found in this Sefaria sheet]

שמות כ״א:א׳

(א) וְאֵ֙לֶּה֙ הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר תָּשִׂ֖ים לִפְנֵיהֶֽם׃

Exodus 21:1

(1) These are the rules that you shall set before them:

שמות כ״ה:א׳-ב׳

(א) וַיְדַבֵּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה לֵּאמֹֽר׃ (ב) דַּבֵּר֙ אֶל־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְיִקְחוּ־לִ֖י תְּרוּמָ֑ה מֵאֵ֤ת כׇּל־אִישׁ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִדְּבֶ֣נּוּ לִבּ֔וֹ תִּקְח֖וּ אֶת־תְּרוּמָתִֽי׃

Exodus 25:1-2

(1) יהוה spoke to Moses, saying: (2) Tell the Israelite people to bring Me gifts [terumah]; you shall accept gifts for Me [terumati] from every person whose heart is so moved.

משנה אבות ב׳:ג׳

הֱווּ זְהִירִין בָּרָשׁוּת, שֶׁאֵין מְקָרְבִין לוֹ לָאָדָם אֶלָּא לְצֹרֶךְ עַצְמָן. נִרְאִין כְּאוֹהֲבִין בִּשְׁעַת הֲנָאָתָן, וְאֵין עוֹמְדִין לוֹ לָאָדָם בִּשְׁעַת דָּחְקוֹ:

Pirkei Avot 2:3

Be careful about the government, as they approach a person only when they need them. They seem like good friends in good times, but they don't stay for a person in time of their trouble.

-- Open Mishnah, adapted slightly

מי השלוח, חלק א, ספר שמות, תרומה א׳

וידבר ה' אל משה לאמר דבר וכו' ויקחו לי תרומה. .... להיות כי בפ' יתרו כאשר שמעו ישראל את עשרת הדברות היה נקל בעיניהם לקיימם מאחר שהמצוות הללו תלווים במעשה האדם, אך אח"כ כאשר נאמר להם פ' משפטים היינו שרצון הש"י הוא שיתפשט קדושתו ועבודתו בלבות ישראל, עד שיתפשט גם על קנינים השייכים להאדם שלא יוכלו לעשות דבר שלא כדת כמו שנתבאר בפ' משפטים [ד"ה ואלה], ועי"כ היה צעקה בלב ישראל איך אפשר להזדכך לב אדם כך. ועי"ז נתן הש"י עצה להם בזו הסדרה ויקחו לי תרומה זהב וכסף ונחשת ואיתא בזוה"ק (שמות קמ"ח.)

וממילא יהיו כל קניניו טובים ולא יגיע מהם שום היזק....

Mei HaShiloach, Volume I, Exodus, Terumah 1

[Note: translation from outside Sefaria]

“And God spoke to Moshe saying, Speak to the children of Israel, and let them take Me an offering [terumah] ….” (Shemot, 25:2)

...Previously, in Chapter Yitro, when Yisrael was given the Ten Commandments,, people thought it should be easy enough to fulfill them since the commandment are all tied to human action.

But once Chapter Mishpatim was given, we realized that God's will actually requires holiness and worship to fill every Jewish heart, until it suffuses all our possessions, making them incapable of causing harm or going against the law (see Mei HaShiloach Exodus-Mishpatim 1). There arose in the heart of Yisrael a cry; how is it possible so to purify a heart?

In this chapter God shows us how it can be done: Let them take Me an offering...

...Consequently, all [their] property will be benevolent and incapable of doing harm....

-- Mei Hashiloach: An Annotated Translation by J. Hershy Worch, (Melbourne, Australia: Stonehill Publishing, 2019)

בראשית ט״ו:י״ג-ט״ז

(יג) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לְאַבְרָ֗ם יָדֹ֨עַ תֵּדַ֜ע כִּי־גֵ֣ר ׀ יִהְיֶ֣ה זַרְעֲךָ֗ בְּאֶ֙רֶץ֙ לֹ֣א לָהֶ֔ם וַעֲבָד֖וּם וְעִנּ֣וּ אֹתָ֑ם אַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָֽה׃ (יד) וְגַ֧ם אֶת־הַגּ֛וֹי אֲשֶׁ֥ר יַעֲבֹ֖דוּ דָּ֣ן אָנֹ֑כִי וְאַחֲרֵי־כֵ֥ן יֵצְא֖וּ בִּרְכֻ֥שׁ גָּדֽוֹל׃ (טו) וְאַתָּ֛ה תָּב֥וֹא אֶל־אֲבֹתֶ֖יךָ בְּשָׁל֑וֹם תִּקָּבֵ֖ר בְּשֵׂיבָ֥ה טוֹבָֽה׃ (טז) וְד֥וֹר רְבִיעִ֖י יָשׁ֣וּבוּ הֵ֑נָּה כִּ֧י לֹא־שָׁלֵ֛ם עֲוֺ֥ן הָאֱמֹרִ֖י עַד־הֵֽנָּה׃

Genesis 15:13-16

(13) And [God] said to Abram, “Know well that your offspring shall be strangers in a land not theirs, and they shall be enslaved and oppressed four hundred years; (14) but I will execute judgment on the nation they shall serve, and in the end they shall go free with great wealth. (15) As for you, You shall go to your ancestors in peace; You shall be buried at a ripe old age. (16) And they shall return here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.”