Moshe was told “and these are the ordinances that you shall place before them”, when he was to transmit the laws to the Children of Israel [1]. The commentaries have questioned: what is the implication of the words “you shall place BEFORE them”? [2]
Furthermore, why is the first “ordinance” that of the Jewish slave over all the other ordinances?
A few weeks ago I settled into my aeroplane seat and prepared for take-off.
After a few minutes there was an announcement to turn off all electrical equipment. Almost immediately the lady sitting in front of me began to complain to one of the stewards about a man sitting in the row behind her on the other side of the plane (i.e. not me!) who was speaking on his mobile telephone and thereby “transgressing the rules”. The man was told to end his call, but after a few brief moments the woman complained again that he was still speaking on his phone, adding “a rule is a rule”. Again the steward told the man to end his call, but again after just a few brief moments, the woman complained, again preaching something about the importance of keeping the rules, and once again the steward requested that the man end his call. After the same procedure repeated itself a few times the steward patiently told the lady seemingly trying to buy time: “You heard me tell him to turn off his phone. I will pass the matter on to the flight manager”.
A few minutes later all electrical equipment had been turned off and we were ready for take-off. Well, almost ready that is: there was just the next protocol of clearing the passageways of all objects and placing any loose objects in there designated places. Low and behold, that very same lady sitting in front of me was guilty on both these charges. This time the steward was accusing HER of transgressing the safety rules. “But what difference does it make?” she countered.
“The rules must be adhered to” she was told.
“But it is not bothering anybody here” she continued.
The steward now became impatient (as did all the passengers who heard the exchange, and especially those who also heard the earlier exchange!) “I am sorry lady – as you said rules are rules… remember!”
Today, even the more supposedly respected people seem to adopt the principle: one rule for them and one rule for us.
But the Torah rules are different: whilst of course under specific prescribed circumstances the rules have their exceptions, they cannot be adapted by human inclination alone. The Torah rules are Divinely dictated or inspired and are therefore above or “before” all of us as a people.
Now we can gain a new appreciation of the Jewish servant. A servant or “eved” from a Torah perspective is not necessarily derogatory, but rather indicates someone who is ‘meshuabad’ – responsible or trustworthy. He can be relied upon because he puts those who trust in him somewhat before himself.
Accordingly we are all, in one way or another ‘avadim’. We all have at least some level of responsibility at one time or another, be it to our spouses, parents, family, friends, teachers, students, employer, employees, partners, society in general – and in fact almost everybody we have any type of relationship with. In fact, it is largely because of this responsibility that we are able to forge and maintain our relationships.
The greater our responsibility, the greater our connection to who we are responsible to. So much so, that a completely dedicated subject becomes somewhat like his master [3].
Now we can appreciate why the first ordinance is the Jewish servant: we each have been given a responsibility to keep the rules and we are therefore each a type of ‘eved Ivri’ – Jewish ‘servant’. The very word ‘ivri’ contains the letter ‘orev’ meaning guarantor.
As passengers throughout our life journey, we have been entrusted to keep the rules, and so long as we are responsible ‘avadim’ rather than seeking self-defined exceptions, we will eventually arrive at our destination.
Indeed rearranging the first letters of the phrase ‘Dovid ben Ishai avdecha meshichecha’ (referring to the anointed King David, the son of Yishai, servant of G-d), from whose lineage the redeemer shall be born, spells ‘avadim’. [4]
So be a good subject, not a subjective one!
Have a responsible Shabbos,
Dan.
Additional sources:
[1] Shemos 21:1 [2] Rashi [3] Shvuos 47b [4] Bluzhover Rebbe
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