An Inseparable Unity

This week's Torah portion, Mishpatim, seems to be the most anti-climactic portion of the entire year. A real downer.
We began the Torah with the creation of the universe; the trials and experiences of our forefathers & mothers; the enslavement and ultimate miraculous redemption of the Jewish People from Egypt, leading to the greatest moment to date since the beginning of time: The giving of the Torah. Last week, we read about this momentous occasion. G-d Revealed His Presence on this earth, Speaking the 1st commandment: "I am the L-rd, your G-d."

The Zohar states that this sentence was uttered - not only from the sky, but actually emanated from every direction! Every flower; every blade of grass, said together: "I am the L-rd, your G-d." Since the Infinite Essence of G-d was revealed in the world; the truth of His Unity - that everything is one with Him - was revealed.
All of space & time became nullified in this unity & therefore spoke together with G-d.

But in this week's portion, the romance seems gone. The incredibly profound revelation gone. All we have is laws, laws, laws!
"What if my ox gores your cow?"
"What if I accidentally killed your cousin?"
"What if I dig a pit in the middle of the road and you fall in?"

Let's understand the meaning of this transition.

As great as the revelation of G-d was at the Giving of the Torah, at the end of the day, G-d's revealed Presence left.
How do we know if something became truly one with something else? When it doesn't leave; when it can't.

Let's take a dark room for instance. If you were to open the blinds &
the sunlight were to enter, you would now have an illuminated room.
But did the room change? Sure, there's light now.
But the room itself didn't change. An outside source is illuminating it, but the room is essentially dark. And the proof is that when the light leaves, the room returns to darkness. Take an even greater unity - like a soul with a body - ultimately we see that they are not totally unified, for at death they part.

In Chapter 5 of Tanya, when discussing the unity of G-d & a person who learns Torah, the Alter Rebbe gives the analogy of food.
"You are what you eat," is a scary, but true term. Food & drink actually become part of our flesh and blood.
So too, when learning even the most mundane monetary laws of Torah, one's soul is completely unifying with G-d's Infinite Being!
Like food to a body, G-d's Wisdom & Will, infused in the Torah, is ingested and becomes one with your soul.
The greatest unity possible - greater even than what occurred at the giving of the Torah.
Why is it like that? B/c now the unity is coming from us.
From our effort. No external light. No external revelation.

This seemingly unromantic transition is actually an elevation into a true, lasting connection.
And once we've permeated ourselves with the holiness of Torah & Mitzvot, we can move on to the laws of building G-d's Temple, His Sanctuary in this world (next week's Torah Portion), for now we are ready to permeate the world around us, in a lasting way, with G-d's Unity.

Shabbat Shalom,

Daniel