"Mishpatim — Part I — From Sinai to Society"

1.1 — From Revelation to Civilization

The Bridge Between Thunder and Daily Life

Parshas Mishpatim begins with the words:

וְאֵלֶּה הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים אֲשֶׁר תָּשִׂים לִפְנֵיהֶם
“These are the ordinances that you shall place before them.” (Shemos 21:1)

At first glance, the transition is abrupt. The Torah has just concluded the thunder, fire, and awe of Har Sinai—the Aseres HaDibros, the most transcendent moment in human history. And suddenly, without warning, the Torah turns to laws of servants, damages, theft, and property.

Why this shift? Why move from revelation to regulation?

The classical mefarshim explain that this is not a descent from holiness into mundanity. It is the very purpose of revelation.

According to Rashi, the opening word וְאֵלֶּה teaches continuity. Just as the Aseres HaDibros were given at Sinai, so too the civil laws were given at Sinai. They are not secondary. They are part of the same revelation.

Sinai was not meant to remain on the mountain. It was meant to descend into the marketplace, the courtroom, and the home.

The Dibros as Principles, the Mishpatim as Structure

The Aseres HaDibros establish moral and theological principles:

• Do not murder
• Do not steal
• Do not covet
• Honor parents
• Recognize Hashem

But principles alone cannot sustain a society. Ideals must be translated into systems.

Ramban explains that Mishpatim is the direct continuation of the Dibros. The civil laws concretize the moral commands of Sinai. Without a legal structure, the command לֹא תַחְמֹד—“Do not covet”—would remain an abstract ideal. The Torah therefore defines property, responsibility, damages, and compensation.

In Ramban’s striking formulation, “all of Torah depends on justice.” The covenant cannot exist in the air. It must take root in law.

Thus:

• The prohibition of murder becomes a system of courts and penalties.
• The prohibition of theft becomes restitution laws.
• The command to honor parents becomes concrete legal obligations.
• The ban on coveting becomes structured property law.

The Dibros provide the moral architecture. Mishpatim provides the social engineering.

The Purpose of Torah According to the Rambam

The Rambam provides a philosophical framework for this transition.

In the Moreh Nevuchim, he teaches that the Torah aims at two perfections:

1. Perfection of the soul — knowledge of Hashem.
2. Perfection of society — a just and orderly social structure.

Without social order, spiritual growth is impossible. Chaos and injustice prevent the human mind from reaching higher truths.

Parshas Mishpatim therefore represents the second great goal of Torah. It builds the conditions under which the first goal—knowledge of Hashem—can flourish.

A society governed by justice:

• Reduces violence
• Protects dignity
• Creates stability
• Enables contemplation

Revelation is not fulfilled by mystical experiences alone. It is fulfilled when society reflects Divine justice.

The Courtroom Beside the Altar

Rashi highlights a remarkable structural teaching: the Sanhedrin must be situated near the Mizbeach. The court stands beside the altar.

This is not an architectural detail. It is a theological statement.

The Torah refuses to divide the world into:

• Sacred spaces (Temple, ritual, prayer)
• Secular spaces (courts, commerce, civil law)

Instead, justice itself becomes a form of Divine service.

When a judge rules truthfully, the Ramban explains, the Shechinah stands beside him. Human judgment becomes an expression of Divine judgment.

The marketplace becomes holy.
The courtroom becomes a sanctuary.
Society becomes the extension of Sinai.

Why the Torah Begins with a Servant

The first law of Mishpatim concerns the Hebrew servant:

כִּי תִקְנֶה עֶבֶד עִבְרִי
“When you acquire a Hebrew servant…” (Shemos 21:2)

Why begin civil law with servitude?

Ramban explains that this law recalls the memory of Egypt. Every servant must be released in the seventh year, reminding the nation of its own redemption.

The legal system begins not with property, contracts, or damages—but with human dignity.

The message is clear:

A covenantal society begins with the memory of oppression.
Justice begins with empathy.
Law begins with freedom.

Even when the Torah recognizes economic servitude, it builds it around:

• Limited duration
• Family protection
• Moral symbolism

The servant’s ear is pierced if he refuses freedom—because that ear heard at Sinai:
“כִּי לִי בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲבָדִים”
“For the children of Israel are servants to Me.”

The Torah’s legal system begins with a theological truth: no human being is meant to be owned forever by another.

Law as the Translation of Revelation

The structure of the parsha teaches a profound idea.

Revelation is not the climax of the Torah. It is the beginning of responsibility.

At Sinai, Israel hears the voice of Hashem.
In Mishpatim, Israel builds a society that reflects that voice.

The thunder of Sinai must become:

• Honest weights in the marketplace
• Fair wages for workers
• Responsibility for damages
• Protection for the vulnerable
• Courts that pursue truth

Holiness is not sustained by moments of inspiration alone. It is sustained by systems of justice.

Sinai was the revelation of values.
Mishpatim is the architecture of those values.

The Quiet Holiness of Structure

There is a spiritual danger in dramatic moments. They can create the illusion that holiness lives only in the extraordinary.

But the Torah insists otherwise.

Holiness lives in:

• Returning a garment to the poor at night
• Paying medical expenses for someone you injured
• Helping your enemy’s animal
• Lending money without interest
• Judging fairly in court

These are not lesser mitzvos. They are the living form of Sinai.

The covenant is not preserved by memory alone. It is preserved by institutions.

Application for Today — Building Societies of Values

Modern culture often separates ideals from systems.

We celebrate:

• Freedom
• Equality
• Dignity
• Justice

But we often fail to build structures that sustain them.

The Torah teaches the opposite lesson. Ideals without institutions cannot endure.

A covenantal society requires:

• Courts that pursue truth
• Economic systems that protect the vulnerable
• Leadership that accepts responsibility
• Laws that reflect moral values

Moments of inspiration are not enough.

Sinai obligates us to build societies, communities, and institutions that embody what we believe.

Revelation must become civilization.

📖 Sources

• Full sources available on the Mitzvah Minute Parshas Mishpatim page under insights and commentaries.