Parasha Thoughts
By Rabbi Shemuel Akhamzadeh
וְכִֽי־יַכֶּ֨ה ×Ö´Öœ×™×©× ×ֶת־עֵ֥ין עַבְדּ֛וֹ ×ֽוֹ־×ֶת־עֵ֥ין ×ֲמָת֖וֹ וְשִֽ×חֲתָ֑הּ לַֽחָפְשִ×Ö¥×™ יְשַ××œÖ°Ö¼×—Ö¶Ö–× Ö¼×•Ö¼ תַּ֥חַת ×¢Öµ×™× Ö½×•Ö¹×ƒ
When a man (master) strikes the eye of his slave, male or female, and destroys it, he shall let him go free on account of his eye.
Many question Hashem’s fairness and mercy when a child is born with a certain defect, or when a youngster gets sick or passes. Obviously, this is very hard for the relatives and everyone should pray for them. However, Ben Ish Chai in his drashot on the parasha gives an explanation to solve the riddle. He says we can see the answer from the words of this pasuk: וְכִֽי־יַכֶּ֨ה ×ִ֜יש – when a man strikes his slave. This phrase is hinting to when Hashem strikes a person by a blemish. לַֽחָפְשִ×Ö¥×™ יְשַ××œÖ°Ö¼×—Ö¶Ö–× Ö¼×•Ö¼ – It is for sending him free on the account of a certain spiritual blemish.
Ben Ish Chai continues to explain from the following verse: וְ×Ö´×־שֵ×֥ן עַבְדּ֛וֹ ×ֽוֹ־שֵ×֥ן ×ֲמָת֖וֹ יַפִּ֑יל – If he knocks out the tooth of his slave (he goes free). שֵ×֥ן is a shortened form of the Hebrew word Shana (year). If the master causes the years of his servant to be lost, it is to free him from his blemish. He explains that the Neshama actually begs Hashem for these defects since they will help fix the soul.
Shabbat Shalom