Loving the Stranger There are commands that leap off the page by their sheer moral power. So it is in the case of the social legislation in Mishpatim. Amid the complex laws relating to the treatment of slaves, personal injury and property, one command in particular stands out, by virtue of its repetition (it appears twice […]
The Power of Empathy William Ury, founder of the Harvard Program of Negotiation, tells a marvelous story in one of his books.[1] A young American, living in Japan to study aikido, was sitting one afternoon in a train in the suburbs of Tokyo. The carriage was half empty. There were some mothers with children, and elderly […]
God’s Nudge First in Yitro there were the Aseret Hadibrot, the “ten utterances” or general principles. Now in Mishpatim come the details. Here is how they begin: If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything… But if […]
Doing and Hearing One of the most famous phrases in the Torah makes its appearance in this week’s parsha. It has often been used to characterize Jewish faith as a whole. It consists of two words, na’aseh venishma, literally, “we will do and we will hear.” (Ex. 24:7) What does this mean and why does it […]
Healing the Heart of Darkness Jobbik, otherwise known as the Movement for a Better Hungary, is an ultra-nationalist Hungarian political party that has been described as fascist, neo-Nazi, racist, and antisemitic. It has accused Jews of being part of a “cabal of western economic interests” attempting to control the world, the libel otherwise known as […]
Vision and Details Our parsha takes us through a bewildering transition. Until now in Shemot we have been carried along by the sweep and drama of the narrative, the Israelites’ enslavement, their hope for freedom, the plagues, Pharaoh’s obstinacy, their escape into the desert, the crossing of the Red Sea, the journey to Mount Sinai […]
In the Details On the opening phrase of Mishpatim – “And these are the laws you are to set before them” – Rashi comments, “And these are the laws” – Wherever uses the word “these” it signals a discontinuity with what has been stated previously. Wherever it uses the term “and these” it signals a […]
The Slow End of Slavery In parshat Mishpatim we witness one of the great stylistic features of the Torah, its transition from narrative to law. Until now the book of Exodus has been primarily narrative, the story of the enslavement of the Israelites and their journey to freedom. Now comes detailed legislation, the “constitution of […]
God’s Nudge First in Yitro there were the aseret hadibrot, the “ten utterances” or general principles. Now in Mishpatim come the details. Here is how they begin: If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything… But if […]
The Meaning of Texts Behind Jewish belief in Torah she-be-al Peh, the “Oral Law,” lies a fundamental truth. The meaning of a text is not given by the text itself. Between a text and its meaning lies the act of interpretation – and this depends on who is interpreting, in what context, and with what beliefs. […]
