SEE THE GOOD IN YOUR BROTHER - DON'T STAND OVER HIS BLOOD
Mishpatim
The end of Parshas Mishpatim details the preparations made by Moshe and Bnei Yisroel before the Giving of the Torah on Har Sinai. As part of these preparations, Moshe built a Mizbeach and offered Olah and Shelamim sacrifices.
The Torah records how Moshe took half of the blood (חצי הדם) and placed it into basins to sprinkle on the people. The other half (וחצי הדם) he sprinkled onto the Mizbeach.
The Tiferes Shlomo offers a fascinating Chassidic insight on this Posuk, teaching us a powerful lesson on how we should look at our fellow Jew.
One of the names for man in Lashon Hakodesh is אדם (Adam). This name is specifically used for the Jewish people. The word אדם is made up of the word דם, meaning blood, with an additional א at the beginning.
The blood represents the physicality of a person and the lifeforce of their Nefesh, as taught in the verse כי הדם הוא הנפש, the blood is the lifeforce soul. This is the source of our desires for physicality and materialism. It is also the source of our negative Middos and behaviours. In Chabad Chassidus, this is the Nefesh Habehamis, the Animalistic soul.
But we also have an א. Alef alludes to the G-dly spark which shines within us. The Alef represents Hashem, the Alufo Shel Olam, the Master of the world. It is this spark that elevates us from being דם, to become אדם, an elevated, G-dly being.
One of the prohibitions in the Torah is לא תעמוד על דם רעך, “Do not stand over the blood of your fellow”. Literally this verse teaches that we may not stand idly by when our friend’s life is in danger.
Based on the discussion above, Tiferes Shlomo interprets the verse as telling us that when we stand and look at our fellow and pass judgment on them, we should not judge them as דם. We should not define them by their negativity, their physicality and their shortcomings.
Rather, we must remember that they have an א within them. We must see the G-dly spark within them as defining their true being.
In Tehillim, Dovid Hamelech says; מי האיש החפץ חיים אוהב ימים לראות טוב. “Who is the man who desires life, who loves long life, to see good.”
Tiferes Shlomo reads the verse as follows; “Who is the man who desires life, who desires long life?” Who will be rewarded with length of days? “The one who sees good”, someone who only sees the good and positive qualities in others.
With this perspective, one will automatically come to the fulfilment of the next verse נצר לשונך מרע ”guard your tongue from evil”. When we see focus only on the good in others and see them as a Divine spark, we will have no thoughts of speaking badly about them.
This perspective is attainable and expected of each one of us. The Posuk in Parshas Mishpatim teach us how Moshe took this attitude to the next level.
Moshe was able to divide the דם. Even in the blood aspect of a person, their physicality, Moshe was able to discern and find positive qualities that could be elevated to Hashem. דם has the Gematria of 44. Half of דם is 22, alluding to the 22 letters of the Alef-Beis, the holy letters of the Sefer Torah.
Our sages tell us how Ahavas Yisroel and unity was the prerequisite for Matan Torah. According to the insight of the Tiferes Shlomo, in the preparations for Matan Torah, Moshe was showing the Jewish people to secret to attaining true unity and harmony.
We might not reach the level of Moshe, but we have to train ourselves to believe in and see the goodness and G-dliness of every Jew, no matter how they may present or behave on the outside. Every Jew has within them the holiness and purity of a Sefer Torah.
Based on the Tiferes Shlomo of Radomsk
The Torah records how Moshe took half of the blood (חצי הדם) and placed it into basins to sprinkle on the people. The other half (וחצי הדם) he sprinkled onto the Mizbeach.
The Tiferes Shlomo offers a fascinating Chassidic insight on this Posuk, teaching us a powerful lesson on how we should look at our fellow Jew.
One of the names for man in Lashon Hakodesh is אדם (Adam). This name is specifically used for the Jewish people. The word אדם is made up of the word דם, meaning blood, with an additional א at the beginning.
The blood represents the physicality of a person and the lifeforce of their Nefesh, as taught in the verse כי הדם הוא הנפש, the blood is the lifeforce soul. This is the source of our desires for physicality and materialism. It is also the source of our negative Middos and behaviours. In Chabad Chassidus, this is the Nefesh Habehamis, the Animalistic soul.
But we also have an א. Alef alludes to the G-dly spark which shines within us. The Alef represents Hashem, the Alufo Shel Olam, the Master of the world. It is this spark that elevates us from being דם, to become אדם, an elevated, G-dly being.
One of the prohibitions in the Torah is לא תעמוד על דם רעך, “Do not stand over the blood of your fellow”. Literally this verse teaches that we may not stand idly by when our friend’s life is in danger.
Based on the discussion above, Tiferes Shlomo interprets the verse as telling us that when we stand and look at our fellow and pass judgment on them, we should not judge them as דם. We should not define them by their negativity, their physicality and their shortcomings.
Rather, we must remember that they have an א within them. We must see the G-dly spark within them as defining their true being.
In Tehillim, Dovid Hamelech says; מי האיש החפץ חיים אוהב ימים לראות טוב. “Who is the man who desires life, who loves long life, to see good.”
Tiferes Shlomo reads the verse as follows; “Who is the man who desires life, who desires long life?” Who will be rewarded with length of days? “The one who sees good”, someone who only sees the good and positive qualities in others.
With this perspective, one will automatically come to the fulfilment of the next verse נצר לשונך מרע ”guard your tongue from evil”. When we see focus only on the good in others and see them as a Divine spark, we will have no thoughts of speaking badly about them.
This perspective is attainable and expected of each one of us. The Posuk in Parshas Mishpatim teach us how Moshe took this attitude to the next level.
Moshe was able to divide the דם. Even in the blood aspect of a person, their physicality, Moshe was able to discern and find positive qualities that could be elevated to Hashem. דם has the Gematria of 44. Half of דם is 22, alluding to the 22 letters of the Alef-Beis, the holy letters of the Sefer Torah.
Our sages tell us how Ahavas Yisroel and unity was the prerequisite for Matan Torah. According to the insight of the Tiferes Shlomo, in the preparations for Matan Torah, Moshe was showing the Jewish people to secret to attaining true unity and harmony.
We might not reach the level of Moshe, but we have to train ourselves to believe in and see the goodness and G-dliness of every Jew, no matter how they may present or behave on the outside. Every Jew has within them the holiness and purity of a Sefer Torah.
Based on the Tiferes Shlomo of Radomsk