In last week’s Torah portion the Children of Israel received the Ten Commandments, in this week’s portion Mishpatim many more laws are revealed to the Children of Israel by Moses. The laws are very diverse they include laws about slaves, offenses that are punishable by death, laws concerning an ox, rules and penalties for theft and lending, laws concerning the Sabbatical year and other religious laws. In addition , the principle of just restitution for damages is stated (lex taliones),” an eye for an eye.”
The word mishpatim means judgments. Rabbinic interpretation distinguished between mishpatim and chukim. Mishpatim were those laws in the Torah which could be arrived at by human reason. Chukim were the laws beyond the grasp of human understanding and so had to be obeyed solely because God had demanded. The Israelites were to obey these laws because of their faith in God.
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