Mishpatim 5785: Reclaiming Responsibility

GOOD MORNING!  A ten-year-old quote, written by author G. Michael Hopf in his post-apocalyptic novel Those That Remain has recently managed to gain some formidable traction. This quote is a particularly astute observation regarding the cyclical nature of the human condition: “Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.”

This now self-evident truth should ring particularly loudly in the minds of anyone who is watching the media circus around all the goings-on regarding the federal government and the changes being enacted by the Trump administration with lightning speed. Of course, the wholly biased media establishment manipulates the facts to promote their agendas; the cheering on the right and the jeering on the left.

It’s hard not to see the remarkable inroads that DOGE has already made, highlighting some painfully outrageous areas of federal spending, though to date, the actual federal funds “saved” is but a tiny fraction of the federal budget. Only time will tell how successful Elon Musk and his DOGE army will be, but for the time being they seem to be making some real progress and Americans are riveted.

Of course this hyper-attention falls along party lines; politicians on the right are making the most of these initial successes, and politicians on the left are consumed with the requisite public weeping and mournful cries of foul – all while defiantly promising to continue to fight. They seemed to have totally missed the memo from the American people that was delivered in the last election – including their own constituency.

It’s not like anything the Trump administration is implementing should be a surprise to those on the left – he is simply following the playbook he published last year and the principles on which he ran his campaign: 20 Promises to the American People (many of which were centered on government waste and inefficiency). Perhaps the only thing that should surprise anyone is seeing a politician actually fulfill campaign pledges.

One of the major changes, which will likely result in real savings, is the change to federal employment. Already 75,000 people have taken him up on generous buy-out offers and many more are starting to look for jobs elsewhere. Stability is perhaps the main reason why people choose to work for the government. But they are finding that being lifers in the government workforce has put them at a great disadvantage. Many are missing the typical work experience, such as a track record of exceeding sales or other performance targets and receiving a bonus, raise, or promotion. In government, the vast majority of jobs aren’t necessarily tied to tangible results. Allow me to explain.

When I was in business school in the 1980’s, the most celebrated guru of business was Milton Friedman. In his famous book Free to Choose he writes that there are four ways to spend money; 1) Spending your own money on yourself 2) Spending your own money on someone else 3) Spending someone else’s money on yourself 4) Spending someone else’s money on someone else.

Here is how his extremely important lesson plays out. Let’s say we’re talking about buying a car. Using the above metrics: 1) When you’re spending your money to buy yourself a car, you are hyper-vigilant to get the best car for the best price. 2) When you are buying someone else a car, you really only care about how much you are spending, and you aren’t overly concerned about the quality of the car. 3) When you’re spending someone else’s money to buy yourself a car, you want the best car, no matter the cost. 4) When you’re using someone else’s money to buy someone else a car, you don’t care about the quality or the cost.

This fourth scenario – spending other people’s money on other people – is the cornerstone of government spending; so it should come as surprise that no one cares about spending or quality. This is how we end up with a $700 hammer and a $2,300 toilet (and I am probably lowballing it), and a large federal workforce that doesn’t seem to understand accountability or responsibility.

When times are tough, whether it is war, famine, or any other existential crises, mankind is forced to make difficult decisions, take responsibility, and realize that their actions matter – often to the extent of life or death. Thus, hard times create extraordinary people.

The lesson that Hopf is teaching us is that good times create weak people because the human condition is to want to get the most for the least effort. In other words, if you don’t HAVE to work for all the wonderful things in your life, why would you? This leads to enormous entitlement and is why so many young, liberal millennials and Gen Z-ers are sitting comfortably in Starbucks sipping their chai lattes and Frappuccinos, writing blogs (on their laptops) and posting on X and Reddit forums (with the latest iPhone) about the terrible deprivations of their generation.

They then go home – unsurprisingly, many still live with their parents – in their nice cars and nice clothes and wonder aloud why the government is being so vindictive and cutting back on all these federal programs. They somehow feel entitled to the benefits of a prosperous society without ever having contributed to it. Paradoxically, they call for a dismantling of the very society that supports their me-first lifestyle. This is what happens when entire segments of society refuse to take responsibility for themselves – expecting “someone else” to pay their rent, their tuition, their healthcare, etc.

Personal responsibility, the cornerstone of individual freedom and accountability, has increasingly become a rare commodity in modern American society. This value, once held in high esteem, entails individuals accepting the consequences of their actions, making informed choices, and taking ownership of their lives. It fosters a sense of self-reliance and empowerment, as people who embrace personal responsibility tend to navigate life’s challenges with resilience and integrity.

However, contemporary America appears to be grappling with a decline in this crucial virtue. Factors such as the pervasive victimhood culture, blame-shifting in political and social discourse, and overreliance on government intervention have contributed to this erosion. The rise of social media has further exacerbated the issue, offering platforms where individuals can dodge accountability and project their shortcomings onto others. But, as Hopf points out, this tendency is part of the human condition – and we see this in the Torah as well.

It is often overlooked that a major part of Adam’s sin regarding eating from the Tree of Knowledge was related to this issue. When Adam violates the first and, at that time, only commandment that God had given him, the Almighty asks him, “Have you eaten of the tree, which I commanded you that you should not eat?” Adam responds, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate” (Genesis 3:11-12).

Almost unbelievably, Adam lays the blame on God for giving him the woman who gave give him a fruit from the tree. He refuses to take any responsibility – instead blaming his actions on the generosity of the Almighty. This tendency has not changed much in the last 5785 years.

This week’s Torah portion is also very relevant to this lesson. Last week’s Torah portion discussed the giving of the Ten Commandments and some of the circumstances around it. Curiously, there is another whole section related to the story of the giving of the Ten Commandments in this week’s Torah portion. In fact, the very well-known statement of faith made by the Jewish people at Mount Sinai “na’aseh v’nishma – we will fulfill and then understand” appears in this week’s retelling of the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai.

The Rabbis point out that the first verse in this week’s Torah portion begins, “And these are the judgments which you shall set before them” (Exodus 21:1). The sages point out that starting off with the word “and” means it’s a continuation of last week’s narrative and just like the Ten Commandments were given at Mount Sinai so too were all the social justice laws that we find in this week’s portion. That may explain why the Torah circles back to the story of the giving of the Ten Commandments at the end of this week’s portion as well.

But it is quite strange to begin the laws of social justice with the laws of a Jewish indentured servant. This refers to an individual who sells himself for a period of six years to a master whom, in the interim, has to take care of him and his family. First of all, this law doesn’t even apply until the Jewish nation gets to the land of Israel. Second of all, one of the main reasons for this transaction is for when an individual fraudulently owes money and can’t pay it so he has to sells himself to pay his debt. But we haven’t discussed ANY of the laws of fraud yet! Why begin the laws of social justice with this? Furthermore, it goes on to discuss what happens if the servant decides he’s happy to stay with his “master” and extend his servitude for up to 50 years. What is going on here?

This situation is the prime example of someone who doesn’t want to take responsibility for himself or his family and is relying on others to support himself. He prefers a “master” and the Almighty Himself decries this attitude by ordering such a person to have his ear pierced – because he should have listened on Mount Sinai when God said “You are My servants.” This person is choosing a life of servitude and dependency instead of working and only serving the Almighty.

One of the most important things we can do is to take responsibility: for ourselves, our actions, our families, and our communities. That is what it means to be a parent, a community member, or a member of the military. When we take real responsibility for our lives and the lives of others, we transcend selfishness and narcissism and work to build a better world.

By reclaiming the value of personal responsibility, we can revive the spirit of self-determination, restore trust within communities, and foster a more robust and harmonious society. It is imperative to nurture this virtue to ensure a prosperous and accountable future for all of mankind.

Mishpatim, Exodus 21:1 – 24:18

One of the most mitzvah-filled Torah portions, containing 23 positive commandments and 30 negative commandments. Included are laws regarding: the Hebrew manservant and maidservant, manslaughter, murder, injuring a parent, kidnapping, cursing a parent, personal injury, penalty for killing a slave, personal damages, injury to slaves, categories of damages and compensatory restitution, culpability for personal property damage, seduction, occult practices, idolatry, and oppression of widows, children, and orphans.

The portion continues with the laws of: lending money, not cursing judges or leaders, tithes, first-born sons, justice, returning strayed animals, assisting the unloading of an animal fallen under its load, Sabbatical year, Shabbat, and the Three Festivals (Pesach, Shavuot, and Succot).

Mishpatim concludes with the promise from the Almighty to lead us into the land of Israel, safeguard our journey, ensure the demise of our enemies, and guarantee our safety in the land – if we uphold the Torah and do the mitzvot. Moses makes preparations for himself and for the people and then ascends Mt. Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments.

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