Rabbi Shimon, in Shemot Rabbah, really zeroes in on this. He points out the verse in Exodus (21:18), "If men quarrel and one strikes the other." Rabbi Shimon emphasizes that "nothing good and no peace results from a quarrel." It's almost like a warning: be careful, because this is how things fall apart. He even brings up Cain and Abel – the very first brothers – and how their quarrel led to tragedy.
And it's not just about physical harm. Even if someone doesn't kill another, they're still responsible for the damage they cause – the loss of livelihood, the medical bills. It’s all connected.
But here's a fascinating point: why does the Torah sometimes refer to judges as elohim? This is a Hebrew word, elohim, that's usually reserved for God. We see this in Exodus, chapters 21-23. Why this elevated language?
Well, Shemot Rabbah suggests it's because we humans are so easily swayed by the yetzer hara – the evil inclination. As Genesis (8:21) tells us, "the inclination of a man’s heart is evil from his youth." We're flawed. So, the Torah uses this term, elohim, for judges as a reminder: you're accountable not just to humans, but to something higher. To God.
Imagine if the Holy One, blessed be He, could just eliminate the evil inclination. According to this teaching, everyone would come under His wings. And the text even suggests that one day, He will.
But until then, the evil inclination is always there, tempting us. It gets us used to sin, and ultimately, it can even kill us. Habakkuk (1:7) says, "Its justice and its onus will emerge from it." Sin, ultimately, leads to death. Or, as the Gemara in Bava Batra (16a) puts it, Satan, the evil inclination, and the Angel of Death are all one and the same!
So, what's the solution? The Holy One, blessed be He, gives us the ordinances of the Torah. "These are the ordinances," He says. "Maintain justice in this world, and I will rescue you from being sentenced to Gehenna" – often understood as hell.
It’s all about accountability. The Holy One, blessed be He, judges the wicked according to these laws. As Ezekiel (34:20) says, "Behold, I am here, and I will judge between the fat lamb and the lean lamb."
The text then draws a powerful parallel to the story of Egypt and the Exodus. Egypt enslaved Israel, and God judged them harshly, both in Egypt and at the sea. They were like robbers who destroyed a king's vineyard. The king, filled with rage, didn't need anyone's help – He simply descended and punished them. So too, Egypt judged the children of God. The Holy One, blessed be He, became enraged and inflicted plagues upon them, again and again.
But it doesn’t end there. Even after the ten plagues, even after the splitting of the sea, the text suggests that Pharaoh will not be consoled over his lost multitudes until he sees Gog. Ezekiel (32:31) prophesies, "Pharaoh will see them and be consoled for his entire multitude." This is a fascinating and somewhat chilling thought! Gog, in Jewish eschatology, represents the ultimate enemy, whose defeat will usher in the messianic age.
So, what does it all mean? Perhaps it's a reminder that justice is never truly finished. That the consequences of our actions ripple outward, affecting not just ourselves but the entire world. And that even in the face of immense suffering, there is always the promise of ultimate redemption – a time when justice will finally prevail.