Words of Wisdom

Feiglin on Victory

Words of wisdom from Rabbi Yaakov Edelstein for times like this

נבואה האחרונה! אנחנו בעיצומו של תהליך הגאולה

“Ayin tachas ayin (an eye instead of an eye)” 21:24.

The Gemara in Bava Kama (83b) emphasizes that it is not an eye that Reuven has to pay for knocking out Shimon’s eye, but its monetary value. According to the G’ro, this is inherent in the Torah’s words “Ayin tachas ayin”, rather than “Ayin be’ad ayin”.

In fact, the word “tachas” itself serves as a subtle hint to the halachah, he explains. How is that? Because if we translate it literally as ‘below’, then the Torah is telling us to take the letters below (i.e. that follow) the ‘Ayin’, the ‘Yud’ and the ‘Nun’ (that spell “Ayin”), and to pay the result to the stricken man. Now the letters below ‘Ayin’, ‘Yud’ and ‘Nun’ in the ‘Alef Beis’ are ‘Pey’, ‘Kaf’ and ‘Samech’ – which spell ‘Kesef’.

https://www.shortvort.com/give-him-your-money-not-your-eye-mishpatim/