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Drash
for Shabbat Mishpatim The Torah reading this week is Mishpatim, the parasha that deals with the rules man should use in relationships with his fellow man. Mishpatim contains civil and criminal laws, as well as laws on moral, religious and ethical conduct. In one part of this Torah portion, concern is expressed widows and orphans. They are mentioned because they lack social or family protection. The obligation of treating these people humanely is repeated frequently in Mishpatim. Since tonight is also the Hadassah Shabbat, it is an easy segue from this obligation toward widows and orphans to the projects of Hadassah. Indeed, one of these five projects is Youth Aliyah, which started in the 1930’s to save children from Hitler’s Europe. Henrietta Szold, the founder of Hadassah, personally met each Youth Aliyah ship of orphaned children who made the perilous journey to Palestine and safety. Today Youth Aliyah aids in the resettlement of immigrants to Israel and in re-directing the lives of children at risk. Hadassah’s motto from Jeremiah, "The Healing of the Daughter of my People," exemplifies the compassion and devotion shown in the Hadassah Medical Center. No one is turned away from the two Jerusalem hospitals. Christian, Moslem, and Jew alike are treated with state of the art medical knowledge. Indeed two years ago, Hadassah was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize, by no less than 4 countries, for its compassionate works. A third project of Hadassah is the Jewish National Fund, where concern for the gift of the land of our people is shown by the planting of trees and building of dams. Young Judaea shows Hadassah’s love for youth in America. The fifth project of Hadassah, Hadassah College Jerusalem, gives a top notch education to those who study within its walls. And with the scholarships given to students there, it is not a far leap to realize that widows, orphans, and many others benefit from this way to help oneself through education. So the fair and compassionate treatment of one’s fellow man, as written in Mishpatim, is inherent in all of Hadassah’s works. Shabbat Shalom.
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