Category
parashat mishpatim
Torah portion: Becoming humans
Parashat Mishpatim (Exodus 21:1-24:18)\n
Torah portion: Learning Torah through the kid with special needs
The chiddush, that elusive new piece of wisdom that brings insight to my week, often comes from my students.
Sustainable Judaism – Parashat Mishpatim (Exodus 21:1-24:18)
We are told that Pharaoh was punished harshly for enslaving the Israelites. But why does the Torah sanction slavery? And how am I supposed to respect the weaker strata of society — such as the converts, the sojourners, the widows and orphans — if I allow myself to enslave another human being and treat him as my property?
Law and Order
In his magnum opus on the history and development of Jewish civil law, \”Ha-Mishpat Ha-Ivri\” (\”Jewish Law\”), Israeli Supreme Court Justice Menachem Elon remarks that basing a viable modern legal system on Jewish Law is no easy task — \”it calls for great intellectual effort, creativity and boldness.\”
While the questions associated with incorporating Jewish civil law into Israel\’s legal system are complex and beyond the scope of this column, I do wish to pose one modest question: Is it possible, in select instances, for the principles and spirit of Mishpat Ivri to serve as a quasi-legal and moral guide on certain matters of Israeli policy?