5/08/2020

Parashat 18 Portion 60 Mishpatim – Shemot/Ex 21:1-22:24 Yerm 34:1-14 1Cor 6:9-11


Bar’chu et YHVH ha-m’vorach, Baruch YHVH ha-m’vorach l’O’lam va-ed!
Baruch ata YHVH Eloheinu melech ha-olam asher bachar banu m’kol ha-amim, v’na-tan lanu eht Torah-to. Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”

(Bless YHVH the blessed One; Blessed is YHVH, the blessed One for all eternity. Blessed are you, YHVH, our Elohim, King of the Universe, you have selected us from among all the peoples, and have given us your Torah. Amein.)



Our Torah Portion –
Right-rulings or “Mishpatim.” This Hebrew word comes from the root “shaphat” which means to judge and by implication to vindicate or punish and by extension to govern.
We could also say this is the way the Kingdom of Elohim operates. We seek first His Kingdom and His Right Ways and everything else will fall into place (Mat 6:33).

Exo 21:1  “These are the right-rulings  (mishpatim) which you are to set before them: 
Exo 21:2  “When you buy a Hebrew servant, he serves six years, and in the seventh he goes out free, for naught.
     Exo 21:3  “If he comes in by himself, he goes out by himself; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him.
Exo 21:4  “If his master has given him a wife, and she has borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her children are her master’s, and he goes out by himself.
Exo 21:5  “And if the servant truly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children, let me not go out free,’
Exo 21:6  then his master shall bring him before Elohim, and shall bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl. And he shall serve him forever.

The following prophecy is considered by scholars to be a hidden reference to Messiah’s willingness to be a bondservant of YHVH forever.

Isa 50:5  The Master יהוה has opened My ear, and I was not rebellious, nor did I turn away.
Isa 50:6  I gave My back to those who struck Me, and My cheeks to those who plucked out the beard, I did not hide My face from humiliation and spitting.

The Hebrew verb for “opened” has a more intense form which means to carve or engrave. This reminds us of the ritual of “opening” the ear of a bondservant with an awl against the door post.
The gematria of Mashiach and Hebrew slave is 358 - (mem,shin,yud,chet = Messiah and ayin,veit,reish,yud – ayin,veit,daleth = Ivri eved or Hebrew slave)
This can be no coincidence.

Only a freeman (one whose debt has been paid in full) could become a bondservant, the Hebrew slave (ivri eved) could only become a bondservant after 6 years. Yahshua was free because he had no sin, no debt to pay off, yet Yahshua very kindly paid our debt and chose to remain in a position of servitude to His Master YHVH forever and ever – May this be our destiny to remain in His service for ever and ever.

Hebrew Slavery -Prof. Dov Landau.

“How can it be that the Torah, YHVH's perfect book of Law – of perfect freedom - did not consider that in our day slavery would be considered morally reprehensible?

Indeed, the gemara in Tractate Kiddushin 15a says:

A hired laborer only works during the day; a Hebrew bondsman works day or night. [On this the gemara asks:] But is it conceivable that a Hebrew bondsman should work day or night? After all, it is said (Deut. 15:16): "he...is happy with you" - eating with you, drinking with you, and enjoying shelter with you.

For the next four pages the gemara sets forth all the protections due to a Hebrew bondsman, such as: he should not be made to work as a slave; his master must provide sustenance for his wife and children; the bondsman is released after the sixth year and in the jubilee year with a grant from his master; he may even redeem himself, etc., so that in the end he essentially is removed from the class of a slave and is no less than a resident hired worker. Moreover, a Hebrew slave is like a master, for the gemara (Kiddushin 20a) interprets the verse, "he... is happy with you" as follows:

Eating with you and drinking with you, for you are not to eat fresh bread while he eats stale mouldy bread, you drink aged wine while he drinks young wine, you bed down on feathers while he on hay. Hence it is said that whoever buys himself a Hebrew bondsman (i.e. slave) is as if he bought himself a master.

Abarbanel looked for the lesson to be learned from the juxtaposition between the Ten Commandments at the end of Parashat Yitro and the passage on Hebrew slaves at the beginning of this week's reading. He further developed the Sages' interpretation that the conjunction "And" appearing in the Hebrew as the first letter in Mishpatim, appended to the words, "These are the rules," means that the text which follows should be seen as adding to what preceded (i.e., to the first commandment, which says "who brought you out of the land of Egypt, the house of bondage," Ex. 20:2). Abarbanel felt that the juxtaposition taught that by taking the Israelites out of bondage YHVH acquired them as His very own, as indicated by the Midrash on the words, "The children of Israel are My servants," (Lev. 25:58) "and not servants of servants". This idea was further developed by Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch in his commentary on this text. He adds that a Hebrew slave was not something encountered every day. Jewish courts did not sell a person, and a person would not sell himself except in the direst of circumstances. Accordingly, even the situation of a "slave who is not a slave" came about only in the rarest of circumstances. Even in the extreme case of a thief sold for his theft it is said: "He shall remain with you as a hired or bound laborer" (Lev. 25:40), and we are taught that "you may not change his trade," that is, he must continue doing the skills he learned and may not be forced to do menial tasks.
We conclude with a quote from Rabbi Wolf:

Rather, the Torah left slavery in and of itself in existence but improved the condition of the slave to the extent that the land of Israel would in any case become a paradise for slaves. The life and health of the Canaanite slave are well protected (vv. 20-21, 26-27). A weekly day of rest is assured him (Deut. 5:14). Slaves from other lands would flee to the land of Israel, to find refuge and be decently treated there, and in the fullness of time this situation would force slave owners in other countries to improve the lot of their slaves, so that in the end it would be recognized that a human being is not chattel and slavery would end of its own accord.

It must not be forgotten that in these matters the Torah does not permit any agreements to turn over slaves, for it says: "You shall not turn over to his master a slave who seeks refuge with you from his master" (Deut. 23:16). Even in our time, with the enlightened progress in morality of the third millennium, we have not yet reached this level. For all our progressive approaches, we are not capable of changing the mistaken conceptions to which we have become accustomed. Even the word 'slave' we are not capable of interpreting in its historic scriptural context but give it anachronistic connotations in line with our modern-primitive conceptions.

Perhaps we would do better to adjust our modern humane ideas precisely from the words of our ancient Torah?”
It is/was from this deep spiritual understanding of bondservants that the talmadim - the messengers of our master Yahshua referred to themselves as bondservants.

The Greek word “doulos” means a “bond servant.” Rom 1:1; Gal1:10; Col4:12; Tit 1:1; James 1:1; 2Pet1:1; Jude 1:1

Exo 21:7  “And when a man sells his daughter to be a female servant, she does not go out as the male servants do.

A female slave was to be treated the same way her own father would have treated her.
See Stones Chumash page 419 – “Sale of a daughter”

Exo 21:8  “If she is displeasing in the eyes of her master who has engaged her to himself, then he shall let her be ransomed. He shall have no authority to sell her to a foreign people, because of him deceiving her.

ח  אִם-רָעָה בְּעֵינֵי אֲדֹנֶיהָ, אֲשֶׁר-לא (לוֹ) יְעָדָהּ--וְהֶפְדָּהּ:  לְעַם נָכְרִי לֹא-יִמְשֹׁל לְמָכְרָהּ, בְּבִגְדוֹ-בָהּ.
8 If there is evil in the eyes of her master’s (an evil eye meant a man was not generous) which not ie her masters did not designate her for marriage)  or allow her to be ransomed by a foreign people which would be a wrong ruling (“mashal” to rule or have dominion over) to sell her – this would be treacherous of him towards her.

Mat 6:22  “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good (you are generous), all your body shall be enlightened.
Mat 6:23  “But if your eye is evil,1 (you are stingy) all your body shall be darkened. If, then, the light that is within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! Footnote: 1This is a Heḇrew idiom – a good eye means to be generous, while an evil eye means to be stingy.
You may think you are generous when in fact you are stingy – what darkness!

Exo 21:9  “And if he has engaged her to his son, he is to do to her as is the right of daughters.

In other words treat her the same way her biological father would have treated her.

Exo 21:10  “If he takes another wife, her food, her covering, and her marriage rights are not to be diminished.
Exo 21:11  “And if he does not do these three for her, then she shall go out for naught, without silver.

The Torah here clearly teaches the permissableness of “polygyny” here and elsewhere, many critics and societies have demonized polygyny.

Isa 5:20  Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who put darkness for light, and light for darkness; who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!
Isa 5:21  Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes1, and clever in their own sight! Footnote: 1Prov. 3:7.

The issue of polygyny could become one of the most defining issues of the end times -  Isa 4:1  And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, “We shall eat our own food and wear our own clothes; only let us be called by your name, to take away our reproach.” 
Isa 4:2  In that day the Branch of יהוה shall be splendid and esteemed. And the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for the escaped ones a of Yisra’ěl. Footnote: a Joe_2:32, Oba_1:17
Whether or not one will be included or excluded as part of the bride of Messiah or not,
 we must remember there are different kinds of people who are invited to a wedding – see Song of Songs 6:8,9. Even YHVH has two wives – see Ezekiel 23-Even Messiah returns for five wise virgins – see Matt 25:1-12

Everyone reading these words must confess that society (including you and me) have been conformed to the pattern of this world more than we realize- see Rom 12:1-2. See also Levirate marriages in Devarim/Deut 25:5-10

The evidence of not been conformed to the pattern of this world is knowing the good pleasing and perfect desire of the Father – Rom 12:1-2.

YHVH clearly instructs His people how we are to live in order to protect the covenant life that we have with Him, now and in the life to come. We can be certain when Messiah returns that covenantal life as guided by the Torah will be the only life permissible in His Kingdom.
The following judgments may sound strange and even unacceptable to modern humanistic society. We need to remind ourselves that YHVH is righteous and we too are called to be like Him.
It is important to remember we are His property to be respected and honoured. We are also called to respect and honour one another’s property, failure to do so has consequences. We are called to take responsibility for our actions, and we will be judged accordingly. In certain cases, we are mandated to make restitution for losses suffered by others. It does not mean you must put out someone’s eye who caused the loss of your eye, but it is mandated to make compensation for the loss suffered by an injured party.
In fact when you obey the most important commandment as stated by Yahshua in Mark 11:28-34 – the Shemah – to truly love YHVH and your neighbour, would keep you from wanting to do any harmful thing to your neighbour or displease YHVH in any way.

Exo 21:12  “He who strikes a man so that he dies shall certainly be put to death.
Exo 21:13  “But if he did not lie in wait, but Elohim delivered him into his hand, then I shall appoint for you a place where he is to flee.
Exo 21:14  “But when a man acts presumptuously against his neighbour, to kill him by treachery, you are to take him even from My altar to die.
Exo 21:15  “And he who smites his father or his mother shall certainly be put to death.
Exo 21:16  “And he who kidnaps a man and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, shall certainly be put to death.
Exo 21:17  “And he who curses his father or his mother shall certainly be put to death.
Exo 21:18  “And when men strive together, and one smites the other with a stone or with his fist, and he does not die but is confined to his bed,
Exo 21:19  if he rises again and walks about outside with his staff, then he who smote him shall be innocent. He only pays for lost time and sees to it that he is completely healed.
Exo 21:20  “And when a man smites his male or female servant with a rod, so that he dies under his hand, he shall certainly be punished.
Exo 21:21  “But if he remains alive a day or two, he is not punished; for he is his property.
Exo 21:22  “And when men strive and they shall smite a pregnant woman, and her children come out, yet there is no injury, he shall certainly be punished accordingly as the woman’s husband lays upon him. And he shall give through the judges.
Exo 21:23  “But if there is injury, then you shall give life for life,
Exo 21:24  eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
Exo 21:25  burn for burn, wound for wound, lash for lash.
Exo 21:26  “And when a man smites the eye of his male or female servant, and destroys it, he is to let him go free for the sake of his eye.
Exo 21:27  “And if he knocks out the tooth of his male or female servant, he is to let him go free for the sake of his tooth.
Exo 21:28  “And when an ox gores a man or a woman to death, then the ox shall certainly be stoned, and its flesh is not eaten, and the owner of the ox is innocent.
Exo 21:29  “However, if the ox was previously in the habit of goring, and its owner has been warned, and he has not kept it confined, so that it has killed a man or a woman, the ox is stoned and its owner also is put to death.
Exo 21:30  “If a sin-covering is laid upon him, then he shall give the ransom of his life, whatever is laid on him.
Exo 21:31  “Whether it has gored a son or gored a daughter, according to this right-ruling it is done to him.
Exo 21:32  “If the ox gores a male or female servant, he is to give to their master thirty sheqels of silver, and the ox is stoned.
Exo 21:33  “And when a man opens a pit, or if a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls in it,
Exo 21:34  the owner of the pit is to repay, he is to give silver to their owner, and the dead beast is his.
Exo 21:35  “And when the ox of a man smites the ox of his neighbour and it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and divide the silver from it, and also divide the dead ox.
Exo 21:36  “Or if it was known that the ox was previously in the habit of goring, and its owner has not kept it confined, he shall certainly repay ox for ox, while the dead beast is his.
Exo 22:1  “When a man steals an ox or a sheep, and shall slaughter it or sell it, he repays five cattle for an ox and four sheep for a sheep.
Exo 22:2  “If the thief is found breaking in, and he is smitten so that he dies, there is no guilt for his bloodshed.
Exo 22:3  “If the sun has risen on him, there is guilt for his bloodshed, he shall certainly repay. If he has not the means, then he shall be sold for his theft.
Exo 22:4  “If the theft is indeed found alive in his hand, whether it is an ox or donkey or sheep, he repays double.
Exo 22:5  “When a man lets a field or vineyard be grazed bare, and lets loose his livestock, and it feeds in another man’s field, he repays from the best of his own field and the best of his own vineyard.
Exo 22:6  “When fire breaks out and spreads to thorn bushes, so that stacked grain, or standing grain, or the field is consumed, he who kindled the fire shall certainly repay.
Exo 22:7  “When a man gives silver or goods to his neighbour to guard, and it is stolen out of the man’s house, if the thief is found, he repays double.
Exo 22:8  “If the thief is not found, then the master of the house shall be brought before Elohim to see whether he has put his hand into his neighbour’s goods.
Exo 22:9  “For every matter of transgression, for ox, for donkey, for sheep, for garment, or for whatever is lost which another claims to be his, let the matter of them both come before Elohim. And whomever Elohim declares wrong repays double to his neighbour.
Exo 22:10  “When a man gives to his neighbour a donkey, or ox, or sheep, or any beast to watch over, and it dies, or is injured, or is driven away while no one is looking,
Exo 22:11  let an oath of יהוה be between them both, that he has not put his hand into his neighbour’s goods. And the owner of it shall accept that, and he does not repay.
Exo 22:12  “But if it is indeed stolen from him, he repays to its owner.
Exo 22:13  “If it is torn to pieces, then let him bring it for evidence, he does not repay what was torn.
Exo 22:14  “And when a man borrows from his neighbour, and it is injured or dies while the owner of it is not present, he shall certainly repay.
Exo 22:15  “But if its owner was with it, he does not repay. If it was hired, he is entitled to the hire.
Exo 22:16  “And when a man entices a maiden who is not engaged, and lies with her, he shall certainly pay the bride-price for her to be his wife.
Exo 22:17  “If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he pays according to the bride-price of maidens.
Exo 22:18  “Do not allow a practiser of witchcraft to live.
Exo 22:19  “Anyone lying with a beast shall certainly be put to death.
Exo 22:20  “He who slaughters to a mighty one, except to יהוה only, is put under the ban.
Exo 22:21  “Do not tread down a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Mitsrayim.
Exo 22:22  “Do not afflict any widow or fatherless child.
Exo 22:23  “If you do afflict them at all – if they cry out to Me at all, I shall certainly hear their cry,
Exo 22:24  and My wrath shall burn and I shall slay you with the sword, your wives shall be widows and your children fatherless.

We must remind ourselves that the carnally minded person will have difficulty in understanding these ‘’mishpatim’’.

Rom 8:4  so that the righteousness of the Torah should be completed in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. 
Rom 8:5  For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the matters of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the matters of the Spirit. 
Rom 8:6  For the mind of the flesh is death, but the mind of the Spirit is life and peace. 
Rom 8:7  Because the mind of the flesh is enmity towards Elohim, for it does not subject itself to the Torah of Elohim, neither indeed is it able, 
Rom 8:8  and those who are in the flesh are unable to please Elohim. 


Baruch atah YHVH, Eloheynu, Melech ha-‘Olam, asher natan lanu Toraht-emet, v’chay-yeh o’lam nata-b’tochenu. Baruch atah YHVH, noteyn ha-Torah. Ameyn.”

(Blessed are you Yahweh, our Elohim, King of the Universe, you have given us your Torah of truth, and have planted everlasting life within our midst. Blessed are you, YHVH giver of the Torah – Ameyn.)