Last week we were reminded that our ancestors received the Torah at Mt. Sinai. As they stood near the foot of the mountain amid the cacophony of thunder, lightning and flames, the people encountered G-d and heard the Ten Commandments.
It was certainly an attention grabbing moment; as the people stood in awe, they heard the broad stroke rules for living. This week it is time for the details. Fifty-three mitzvot are found in Parshat Mishpatim. Mishpatim means ordinances or civil laws and, as the title of this portion indicates, the majority of the rules in this portion address the ways we should behave to live as a civilized community.
A community needs an agreed upon specific set of rules to function day to day. Success is in the details, not just the broad strokes. Just as children thrive when the adults around them set limits, grown-ups also need continued guidance and boundaries. At the same time, whatever our age we need space within the boundaries to explore, joyfully celebrate, and develop a uniqueness of character. Our tradition encourages all of this – dialogue, questioning, choices, joy and celebration.
Mishpatim provides us with many boundaries. Honor your parents; don’t smite or curse them or you will be put to death. If you leave a pit open and unfenced you will need to make restitution if someone is hurt. A thief “caught red-handed” with stolen items is treated more severely than someone attempting a robbery who is caught before something is actually stolen. If a fire on one person’s land damages another person’s property there is a need to make restitution for the damages. If you find your neighbor’s property, you should return it. These rules made sense then and continue to do so now, though governments have, over time, changed the severity of the consequences.
While this parsha lacks the awe-filled moments that began the Sinai experience or the majesty that came with the consecration of Aaron and his sons as the priests, it is filled with practical information. The guidance provided allows the individuals within a community to move forward as they learn to live together and take each other’s needs into account.
Success in life is in the details, especially if you live with others. Our ancestors were beginning a new type of community, one that provided enough guidance to allow the responsibility of freedom to begin to take hold. They needed specifics on how to make this happen.
May we continue to choose to live in ways that respect the integrity and needs of others, and may we continue to say na’aseh v’nishma – we will do and we will (continue to) listen and learn. For if we do, the world will be all the better for our being in it.
Prior to her position with the Grinspoon Foundation, Iris served as a synagogue educator in Syracuse NY, the Central New York PJ Library Program Coordinator and as a national consultant for PJ Library.
Iris holds a bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood, Elementary, and Special Education, a master’s degree in Special Education and Reading, and Advanced Certification in School Leadership and Administration. Her experience as a secular educator and educational leader in congregational and community settings spans over 20 years. She is also a lay leader in Jewish organizations on the local and national levels. Iris served as the President of CAJE – the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education, which was the largest member organization for Jewish educators in the country.
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