By Rabbi Yosef Shemtov:
​​Seize the moment:
This week’s portion starts with the laws regarding Hebrew slaves and maidservants. The parasha discusses how a person becomes a slave, one’s responsibilities to slaves and the required treatment of them.
It is very strange that the Torah starts with this law right after Benei Israel accepted the Torah at Mount Sinai and the 10 commandments were given to them. Why not start with any other mitzva?
Perhaps we can explain that since Jews had just left Egypt after being slaves for so many years, now it is best time to give them laws regarding slaves because they are fresh and they could appreciate how vulnerable slaves are. They still remembered how they felt and how they were treated so they would remember to be extra nice to slaves and treat them like a brother .
The Torah is teaching us to seize the moment. When you have experienced something, make sure to apply it to others.
There is a story told of a certain Rosh Yeshiva who went to a rich person’s house to collect money for poor people during a very cold winter. He refused to go inside and this rich person had to come outside to greet the Rabbi and give him the check in bitter cold weather.
After the check was given to him he agreed to come in for a cup of tea.
The rabbi explained to him that he wanted the rich man to feel the cold and experience the feeling of the poor people who don’t have money or the means to keep themselves warm.