Double Command

וְנָתַתָּ֖ אֶל־הָאָרֹ֑ן אֵ֚ת הָעֵדֻ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֶתֵּ֖ן אֵלֶֽיךָ

וְנָתַתָּ֧ אֶת־הַכַּפֹּ֛רֶת עַל־הָאָרֹ֖ן מִלְמָ֑עְלָה וְאֶל־הָ֣אָרֹ֔ן תִּתֵּן֙ אֶת־הָ֣עֵדֻ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֶתֵּ֖ן אֵלֶֽיךָ 

These pessukim are a mere 5 pessukim apart and the Rishonim ask why the repetition of placing the adut in the aron?  Rashi says ויש לומר: שבא ללמד שבעודו ארון לבדו בלא כפרת, יתן תחילה העדות בתוכו, ואחר כך יתן הכפרת עליו.  The repetition is teaching us that the adut is placed in the Aron before the kaporet is on.  The Ramban disagrees and holds the aron means with the kaporet so the possuk actually sounds the opposite that the adut should be placed after the kaporet is on.  Instead, he learns the possuk is explaining the function of the keruvim is as part of the place of the Shechina - נתת הכפרת עם כרוביו, שהכל דבר אחד, על הארון מלמעלה, כי אל הארון תתן את העדות אשר אתן אליך, כדי שיהיה לי כסא כבוד, כי אני אועד לך שמה (שמות ל׳:ו׳) ואשכוןב שכינתי עליהם.  In other words, according to Rashi the aron is an aron without the kaporet but according to the Ramban the aron is an aron only with the kaporet.  

According to Rashi the first pesskuim of the Aron are explaining its function as the place of the adut and then come five pessukim about the keruvim and the Torah repeats וְאֶל־הָ֣אָרֹ֔ן תִּתֵּן֙ אֶת־הָ֣עֵדֻ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֶתֵּ֖ן אֵלֶֽיךָ to tell us that the adut has to do with the aron not with the keruvim.  The keruvim are part of the kaporet which is the place of communication between Hashem and Moshe.  These are two different parshiot.  First is the parsha of the aron and then is the parsha of the kaproet/keruvim.  In other words, we have the aron that holds the Torah, representing connection to Hashem through Torah and then the kaporet/keruvim which represents the direct connection between Hashem and Klal Yisrael.  The reason why the kaporet is on top of the aron, says the Rebbe (Likutay Sichos volume 26,) is because the connection between Klal Yisrael and Hashem represented by the keruvim is greater, is on top of the connection that exists via the Torah.  The Torah repeats the command וְאֶל־הָ֣אָרֹ֔ן תִּתֵּן֙ אֶת־הָ֣עֵדֻ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֶתֵּ֖ן אֵלֶֽיךָ to tell us that that the kaporet/keruvim are separate from the aron.

According to the Ramban it is all one parsha about functions of the aron.  First, we are introduced to the aron as housing the Torah and then we are introduced to the kaporet/keruvim which represent the presence of the Shechina.  The Torah then repeats the command וְאֶל־הָ֣אָרֹ֔ן תִּתֵּן֙ אֶת־הָ֣עֵדֻ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר אֶתֵּ֖ן אֵלֶֽיךָ to say that these two functions go hand in hand.  The presence of the Shechina is through the kaporet/keruvim only because the Torah is there.   

Moving Forward

 וְיָצַ֣קְתָּ לּ֗וֹ אַרְבַּע֙ טַבְּעֹ֣ת זָהָ֔ב וְנָ֣תַתָּ֔ה עַ֖ל אַרְבַּ֣ע פַּעֲמֹתָ֑יו  

Rashi translates פעמתיו as corners.  The Even Ezra objects that the word פעם never means corners and instead translates it as legs as in מה יפו פעמיך.  He adds that logically it makes sense that the ארון would have legs for it is not becoming of it to rest directly on the ground.  The Ramban says that the Even Ezra's translation is wrong as well for the word פעם doesn't mean legs rather it means steps מה יפו פעמיך – פסיעותיך.  Furthermore, if the Torah meant legs, it would just say רגליים.  Instead he says it refers to the Kohanim's steps which indicates that his interpretation that the poles were at the bottom of the Aron (not like Rashi, see Netziv and Gur Aryeh.) 

Rav Walking suggests derech remez that the according to the Even Ezra the Torah uses the word פעם since the Aron represents Torah in order to be able to hold on to Torah properly one must constantly be taking strides to move forward.  

We say in the birchat haTorah נותן התורה, Hashem is constantly giving the Torah.  The Torah wasn't just given but is being given.  One must be ready to receive.  The Ramban says the Mishkan was a miniature reenactment of Har Sinai.  It was a daily reminder of the commitment to constantly be taking steps forward in learning Torah.  

The Inner Message

Why does the parsha open with the mitzvah of eved ivri?  Why does it say נעשה ונשמע only in Mishpatim, not in Yisro? Rashi says ומה ראה אזן להרצע מכל שאר אברים שבגוף, אמר רבי יוחנן בן זכאי (קדושין כב, ב) אזן זאת ששמעה על הר סיני לא תגנוב, והלך וגנב, תרצע.  The mefarshim ask that the lav is about kidnapping someone else, not stealing?  And why the emphasis specifically on the sense of hearing?

Rabbenu Yona says in Sharey Teshuva (2:12) עוד אמר שלמה המלך עליו השלום (משלי ט״ו:ל׳-ל״א) מאור עינים ישמח לב שמועה טובה תדשן עצם. אזן שומעת תוכחת חיים בקרב חכמים תלין. ויש לכל חכם לב לדעת כי לא יתכן שחבר שלמה המלך עליו השלום דברים בטלים כאלה חנם [בתוך] דברי המוסר ויראת ה'. כשכבר העיד עליו הכתוב (מלכים א ד') ויחכם מכל האדם. אכן זה פשר הדבר. מאור עינים ישמח לב. העין אבר נכבד מאד כי יראו בו את המאורות המשמחים את הלב. ונכבד ממנו האוזן כי ישמעו בו שמועה טובה המדשנת את העצם שאין בו ההרגשה ולא ידושן במאור עינים בלתי בתענוג יתר. וכן אמרו ז"ל כי האזן נכבד משאר האיברים. שאם סימא את עינו נותן לו דמי עינו. חרשו נותן לו דמי כולו.  Rabbenu Yonah is telling us that the sense of hearing permeates throughout the person.  It is מדשן עצם.  How does listening have such an effect?  Listening provides context and a tone to the information that is being conveyed.  The full experience is only conveyed through a message totally absorbed by the individual and that is מדשן עצם (cited here by Rav Eliyahu Baruch and elaborated on by Rav Walkin.)  

When the commandment not to steal was given, true, the letter of the law forbade kidnapping.  The ear has to hear, to listen to the message behind the message.  The spirit of the law, the desire and true meaning of the law is not to take steal at all.  That is why it is the ear that bears the brunt of the punishment because it failed to listen to the inner meaning of the commandment which is to respect the property of others in all forms. 

 נעשה ונשמע can only be said when one's hearing permeates one's entire being.  When one's hearing leads to fulfillment automatically.  In Yisro, Klal Yisrael are the madregah of נעשה, they would do the commandments but it wouldn't necessarily transform themselves.  The parsha of Mishpatim transformed the beings of Klal Yisrael. המשפטים אשר תשים לפניהם, it entered into the פנימיות.  Therefore,  Klal Yisrael are transformed to say נעשה ונשמע.  It was a hearing of מדשן עצם, one that transformed their very essence. 

Free Yourself

Why is the opening mitzvah that of evid ivri?  Furthermore, the Yerushalmi Rosh Hashana says א"ר שמואל בר רב יצחק (שמות ו) "וידבר ה' אל משה ואל אהרן ויצום אל בני ישראל" על מה ציום? על פרשת שילוח עבדים.  The simple read of the Yerushalmi indicates the parsha of freeing a slave was said already in Mitzraim.  Why command slaves about freeing slaves?  And why does that commandment have to be given first? 

Rav Tzvi Yehuda Kook says לפני כל סידור מהלכי החיים בחברה, הדבר הראשון הוא הטיפול בענין העבדות. קודם כל יש להיות אדם, אדם שלם ונורמלי, ולא עבד משועבד לדבר חיצוני.  The reason the Torah opens with this mitzvah is because in order to keep the mitzvot one must remove one's addictions, desires and impulses.  The freeing of an evid after six years is a message that one must release themselves from all of the 6 bad middot that control a person in order to be able to keep the mitzvot.  Before physically exiting Egypt, Hashem was commanding Bnei Yisrael to free themselves.  Before Pharaoh released them, they had to be able to willing to free the slavery that the self-imposed bondages that come allowing with being a nation born into slavery in Egypt.  Only then would Pharoah letting them go make an actual change in their lives.  

Removing Hatred

 כִּֽי־תִרְאֶ֞ה חֲמ֣וֹר שֹׂנַאֲךָ֗ רֹבֵץ֙ תַּ֣חַת מַשָּׂא֔וֹ וְחָדַלְתָּ֖ מֵעֲזֹ֣ב ל֑וֹ עָזֹ֥ב תַּעֲזֹ֖ב עִמּֽוֹ

Rashi says עזב תעזוב עמו – עזיבה זו לשון עזרה.  The Targum however translated עזב as normally understood, to leave, תִּשְׁבּוֹק מָא דִּבְלִבָּךְ עֲלוֹהִי.  One has to leave aside their hatred and help out the other person.  In other words, helping out with the donkey is a means of the person eradicating hatred from his heart.  Rav Moshe David Valli adds the double terminology teaches us that if one tries to eradicate hatred then Hashem will also remove one's wrongdoings from before Him.  In addition, he adds why does the possuk construct the commandment as a question and answer of וְחָדַלְתָּ֖ מֵעֲזֹ֣ב ל֑וֹ עָזֹ֥ב תַּעֲזֹ֖ב to teach us that even if one is thinking of leaving if one can't totally put aside one's feelings of hatred, still עזב תעזב help the other person out and it will be considered as if one removed one's hatred. 

In Line

The possuk (19:12) says וְהִגְבַּלְתָּ֤ אֶת־הָעָם֙, the boundary is for the people.  A few pessukim later, possuk 23 it says הַגְבֵּ֥ל אֶת־הָהָ֖ר, the boundary is to not invade the kedusha for the mountain.  The Netziv says that there are two different commandments here.  The first commandment is not to avoid desecrating the kedusha of the mountain but is a commandment that the people should be in their proper places.  In his words, "גבולות לעם במעמדם סביבות ההר — אהרן בראש, והכהנים לפי ערכם אחריו, וגדולי ישראל אחריהם, ובינונים אחריהם, ונשים וטף אחריהם."  Everyone has to be only in their proper place.  Part of the condition to accept the Torah was that everyone is in their proper place.  Theri was a seder as to where one would stand and that had to be kept too. 

Throw Yourself Into It

 From the Mishmar Halevi:

Coming Full Circle

Why do Klal YIsrael mention in the shira the Beit Hamikdash, מקדש ה' כוננו ידך, why was that apropos at that time?  The Gemarah Sanhedrin (94a) says that חזקיהו was not made Mashiach because he did not say shira.  Why is shira a prerequisite to becoming Mashiach?

The Maharal Gevurot Hashem (Ch. 47) says the word אז indicates joining that which is separated to its single source.   He says this is alluded to in the makeup of the word itself.  The word אז is made up of the letters א and ז.  The letter ז stands for all of the possible divisions, the multiple paths that there are and they are joined to a א, to Hashem that controls them.  He says that is the intent of the Zohar that says מהו "אז", אחד רוכב על שבעה. 

The Maharal also says that the word אז means the exact present time, not past or future, it is above the boundaries of time.  In other words, there is division only along the length of a timeline but if one is not bound by the timeline but can see the whole process it one shot, then one can see how all the pieces fit together.  That is why אז is אחד רוכב על שבעה, the unity that is obvious when one looks at the entire picture (see Sifsay Chayim on Shevii Shel Pesach.)  

What does this have to do with shira? The word shira besides meaning song means a circle as in the Mishna Shabbat (5:1) כל בעלי שיר יוצאין בשיר.  In order to sing shira one has to come full circle, one has to see the unity, see the full picture. That is what the Midrash means that the אז of אז ישיר fixed the אז that Moshe said מאז באתי אל פרעה הֵרַע לָעָם הַזֶּה.  Now that Moshe has experienced the full circle, he is able to sing shira.  It is only one who is able to see sing shira, to achieve the shelemut that occurs from finishing the circle that can unite the world in the service of Hashem as is the job of Mashiach.  That is why shira is necessary for Mashiach. 

In the Beis Hamikdash on Yom Kippur the blood was sprinkled אחת למעלה ושבע למטה.  It was אחד רוכב על שבעה.  When one entered the Mikdash one achieved a clarity of the unity of everything.  That is why Mikdash has everything to do with shira.  It is all the same yesod of the recognition of אחד רוכב על שבעה.