These Are the Ordinances and the King Who Loves Justice

Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 306:3

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·

"And these are the ordinances" (Exodus 21:1). This is what Scripture says, "and the strength of a king loves justice" (Psalms 99:4) - all the strength and might and praise are the Holy One's, blessed be He. David said, "Yours, O LORD, is the greatness" (I Chronicles 29:11). You find that one who is a man of force passes over justice, but the Holy One, blessed be He, is a man of force and loves justice. "You have established equity" (Psalms 99:4). Rabbi Alexandri said: two donkey drivers were walking on the road, and they hated each other. The donkey of one of them lay down. His fellow saw it and passed by. After he passed he said: it is written in the Torah, "when you see the donkey of one who hates you [lying under its burden, you shall surely help]" (Exodus 23:5). Immediately he turned back and loaded it with him. He began to speak in his heart, saying: so-and-so was my friend all along and I did not know it. They entered an inn and ate and drank. What caused them to make peace between themselves? That they understood the matter in the Torah. Thus, "You have established equity." "And these are the ordinances" - this is what is written, "a king by justice establishes the land" (Proverbs 29:4). This is the Holy One, blessed be He; when He came to give the Torah to Israel He opened with justice, as it is written, "there He set for them a statute and an ordinance" (Exodus 15:25). And here Moses taught Israel the ordinances that he had learned. Rabbi Abbahu said: every place where "these" is stated, it disqualifies what came before; "these are the generations of the heavens" disqualified chaos and void and darkness. And here, "and these are the ordinances," with the connecting "and," it adds to what came before, namely "there He set for them a statute and an ordinance" (Exodus 15:25). This is what Scripture says, "He declares His words to Jacob, His statutes and His ordinances to Israel." The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Moses: I have given them the Torah; give them the ordinances. (It is written in remez 273.)

Themes

Divine JusticeLawTorah

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