Kaisipang Hudyo sa Exodo 17:14: Akeidat Yitzchak & Kol HaTor

The Torah next turns its attention to matters one is likely to encounter when already somewhat older, and less active. Retirement and ensuing boredom may lead to gossipping, the penalty for which is tzora-at. (Erchin 15) The Torah itself offers Miriam and her punishment as an example, hence no further comment is needed. The injunction about a creditor returning such pawns to the debtor as are needed by the latter for minimal dignified existence, is couched in such language that whilst under the care of the debtor, the creditor is deemed to own it. In this way the creditor is given high moral rating for having given up what was legally his to seize. (24, 10-13) Therefore, we have the statement "since the debtor will bless you, G'd will recognise it as an act of righteousness," i.e. something beyond the call of justice. (Kiddushin 8) A further instance of laws applying to the wealthy, is the injunction to pay wages on time. Delay may result in complaints to G'd against the employer in question. This is exactly the reverse of what happens when the wealthy lender shows consideration for his debtor. (as discussed a few verses previously) The following rules are also addressed to the wealthy, since they generally make up the class from which judges are drawn. The admonition not to transfer guilt from the father to the son or vice versa, or to accept testimony from one against the other, is addressed to such judges. Similarly, the injunctions not to disadvantage strangers, widows or orphans are addressed primarily to the judge, i.e. the economically affluent. Just as the commandment "do not muzzle the ox while it is threshing," is an example of a negative commandment involving an action unconnected to any positive commandment, so the next paragraph deals also with a mitzvah of that category. We learn about the application of thirty nine lashes "malkot," the standard penalty for this category of commandment. (7) Chapter 25,10, describes the men involved in the fight as "brothers." This indicates that the quarrel was not that serious that one party tried to kill the other. When the wife interferes in such a situation in a manner that endangers the life of her husband's opponent, she has heightened the tension between them. Because of that, the Torah condemns the manner of her interference. Had her husband's life already been endangered, different evaluations would apply. The injunction to have fair weights and measures is also addressed to the judges who supervise. If they do not supervise properly that the merchants adhere to fair weights, then they themselves are included amongst those whom the Torah describes as committing avel, social injustice. (Baba Batra 89) (8) The duty to do away with Amalek is addressed to the Supreme Court which has to initiate such action. The reason for recording this commandment at this point, has been discussed in chapter 42.

(Ex. 17:14) “place it in the ears of Joshua, that I will surely erase the memory of Amalek, ” etc.-- In gematria, the word ! “in the ears of” equals [70] “secret” for the way to fight Amalek is at first secretly, as already explained above, because work in gathering in the exiles is the waging of war against Amalek in order to subdue Samael in the gates of Jerusalem. Joshua is part of the mission of Mashiach ben Yosef. The Gaon also hinted at what is found in the verse: It is the honor of God [Prov. 25:2] to conceal a matter, and those two words equal [871], see above (#98) on the aspect the secret of the Lord is for those who fear him.