18.02.2012                      25.Schwat. 5772                      Mischpatim Paraschat Schkalim

Judentum:

Parashat Mishpatim: Compassionate righteousness

You must help repeatedly with him (Exodus 23:5).

‘And these are the mishpatim [laws of moral justice] which you [Moses] shall set before Israel.’ These opening words of our portion join together our civil law with the Ten Commandments of last week’s portion of Yitro, creating one unit of Divine demands for moral justice emanating from Sinai (Rashi ad loc).
Additionally, it is the concept of “mishpatim” that directly links Moses to our first patriarch, Abraham.
You will remember that God “chose [and loved] Abraham because he commands… his household after Him to keep the way of the Lord, doing righteousness and justice” (Genesis 18:19)….