Mishpatim

 

Description:

Exodus 21:1-24:18


21:
n: No realm of religion. All areas of life (para 1)
A judge (para 2)
Civil law as an extension of the 6th commandment (covet)

n: Avoiding damage to others

n1: The laws must be placed before them in their fullness!
(understand and apply: Not true
opposite: don't understand, just apply - that is what we are taught as the truth)

2 problems:

  1. spread: In a lawless land any law is better than none. Even if roughly hewn, it would be of benefit. Any now?
  2. Heavily based on witness testimony - which only works in a Community of Truth.
    • The virtualisation of the world removes human witnesses. We believe that the evidence from a picture or video is more accurate than witness testimony - but the same standard of truth is required. What if the video/photo is faked.

n28-32: reduce to market value for final restitution.

n25:
נזק - loss of value
צער - pain
רפוי - medical cost
שֶׁבֶת - loss of income
בושׁת - humiliation (Deut. 25:11)

ואלה המשׁפתים אשׁר תשׂים לפניהם - to whom is He speaking?

21-23: Laws
23:6]
Pervert judgement, false word, execute the innocent
Bribe, oppress stranger
6 years, then rest; 6 days, then rest.
No names of other G-ds.

23:15] 3 festivals: appear before א

  • Matzos: 7 days, month of Springtime
  • Harvest : first fruits of your labour
  • Ingathering : close year, gather in your work from the fields

23:21] Angel to protect you. Being that I have made ready.

24:
To Moses: Aaron, Nadab, Abihu + 70 elders ascended to G-d : עלה אל־יהוה
Moses -> G-d, elders not, not do people ascend to G-d

Moses spoke to poeple: כל הדטרים אשׁר דבר יהוה נעשׂה

  • wrote words of Hashem
  • read "Book of Covenant"

This is where we say: נעשׁה ונשׁמע
הנה דם הדברים אשׁר כרת יהוה עמכם אלוהי

{4 + elders saw God(s) of Israel
Sapphire brick work : כעצם השׁמיים לטהר ־ כמעשׁה לבנת הספיר}
did not stretch His hand against the elders : לא שׁלח ידו
gazed at G-d "cannot look at My face", yet ate and drank (assumedly in His company) : אצילי בני ישׂראל