Parshat Mishpatim

By Orly K. ‘18

In this week’s parsha, following the receiving of the Ten Commandments, Hashem teaches the Jews about mishpatim, laws about how one Jew must deal with another Jew. They were taught these laws while camping in the city of Mara, and were taught additional mishpatim at the bottom of mount Sinai after receiving the Torah.

One law discusses the slave who volunteers to remain in his master’s service. If after six years of service a slave wants to continue working for his master, he is taken to the Beit Din, House of Judgment. If he reinforces his refusal to leave his master in front of the judges, his master brings him to the door of his house, or someone else's house. Then his master bores a hole through his right ear, a sign that he remains enslaved until the next Yovel year. (Every 50th year is a Yovel year.) Then he is free.

Another law discusses the punishment for murder by accident. If someone killed somebody else by mistake, having no previous intentions of causing him harm, he must go to an Ir Miklat. These are special cities of refuge, set aside for people with these circumstances. In the city they will be safe and will not need to be worried about anyone coming after them.

This law discusses the mitzvah for the Beit Din to kill anyone practicing witchcraft. The Beit Din is commanded to execute a person who practices witchcraft in Israel. Although the Torah says a warning in regard to women who engage in sorcery, both men and women were to be executed. The reason the Torah singled out the women is because witchcraft was more commonly practiced by women.

One last law talks about the prohibition against mixing milk and meat together. Hashem commanded Klal Israel, “You should not cook a kid in its mother’s milk.” These words are found in three different places in the Torah, indicating three different prohibitions to the matter:1.It is forbidden to eat a cooked mixture of meat and milk.2.One may not gain any benefit from such a mixture.3.The two may not be cooked together.