Debtors to God
Exodus Rabbah, Parashat Mishpatim 16
讗诐 讞讘诇 转讞讘诇. 讗诪专 讛拽讚讜砖 讘专讜讱 讛讜讗, 讻诪讛 讗转 讞讬讬讘 诇讬, 讗转讛 讞讜讟讗 诇驻谞讬 讜讗谞讬 诪诪转讬谉 诇讱, 讜谞驻砖讱 注讜诇讛 讗爪诇讬 讘讻诇 讬讜诐 讜讘讻诇 讗诪砖 讜讗诪砖 讜谞讜转谞转 讚讬谉 讜讞砖讘讜谉 讜讛讬讗 诪转讞讬讬讘讛, 讗谞讬 诪讞讝讬专 诇讱 讗转 谞驻砖讱 砖讗转讛 讞讬讬讘 诇讬. 讗祝 讗转讛 讗祝 注诇 驻讬 砖讛讜讗 讞讬讬讘 诇讱, 讗诐 讞讘诇 转讞讘诇, 注讚 讘讗 讛砖诪砖 转砖讬讘谞讜 诇讜
“If you take your neighbor’s garment in pledge, you must return it to him before the sun sets” (Exodus 22:25). The Holy One Blessed be He said, “How much are you indebted to Me? You sin before Me and I wait for you, your soul comes up to Me every day and every evening and judgment is passed on it and it is due to Me. Yet, I return your soul to you even though you are indebted to Me. And so you, even though they are indebted to you, ‘if you take your neighbor’s garment in pledge, you must return it to him before the sun sets.'”
This week’s midrash provides a striking metaphor for the nature of our existence in the world. Like the destitute person who has given his only garment as collateral on a loan, we are often destitute in our moral stature. We make mistakes, error, and sin. According to the midrash, every evening God takes our souls as we sleep as collateral for the spiritual debts we owe. And every morning, in spite of our failings, our souls are returned to us.
The message of this midrash is simultaneously terrifying and inspiring: we live in a constant state of debt to God, almost always in the red and rarely in the black. Yet, at the same time, God understands this and stands ready to grant forgiveness for our errors and debts at every moment. Every evening, when our soul rises up to God, we are judged; meaning, every day we have the opportunity to do better, to improve, to slowly pay off our spiritual debts. And when we fall behind in those payments, by returning the collateral on our debt鈥攂y returning our soul鈥擥od is reaffirming God’s faith in us: we can do better and we can change.
