Shemot Rabbah, the collection of rabbinic interpretations on the Book of Exodus, points this out explicitly. "Come and see," it urges, "how excellent this portion is!"
What's so excellent about it? Well, for starters, look at all the commandments, all the cautions, that God, blessed be He, gives to Israel in just this one portion. "If you purchase a Hebrew slave…" "If a man sells his daughter as a maidservant…" "One who strikes his father…" It's a whirlwind of laws. But here's where it gets really interesting. The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary), in Shemot Rabbah 30, asks: what connects all these seemingly disparate laws? What's the common thread? The answer, according to this Midrash, is God's relationship with Israel.
God says, "I acquired you in Egypt with the ten plagues." Remember those? "Wondrous are Your works; I know this well," as (Psalm 139:14) reminds us. The previous verse, (Psalm 139:13), uses the word kanita, which can also be translated as "you have acquired." So, the Midrash interprets these verses to mean that God acquired us through those incredible, wondrous plagues.
Just as you are commanded not to enslave your brother for more than six years, so too, remember that God created the world in six days. It's all connected! It’s a cosmic choreography of commandments and creation.
And what about selling your daughter as a maidservant? The Midrash takes a startling turn. God says, "I had one daughter – the Torah – and I 'sold' her to you." This might sound strange, but the idea is that God entrusted the Torah to Israel. She is stored in the Ark. As (Psalm 68:19) says, "You ascended on high; You took captives." Treat the Torah with respect, because you took her captive from Me.
Rabbi Shmuel adds another layer: God cautions us regarding seemingly lenient matters with incredibly stringent ones. "One who strikes his father or his mother shall be put to death," (Exodus 21:15) tells us. A harsh penalty. But the Midrash argues: If Ham, father of Canaan, merely saw his father Noah's nakedness and was cursed with everlasting servitude (Genesis 9:22–25), then how much more severe should the punishment be for someone who curses or strikes their parents?
Who are those who improperly treat their father, meaning God? According to the Midrash, these were the Ten Tribes, who refused to accept God's yoke. They rebelled, and as a result, Sennacherib came and exiled them. It's like a king whose ten sons rebel against him and annul his royal edicts.
The Midrash draws a powerful analogy: If Israel nullifies the mitzvot, the commandments, it’s as if they are cursing their father and mother. And who is father? None other than God, as (Isaiah 64:7) declares: "Now, Lord, You are our Father." And who is mother? The Torah itself! As (Proverbs 1:8) teaches, "Do not forsake the Torah of your mother." The Torah nurtures and raises you, just as a mother does. The Hebrew word horeitikha in (Proverbs 4:11), "I have instructed you in the way of wisdom," is even expounded as an allusion to pregnancy, herayon.
So, what does it all mean? This passage from Shemot Rabbah isn't just a collection of ancient interpretations. It's a powerful reminder of the profound, intimate relationship between God and Israel. It’s a call to recognize the weight of our responsibilities and the incredible gift we've been given. And it reminds us that even seemingly unrelated laws are all threads in the same beautiful, intricate tapestry of our faith. It asks us to see the echoes of creation, of redemption, in every commandment we observe.
Come and see how excellent this portion is. How many sections are in it, and how many prohibitions the Holy One blessed be He cautioned Israel in this portion: “If you purchase a Hebrew slave” (Exodus 21:2); “if a man sells his daughter as a maidservant” (Exodus 21:7); “one who strikes his father” (Exodus 21:15). What does this matter have in common with that? The Holy One blessed be He said to Israel: ‘I acquired you in Egypt with the ten plagues that I displayed, as it is stated: “Wondrous are Your works; I know this well” (Psalms 139:14).16The previous verse in Psalms states: “For you have formed [kanita] my innermost parts.” The word kanita can also be translated “you have acquired.” Thus, the midrash is interpreting these two verses to mean that God has acquired us through His wondrous works, i.e. the ten plagues, which are referred to as wonders (see Exodus 3:20). Just as you are commanded not to enslave your brother more than six years,17Some suggest that the text should read: Just as you are commanded to work six days and rest on the seventh (Yefe Toar). as I created the world in only six days; therefore, I granted you six years that you are permitted to enslave a Hebrew slave. “If a man sells his daughter as a maidservant,” I had one daughter18The Torah. and I sold her to you so that you do not take her out, but rather she is stored in the Ark. “She shall not be released like the release of the slaves” (Exodus 21:7). Treat her with respect, as you took her captive from Me, as it is stated: “You ascended on high; You took captives”’ (Psalms 68:19). Likewise, David praises: “Halleluya, for it is good to sing to our God, for it is pleasant” (Psalms 147:1).19The penultimate verse of the psalm states: “He declares His word to Jacob, His statutes and His ordinances to Israel” (Psalms 147:19). The midrash thus asserts that the reason it is good to sing to God is because of the laws of the Torah. Rabbi Shmuel says: The Holy One blessed be He cautioned them regarding lenient matters with stringent matters, as there are many prohibitions here. For example, “one who strikes his father or his mother [shall be put to death]” (Exodus 21:15). The Holy One blessed be He said: ‘Ham, father of Canaan did not strike, but merely saw, and now he and his descendants are slaves forever,20Ham saw the nakedness of his father, Noah, and as a result was cursed with everlasting servitude (see Genesis 9:22–25). one who curses or strikes all the more so.’ Who were they?21Which Israelites are compared to people who were guilty of improperly treating their father, i.e. God. These were the Ten Tribes, who did not want to place upon themselves the yoke of the Holy One blessed be He, and Sennacheribcame upon them and exiled them. This is analogous to a king who had ten sons and they rebelled against him, and they annulled ten of his royal edicts. He said to them: ‘Just as you annulled what is mine, so I will send a fly and exact retribution from you.’ So too, the Ten Tribes rebelled against the Holy One blessed be He and nullified the Torah, as it is stated: “They denied the Lord, and they said: It is not Him” (Jeremiah 5:12). He brought the fly upon them, as it is stated: “The Lord will whistle for the fly” (Isaiah 7:18), this is Sennacherib. If Israel nullified the mitzvot it is as though they are cursing their father and mother. Father is no one other than the Holy One blessed be He, as it is stated: “Now, Lord, You are our Father” (Isaiah 64:7). Mother is the Torah, as it is stated: “Do not forsake the Torah of your mother” (Proverbs 1:8). And she raises you at Sinai, as it is stated: “I have instructed you [horeitikha]22Horeitikha is expounded as an allusion to pregnancy [herayon]; the Torah is its mother. in the way of wisdom” (Proverbs 4:11).
