The Midrash[i]
in our parasha states that God metes out justice to the nations of the world. The Midrash also states that He put the power
to mete out justice in our hands as God told Moshe in the first pasuk of our
parasha, “ואלה
המשפטים אשר תשים לפניהם/And these are the laws that you will place
before them.” (Shmos 21:1) The
Hebrew word for law – משפט – also means justice.
Does God dispense justice or is it dependent upon us?
The Sfas Emes
explains that God wants to dispense justice and revenge upon the nations of the
world with one caveat. We, the nation of
Israel, must deserve good treatment. God
will not treat us well undeservedly and deal with the nations of the world
according to the strict letter of the law, so to speak. If He treats us well, even though we do not
deserve it, He will not be strict with regard to the nations of the world.
This is the reason
God told Moshe Rabbeinu, “... אשר תשים לפניהם/… that you will place before them.” God’s justice towards the nations of the
world is dependent upon us.
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