Chaburat Taryag: Parshas Mishpatim

Hello, dear children! It's Saba Kadisha. Oy, oy, oy! Last week we stood by Har Sinai and said: Na'aseh v'nishma! And this week, Moshe teaches us many more good mitzvos. Sunday after school, the four friends came like every week to Saba Kadisha's room. This week we read Parshas Mishpatim, and it has three things every kid needs to know. Three? Star-counter ready. A star for each one. Easy! Number one: after Matan Torah, Moshe taught Bnei Yisrael many mitzvos between a person and his friend. For example, if we see an ox or a donkey that got lost, we return it to its owner. One man found a little lamb by the tents. He asked and searched until he found the owner. And what joy there was when the lamb came home! And the Torah says: Midvar sheker tirchak. In the store, we weigh with an honest scale, and we don't take even one prutah that isn't yours. Children, what isn't ours, we return. Even a small thing we found in the park or in class. That's the mitzvah of hashavas aveidah. So what we found, we return. One star! Number two: what do we do when we see a donkey that fell under a heavy load? We help it. That's what Hashem commanded in the Torah. And the Torah says something special: even if the donkey belongs to someone you're angry at, we help and lift the load together. And after helping together, the anger disappears, and we become friends. And the Torah also said to be especially kind to the orphan and the widow, and to the ger, who has no family here. And when we lend money to a poor person, we don't pressure him. Children, helping someone we love is easy, but helping even someone we're angry at is the most, most beautiful. So we help even someone who isn't our friend. Two stars! And number three: whoever digs a pit must cover it, so nobody falls and gets hurt. Everyone is responsible to make sure no damage happens to others. Children, we need to think about everyone's safety. Don't leave things on the path or on the stairs, where someone could trip on them. And the Torah also said to keep Shabbos, and three times a year to celebrate the Regalim: Pesach, Shavuos and Sukkos. What joy! And when Moshe finished teaching all the mitzvos, everyone answered together again: Na'aseh v'nishma! Children, in all these mitzvos there's one secret: think about the other person too. So we think about others and we're careful. Three stars! The counter is full! And just then, Yisrael came in, and with him Dubi, his little brother. And Dubi was holding a red ball and said: I found it in the park. Now it's mine! So here's this week's mission: One: return lost things. Two: help even someone we're angry at. And three: be careful not to hurt anyone. My gadget says: what you found, you need to return. Dubi, come, let's find out whose ball it is. We'll ask all the kids in the park. And the friends asked all over the park: Whose ball is this? And in the end, they saw little Yanky looking for something under the bench. Just like in the parsha! We return a lost thing. My gadget says: seeing a happy kid is the best. And Dubi gave Yanky the ball, and Yanky smiled a big smile and said: Thank you! And the first star lit up. The next day, Gadi was a little angry at Binyamin from his class. And suddenly, he saw Binyamin carrying a pile of books, and they all fell on the floor. He's not my friend... but I'll help him, like in the parsha. And Gadi helped Binyamin pick up all the books. And Binyamin said: Thanks, Gadi! And since then, they're good friends. And the second star lit up. On Tuesday, in Saba Kadisha's yard, Rubi saw a small hole in the grass, next to the swings, and Yishai tripped on it. Let's cover it, like in the parsha! And the friends brought soil and filled the hole all the way. And now all the kids played by the swings without fear. And the third star lit up. My gadget says: thinking about others is the smartest. And at the end, the friends and Saba Kadisha sang a happy niggun together. Friends, this week we returned a lost thing, we helped even someone who isn't our friend, and we thought about others. Three stars! The mission is complete! On Shabbos night, at the table, the friends told everyone about all the beautiful mitzvos of Parshas Mishpatim. Dear children, this week you returned a lost thing, you helped even someone you were angry at, like with the donkey, and you thought about the safety of others. And next week, we reach Parshas Terumah. And what will we all build together? We'll see next week! And now, thank you for watching with us, and Shabbat shalom! And next week, Moshe asks Bnei Yisrael to bring a terumah to build the Mishkan. And what will everyone bring? We'll find out next week!