Parsha: "Mishpatim" (Judgements) Exodus 21-24

Subject: Parsha: "Mishpatim" (Judgements) Exodus 21-24 Sat Feb 14, 2015 7:55 pm

PARSHA: "MISHPATIM" (Judgments)

EXODUS 21:1- 24:18      JER 33:25-26; 34:8-22             MATT 5:38-42

We see in this Parsha that right after the giving of the Ten Commandments, YHVH gives more instructions to Moshe to relay to the people, these are many mitzvoth, judgments, which, when we read, we can say that many can be applied to this day and age, if indeed applied, I am sure there would be a lot less crime, and the moral state of the people would be higher, these are YHVH's standards, high standards indeed, and HE is making a HOLY nation out of the seed of Jacob. Because of the so many commandments, a midrash on each of them would equal about 20 or 30 pages of reading, so, what I want to do is concentrate on two of them, and we can take it one step beyond the "peshat" to the "derash"

Exodus 21:1-6: We see a slave that works for his master, but he can only be a slave for 7 years, after that, he must be set free, very different from the slavery that America had three hundred years ago, where black slaves were brought from Africa, mistreated, and many never saw freedom, yet the slavery that God spoke of was very different, the "slaves" were to be well treated, and given their freedom after 7 years, However, there was a catch, if the slave was given a wife by the master, the slave's wife became property of the master when the slave was set free, kids too, SO, what slave in his right mind would accept that, none probably, He would want to stay with his family, so, we read that the master would make a hole in the slave's ear and give him an earring, which was a sign of "eternal slavery" yet, "eternal" did not mean "for ever" (play on words?) "for ever meant 50 years. the year of jubilee! after 50 years, the slave and his family would be set free.

But let's look at this in spiritual light. Who is our LORD and Master? is it not YHVH? is it not Yeshua who gave his life for our redemption? He set us free from the curse of sin, and now, He is our new Master, do we want to be free from Him?
What would we do without him? Who gave us our mate? our wife? or husband? who gave Eve to Adam? and Adam to Eve? was it not Adonai Eloheinu? it was HE who saw it fit to give man his companion and to the woman her companion. So the two could share their lives together and raise a family together, apart from HIM we are nothing, SO, let us symbolically go to the door post of God, and allow HIM to put a ring in our ear, letting the world know that WE BELONG TO HIM FOR EVER! (50 years and beyond!!)

EXODUS 21:24-26    "Eye for an eye" "tooth for a tooth" "hand for hand" "foot for foot" Some many misunderstand these verses, but if we read all the way through, we will get the understanding. Some might think that in the past, if someone put out the eye of someone, his own eye had to be put out. If I knock out your tooth, then I have to stand still and allow you to knock out my tooth, well then, the whole world would end up blind and toothless. doesn't make much sense. I go into your house and smash your stereo because it is too loud and you don't want to turn down the volume, then you come up to my house and in revenge, smash my stereo, well, doesn't the bible say just that? Well, NO , it doesn't. It means "just compensation for such and such hurt or injury. an "eye injury" would equal a "payment of money" if a "hand was broken" so that the man can not work for one month, then, the person who broke the man's hand would have to pay the medical expenses to bind and allow the hand to heal, AND pay the man's salary until he was well enough to go back to work, that would be the meaning behind "an eye for an eye" a "hand for a hand" (hand compensation for an injured hand)

We just covered two basic judgments/commandments, there are a lot more, if we use our better judgment, and look at Exodus 21 - 24, we will see that many of these judgments could be used today, and indeed, make an impact on how society acts.
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Jeremiah 33:25-26

A very important statement Adonai is making, if the heavens changed their patterns, and everything got out of order, then, the LORD would forsake the seed of Jacob. SO this is a statement of irony, a way that YHVH is saying, "Since the universe will not change, nor will I let it change, therefore, Israel will always be mine and I will NEVER forsake Israel, What a promise! enough to encourage us to do our part for the nation of Israel, to support Israel with pray, with us "going over there to support the IDF if possible" if we seek the Blessings of YHVH, bless Israel first.
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MATTHEW 5:38-42

Yeshua is here "fulfilling" the commandments, explaining them in a deeper way, the deeper meaning, and when we read them, it is a tough thing to do, because it goes against our human nature, to simply "give to who ever asks" you want my car? here, take it! what?? are you serious LORD? Love my enemy? do not do harm to my enemy? what if he is shooting at me with an AK-47 Kalazhnikov? Am I going to let him shoot me first? Well, probably not in a war situation, but, if someone next door doesn't like you, you might consider him like an enemy, Yeshua says to do our best to win that person over, so that he stops being our enemy, and becomes a friend, and even, joins the family of God, through our witness, Yes, THAT makes sense. Yeshua has HIGH STANDARDS! can we ever meet them?   (open question)

Shabbat shalom........1:30 class continues with "The shofar"  in "Living emblems

rabbi J. Ben Avraham