PARSHAS MISHPATIM
Can you figure out what each picture has to do with the parsha?
Rabbi Dani Staum
KEY to Parshas Mishpatim Pix
Man carrying sheep – If someone steals a sheep and slaughters it and sells the meat, he must pay four times the value of the sheep. This is contrasted with one who steals an ox and slaughters and sells its meat, who must pay five times the value of the ox. The sheep-napper pays less because he suffered shame of having to carrying the stolen sheep (Rashi adds a second reason why the ox-napper pays more because an ox performs more productive work) – 22:37
Don’t lie – The actual wording of the Torah is “From falsehood keep away” – 23:7
Pay double – If someone steals, he must pay double – 22:3, 22:6, 22:8
Negligence – If a watchman was negligent, he is liable – (this includes all four watchman – unpaid watchman, paid watchman, borrower, or renter). Rashi says the negligence this pasuk speaks of is that the watchman himself stole the object and lied about it under oath – 22:8
Ways to borrow money – It is a mitzvah to lend a fellow Jew money. Eve though the Torah uses the word “Im” which usually means “if (you will lend money)”, Chazal explain that it actually means “when (you will lend money)” – 22:24
Interest fee – When a Jew lends money to a fellow Jew, he may not charge interest – 22:24
Na’aseh v’nishma – contrary to popular opinion, these words are not recorded in parshas Yisro, but at the end of parshas Mishpatim, which returns to discuss Kabbolas HaTorah – 24:7
Two bowls – To seal the covenant at Sinai, half of the blood of the special korbanos brought were sprinkled on the Mizbeiach and the other half Moshe placed into the two bowls (the blood of half of the Olah in one and the blood of half the Shelmaim in the other). Moshe then sprinkled the blood from the bowls over the nation – 24:6
Hole/pit in road – The Torah says that if one digs a pit or opens a pre-existing pit in a public area, he is liable for any damages that happen because of the open pit – 21:33
Ox chasing someone – The Torah discusses responsibility of owner of an ox if it damages other people – 21:28
Set table – Rashi says that Hashem commanded Moshe to clearly explain all the halachos in parshas Mishpatim “as if they were a set table laden with food ready to be eaten” – 21:1
I don’t want to leave – A Jewish slave goes free in the Shemittah year. But if he doesn’t want to leave, his owner pierces his ear with an awl, and he remains until Yovel – 21:5
Who pays medical bills – If two people were fighting and one injured the other, among other things the damager must pay the medical bills of the victim – 21:19
Security guard sleeping on the job – The Torah discusses the laws of shomrim – watchman. There are different laws if the watchman is paid or unpaid – 22:6 – 22:12
