Parashat Mishpatim 5785, 2025: "A Nation of Individuals"

 
Rabbi David Etengoff
 
ה' יעזור וירחם על אחינו כל בני ישראל בארץ ישראל ובכל חלקי הארץ
 
“Na’aseh v’nishmah—We will do, and we will hear and understand,” are two celebrated words that appear in Parashat Mishpatim. This expression builds upon an earlier statement in Parashat Yitro: “All that Hashem has spoken na’aseh—we will do,” which is preceded by the introductory statement, “And all the people replied yachdov—in unison…” (19:8)  This leads to a classic exegetical question: “Why does the Torah utilize the term, ‘yachdov’ in reference to ‘na’aseh’ in Parashat Yitro, but refrains from so doing regarding ‘na’aseh v’nishmah’ in our parasha?”
 
One very beautiful answer to our question is offered by the Chortkover Rebbe zatzal, as summarized by Rabbi Yaakov Neuberger, a rosh yeshiva at Yeshivat Rabbi Yitzchak Elchanan Theological Seminary:

The [Chortkover Rebbe] suggests that when it comes to performing mitzvos, simply na’aseh, we seem unified and in fact do all the same activities. Yet we differ in the way that we understand the mitzvos and in the manner in which they impact upon us and inspire us. Thus, the “na’aseh” of Torah is “yachdov” but the “nishmah” of Torah will be as different as our hearts, minds and souls are from each other. (Personalized vs. Standardized Observance of Mitzvot, Parashat Mishpatim, 2010, Torahweb.org, underlining my own)
 
In sum, the Chortkover Rebbe differentiates between ma’aseh hamitzvah (performance of the mitzvah) and havanat hamitzvah (comprehension of the mitzvah). Since na’aseh, the ma’aseh hamitzvah, is universal in nature, the Torah uses yachdov to indicate that all Jews perform the mitzvot in the same manner. Nishmah, or havanat hamitzvah, is an entirely different matter, as it reflects our differentiated cognitive abilities and the degree of emotional and spiritual engagement that we have with the mitzvah. Therefore, yachdov is not used in reference to nishmah, since the act of understanding is unique to each individual.
 
The change from na’aseh b’yachdov in Parashat Yitro to na’aseh v’nishmah without yachdov in Parashat Mishpatim may now be viewed as a positive transformation, rather than the loss of achdut. In reality, it represents our nascent spiritual development as a nation comprised of very different people, each one searching for Hashem and performing His mitzvot in their own unique manner. As Rav Neuberger suggests:

We then realized how differently we perceived the very same facts, how they touched us distinctively and inspired us idiosyncratically. Through the appreciation of meaningful Torah study [that is, nishmah], we allowed ourselves to cede the “yachdov” and embrace, through the practice of the very same mitzvot, a depth that was private and personal.
 
May we ever sound the clarion call of na’aseh v’nishmah as members of the great chain of Jewish being forged on Har Sinai, for all time. V’chane yihi ratzon.
 
Shabbat Shalom
 
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