Exodus 21:1-24:18
A wide range of civil, social, and ethical laws is given, translating divine revelation into daily life. The people formally accept the covenant, committing themselves to live by God’s word. Mishpatim insists that holiness must be expressed in justice, responsibility, and care for the vulnerable.
In Parashat Mishpatim and Passover
The Torah remembers Egyptian slavery not as a wound to be mourned, but as a moral summons. Why does Jewish memory refuse to linger on victimhood—and instead demand responsibility toward the stranger?
By Yael Shahar
This week’s parashah takes place in the midst of the dramatic ceremony of the Covenant at Sinai. The Israelites have accepted the terms and conditions and now stand poised to sign on the dotted line. Now comes the small print: the actual terms and conditions they are to keep. But there’s something very odd about the way the names of God come up in presenting these laws.... The names of God hint at the nature of law, causality, and justice.
A Dangerous Mixture
In Education, Halacha, Jewish Thought and Philosophy and Parashat Mishpatim
One of the most puzzling laws in Judaism is the prohibition of mixing milk and meat. Strangely enough, this mysterious law has had the greatest influence on the daily life of Jews for thousands of years, right up to this very day.