This week's parashah, Mishpatim, is about law on a much more human scale. It's the difference between the Declaration of Independence and the articles and amendments of the Constitution - a vision statement versus a roadmap.
A discussion a few weeks ago with my son about watches made me wonder about the value of time and punctuality and their importance. I stumbled upon this issue again when reading the religious stipulations listed in this week's parashah.
This week’s parashah, Mishpatim, takes place against the backdrop of one of those “in-between” spaces. It sets forth laws given at Mt. Sinai as the Israelites journey through the wilderness from slavery in Egypt to an unknown future in their own land.
“When you acquire an eved Ivri, Israelite debt servant, that person shall serve six years – and shall go free in the seventh year, without payment” (Exodus 21:2).
Torah Commentary
Extending Ourselves for Our Communities
“Don’t Delay”
Beyond Welcoming The Stranger
The Enslavement of Debt, Then and Now