Parsha:

Mishpatim,  Shoftim,  Vayeitzei,  Vayishlach 

Description

In the middle of the presentation of the laws of the Beit Din HaGadol (the central national court), the Torah interjects three seemingly disconnected prohibitions - planting a tree near the altar, raising a stele (מצבה) and offering a blemished animal. We address the middle of these passages and note the curious phrasing of the prohibition - אשר שנא ה' אלקיך and observe that both אשר as well as שנא has multiple possible meanings within the verse. We then briefly survey the history of the מצבה in the narrative of the תורה, where it seems to have Divine approval - and then we see three main approaches in the Midrashim and the Rishonim, each with its own difficulties. We then suggest a variation of one of these approaches, based on a careful reading of our text. This shiur was dedicated to the memory of the six חטופים who were murdered, in cold blood, just before their imminent rescue. השם יקום דמם ויהא זכרם ברוך