Another matter, “these are the ordinances,” that is what is written: “For Solomon. Endow the king with Your justice, God…May he judge Your people with righteousness” (Psalms 72:1–2). Rabbi [Yehuda HaNasi] says: Just as the Holy One blessed be He cautioned regarding the commandments, so He cautioned regarding justice, upon which the world is contingent, as it is stated: “A king will uphold the land with justice” (Proverbs 29:4).
And by its means, Zion will be rebuilt, as it is stated: “Zion will be redeemed with justice” (Isaiah 1:27). And by its means the righteous are uplifted, as it is stated: “Happy are those who heed the law” (Psalms 106:3). You find that there are many ordinances regarding this matter. For the Holy One blessed be He said: “I am the Lord your God who took you out of the land of Egypt, the house of slavery” (Exodus 20:2).
What does it say regarding the Hebrew slave? “If you purchase a Hebrew slave [he shall serve six years]” (Exodus 21:2). The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘Just as I created the world in six days and rested on the seventh, so he shall work with you for six years and emerge as a free man.’ What is written alongside it?
“If he comes in by himself” (Exodus 21:3); if he entered alone he shall depart alone, if [he came in] with his wife, he shall depart with her. “If his master gives him a wife…” (Exodus 21:4). Israel enters this situation only if they transgressed the mitzvot, because Israel is as dear as the apple of the supernal eye, as it is stated: “As anyone who touches you, touches the apple of his eye” (Zechariah 2:12).
It is the scribes and the Sages who instituted this safeguard.59The verse in Zechariah is stated by God, such that it should have said “anyone who touches you touches the apple of My eye,” but the scribes changed it to “his eye” in order to avoid the challenges that might be caused by the anthropomorphism. Alternatively, the scribes did not change the text but merely taught that the verse means to refer to God’s eye, as it were (see Maharzu; Etz Yosef; Matnot Kehuna to Bereishit Rabba 49:7).
It is analogous to a king who said to his son that he should work for so-and-so, who would not mistreat him.60The king sought to punish his son by having him work, but arranged for him to work for a master who would not mistreat him. He went and even though he worked without pay, [the master] did not refrain from mistreating him. When [the king] reconciled with his son, he decreed that those who had mistreated him would be put to death.
So too, the Holy One blessed be He decreed that Israel would be enslaved in Egypt until He would be reconciled and return them. [The Egyptians] stood over them and enslaved them harshly, and not because [Israel] rebelled against them. Therefore God said of them: ‘They should have treated them like slaves and [Israel] would perform their needs until the decree was completed.’ But, “I was mildly enraged, but they contributed to the evil” (Zechariah 1:15).61The Egyptians treated the Israelites far more harshly than they should have.
Thus, after the commandments,62After the Ten Commandments, in which God mentioned that He took Israel out of slavery in Egypt (Exodus 20:2). the Holy One blessed be He cautioned them regarding the ordinances, that they should not violate them, as He would then do to them what He did to Egypt. That is why the prophet said to Israel: “Execute true justice, and…do not exploit the widow, the orphan, the stranger, and the poor” (Zechariah 7:9–10).