It felt like a sign
It felt like a sign.
Sometimes you need a reminder. Parashat mishpatim, or laws, sets out some specific detail after the giving of the 10 commandments in the previous Parashat, Yitro. 63 more, to be exact. The Torah portion is split into three sections: interpersonal laws, civil law, reminder about Shabbat, and the first iteration of the three festivals – Shalosh regalim, and finally – the thing which sets the encounter at Sinai apart from anytime before in our Torah; b’rit or covenant.
When these mitzvot are presented on behalf of God to the Israelite people – a people who knew only only of slavery and oppression lacked a working structure of rules in which to base their free selves in community….
We find at the core of many of these 63 rules is chesed – compassion – for others. It comprises what some scholars call the “covenant code.”
For example:
Stranger in strange land – Widow and orphan
וְגֵ֥ר לֹא־תוֹנֶ֖ה וְלֹ֣א תִלְחָצֶ֑נּוּ כִּֽי־גֵרִ֥ים הֱיִיתֶ֖ם בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
You shall not wrong or oppress a stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
כׇּל־אַלְמָנָ֥ה וְיָת֖וֹם לֹ֥א תְעַנּֽוּן׃
You [communal leaders] shall not ill-treat any widow or orphan.
אִם־עַנֵּ֥ה תְעַנֶּ֖ה אֹת֑וֹ כִּ֣י אִם־צָעֹ֤ק יִצְעַק֙ אֵלַ֔י שָׁמֹ֥עַ אֶשְׁמַ֖ע צַעֲקָתֽוֹ׃
If you do mistreat them, I will heed their outcry as soon as they cry out to Me,
וְחָרָ֣ה אַפִּ֔י וְהָרַגְתִּ֥י אֶתְכֶ֖ם בֶּחָ֑רֶב וְהָי֤וּ נְשֵׁיכֶם֙ אַלְמָנ֔וֹת וּבְנֵיכֶ֖ם יְתֹמִֽים
And again
וְגֵ֖ר לֹ֣א תִלְחָ֑ץ וְאַתֶּ֗ם יְדַעְתֶּם֙ אֶת־נֶ֣פֶשׁ הַגֵּ֔ר כִּֽי־גֵרִ֥ים הֱיִיתֶ֖ם בְּאֶ֥רֶץ
מִצְרָֽיִם׃
You shall not oppress a stranger, for you know the feelings of the stranger, having yourselves been strangers in the land of Egypt.
Loans to the poor
אִם־כֶּ֣סֶף ׀ תַּלְוֶ֣ה אֶת־עַמִּ֗י אֶת־הֶֽעָנִי֙ עִמָּ֔ךְ לֹא־תִהְיֶ֥ה ל֖וֹ כְּנֹשֶׁ֑ה לֹֽא־תְשִׂימ֥וּן עָלָ֖יו נֶֽשֶׁךְ׃
If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, do not act toward them as a creditor; exact no interest from them.
Helping the animal-
Especially one that belongs to an enemy
כִּ֣י תִפְגַּ֞ע שׁ֧וֹר אֹֽיִבְךָ֛ א֥וֹ חֲמֹר֖וֹ תֹּעֶ֑ה הָשֵׁ֥ב תְּשִׁיבֶ֖נּוּ לֽוֹ׃ {ס}
When you encounter your enemy’s ox or ass wandering, you must take it back.
כִּֽי־תִרְאֶ֞ה חֲמ֣וֹר שֹׂנַאֲךָ֗ רֹבֵץ֙ תַּ֣חַת מַשָּׂא֔וֹ וְחָדַלְתָּ֖ מֵעֲזֹ֣ב ל֑וֹ עָזֹ֥ב תַּעֲזֹ֖ב עִמּֽוֹ׃ {ס}
When you see the ass of your enemy lying under its burden and would refrain from raising it, you must nevertheless help raise it.
After hearing the law how do the Israelites respond?
וַיִּקַּח֙ סֵ֣פֶר הַבְּרִ֔ית וַיִּקְרָ֖א בְּאׇזְנֵ֣י הָעָ֑ם וַיֹּ֣אמְר֔וּ כֹּ֛ל אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר יְהֹוָ֖ה נַעֲשֶׂ֥ה וְנִשְׁמָֽע׃
Then he took the record of the covenant and read it aloud to the people. And they said, “All that יהוה has spoken we will faithfully do!”**
Na-aseh v’nishma can be translated as “we will do and we will hear” or perhaps a little more creatively “we will do and we will understand”.
We will do and we will hear.
Isn’t that curious. Shouldn’t it be the other way around?
The image of Sinai, or the earlier image of a rainbow way back in Parashat Noach , becomes cloud- and eventually the clouds follow the mishkan, the burning bush, and perhaps lights in the heavens are our reminders of the renewal of covenant each and every day.
I like to remind myself that I am connected to all Jews through covenant in kindness. The b’rit which reflects the necessary partnership of God and man. Certainly many of the mishpatim provide a new understanding of God and morality that differs with other ancient near east cultures.
We will do and we will understand.
May we all be open to the many reminders of our special relationship with God – in both the collective sense as the Jewish people and the very personal and precious way God’s presence is revealed to each of us.
That presence may even be revealed in our own backyard.
**translations of Parashat Mishpatim from www.sefaria.com