CHASSIDIC PEARLS BY RABBI LAZER BRODY PARSHAS MISHPATIM

(PLEASE LEARN FOR A RUFUA SHELAMA FOR THE GEDOLIM Rav Elyashiv -Yosef Sholom ben Chaya Musha, Rav Shteinman - Aaron Yehuda Leib ben Gitel Feiga, Rav Weiss - Yitzchak Tuvia ben Rikal, Rav Belsky - Yisroel ben Chana Tzirtel, Rav Yosef - Yaakov Chai ben Margalit And Telzer Rosh Yeshiva, Yitxchok Izak ben Trina Devorah for a refuah shleima b’soch kol cholei am Yisrael.)

We shall do and we shall listen (Shmot 24:7). The nations of the world have difficulty understanding how it's possible to "do", in other words, to implement a commandment, before they "listen" to the logic and the underlying rationale of the commandment. In such a frame of mind, they refuse to observe anything that goes against their thinking. In stark contrast, "We shall do and we shall listen" is the foundation of Judaism. Many people harbor the mistaken notion that one must be daft to "blindly observe" Hashem's commandments. But, for a faithful Jew, observance is never blind. A Jew with even a minimal measure of cognizance knows that The Almighty created the world; therefore, He alone knows what's best for the world in general and for each of His creations in particular. Shlomo Hamelech (King Solomon), the wisest of all men, said (Mishlei 16:32), "Self control is greater than capturing a city." Self control means winning the battle with one's own evil inclination, or Yetzer Hara. The Torah offers us the only proven strategy to win the battle against the evil inclination, the most difficult battle of all. First, we must do what the Torah tells us to, and only afterwards, ask questions.