Mishpatim
Exodus 21:1 - 24:18
Précis: Having received the Ten Commandments (in the previous parasha), Moses now reveals ordinances (mishpatim) needed to provide details for a more comprehensive system of laws. The first group of commandments (mitzvot) relate to the rights of servants (slaves), followed by rules about murder, crimes against parents, personal injury law, offenses against property, and bailment. A list of moral offenses follows, including seduction, witchcraft, sexual perversion, polytheism, and oppression of the “widow, the orphan, and the stranger among you.” The parasha includes the command to observe a sabbatical year, the Shabbat, and then lists the requirements for the observance of the pilgrimage festivals (Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot). The command not to boil a kid in its mothers’ milk (a key proof text for the laws of kashrut) is mentioned, and at the conclusion of the parasha, we find a ceremony where the People, represented by Moses and 70 elders, have an encounter with the Divine Presence and accept the laws and the Covenant.
Exodus 21:1 - “And these are the rules you shall set before them…”
This parasha is one of the longest in the Torah, containing more than 50 different commandments (mitzvot). The range of the subject matter of these commandments is extraordinary, from laws relating to murder and kidnapping to rules of personal and property damages. The parasha even includes laws to ease the suffering of animals.
I’m reminded of an old (very old) humorous example of midrash (some might call it a joke). Moses is standing on a pile of rubble, holding the Tablets aloft and declaring, “These are the Commandments.” A member of the people below asks, “Moses, what is that pile of rocks you’re standing on?” “Oh,” says Moses, “those are the regulations.” (Please insert your groan here.)
Appearing in the parasha immediately following the presentation of the Ten Commandments, it is almost as if the two parshiot exist in separate worlds. But the juxtaposition teaches an important lesson: the sublime cannot exist without the mundane, and vice versa. Our tradition teaches us that in order to connect with special moments of spirituality and with God, we must first successfully maneuver through the ordinary experiences of daily living. Thus, Rashi explains that the very first letter of this parasha (a “vav” which can be translated as “and” or “now”) here means “and” to demonstrate that there is an interconnectedness between all of the mitzvot, between the Ten Commandments and the detailed mitzvot found in this parasha.
When we view the totality of “Jewish Law” in this perspective, we may conclude that Revelation and Covenant at Sinai are ongoing. Each generation is responsible to see to the needs of the “widow, orphan, and the stranger.” We cannot hope to achieve a connection with God until we have demonstrated the ability to treat each other well and to participate in transferring the knowledge of those who came before us to those who will follow.
