BS"D

Parshath Mishpatim
By Yitz Kolakowski
--------------
SHALOM FROM THE HOLY CITY
This week we read parshath Mishpatim and parshath Shekalim.  This
Shabbos is Rosh Hodesh Adar.  BE HAPPY!  COME ON, YOU CAN BE HAPPIER
THAN THAT!
---------------

-- A JOKE --

  Once there was a Jew who opened a butcher shop.  He had heard
that the Orthodox Rabbis were "too strict" with matters of Kashruth,
so he decided that he would get his hechsher from a Reform "Rabbi".
He packed up some meat and brought it to the Reform Rabbi to get his
hechsher.  He showed him a steak and asked the "Rabbi" if it was
kosher.  The "Rabbi" said, "wait a minute".  He brought the steak to
his backyard and came back telling the butcher, "no it's not kosher."
  "Well," asked the butcher, "what about this piece of chicken?"
  He brought it out back and said, "No, not kosher."
  "What about this hotdog?"
  Brought it out again out back, "No, not kosher either."
  "What's going on?  Why are you so strict?  I thought you were
Reform!"
  "Sure, I'm Reform, but my dogis so strict he must be Orthodox.  He's
so strict, he says everything is treif."
  "What are you talking about?"
  "Look in this Chumash, (this week's parsha, Exodus 22:30), it
says right here, 'any meat in the field which is treifa you shouldn't
eat, throw it to the dog.' I guess that means he will eat it if its
treif.  My dog is too strict, he eats any meat I give him."

------------------------

-- SERIOUSLY NOW --

  My dear friends, in the beginning of that passuk Hashem commands
all of us to "be people of holiness to" Him.  The Kotzker notes that
it says "you should be PEOPLE of holiness to Me", meaning we should
be holy, but as people, i.e. we should make our everyday human
actions holy.  Hashem has enough angels in heaven, he wants us to be
holy PEOPLE here on earth.
  The passuk continues with a rule about Kashruth, the way we should
eat.  Indeed, all of our actions, including such mundane actions as
eating and sleeping must be imbued with holiness.  In addition to the
well-known laws of kashruth, being careful with what we eat, we can
have much more holiness and joy when we eat (sleep, work, etc.) when
we realize that the reason we do these things is to get energy (or
money, etc.) and that energy is neccesary to do mitzvos like davening
and learning, and all the other mitzvos we do.  If we keep this in
mind when we do even mundane activities, (as well as making certain
that all of our activities are done in accordance with halacha) it is
as if we were engaged in holiness the entire day.  When we sanctify
all of our actions, making all of our deeds l'shem shamayim, we feel
truly happy and can be filled with a constant joy, the true joy of
serving Hashem and setting Him before us constantly.

  May the day come soon that all the world be filled with holiness
when all people will serve Hashem with their every deed.

Gut Shabbos.