Hooks Are So Important

Rashi's comment on the words "Ve'eileh ha'mishpatim "- "And these are the civil laws", is "Vav mosif al ha'rishonim"-the letter vav connects this phrase to that which preceded it. Rashi adds to his terse opening comment that just as the previous Torah portions are from Sinai, so too what is about to be stated is from Sinai.

Rav Shlomo Yoseif Zevin notes that every civil society has laws like the ones presented in this parsha. People make laws, in time people change laws. What separates Jewish tradition from the rest of the world is this one little vav. We like to think that what makes us unique are our ritual observances. These beautiful, modes of practice are not what most set us apart as a society, because rituals abound in every culture. What's unique about our religious way of life is that our standards of civil behavior are of Divine origin.

Rav Elchanon Wasserman explains "Tzidkatcha TzedekLe'Olam VeToratchah Emet" – “Your justice is just forever, and Your Torah is true” to mean that Jewish law is fair because Torah is true. The divinity of Torah that sets us apart.

Jews of all ages and backgrounds without exception need to constantly reinforce within ourselves belief in the divinity of our laws, specifically (but not exclusively) societal laws. Rabbinic tradition permeates the lives we masoretic Jews live. Trusting and respecting the rabbinic system is key to our continued commitment to traditional Jewish life. It is possible, yet tragic, to emerge from an upbringing in a traditional Jewish community without respect for halacha as a true way of life.

It is possible to live in an orthodox community and not get that the way we are to relate to and treat others (as written in The Torah and explained by The Rabbis) is a holy, Divine matter. The vav that links the Mishpatim to G-d need to be carefully studied just as our commitment to this connection must always grow stronger. May G-d bless us that it should be so.