 02-02-2008, 1:26 PM
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LovingNeighbor
 
Joined on 02-10-2006
Washington
Posts 397
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The Cost of Judgment - Have Judgment to Avoid it!
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The Cost of Judgment
For Parasha Mishpatim
By Lovingneighbor 2-1-2008
This weeks Parasha is in the book of Exodus also called Shemot, and is called Mishpatim which means 'Judgments'. In this weeks parasha:
- On the 7th year you shall set free your Hebrew Servants and they shall go out with what they came with
- If a servant will not go out, you shall take him to the judges, bore his ear, and he shall serve you forever
- The rules of the maidservant on the 7th year are given
- He that smites a man that he dies shall be put to death
- He that smites his father or mother shall be put to death
- He that steals a man and sells him shall be put to death
- He that curses his father or mother shall be put to death
- If a man smite another that he takes up a bed, he shall pay him for his time until he is healed
- If a man smites his servant that he dies he shall be punished
- If men cause a pregnant woman to lose her child they shall be punished, and if mischief follow it will be eye for eye
- If a man smite his servant's eye or tooth and he lose it, he shall be set free
- If an ox gores a person and they die the ox shall be put to death
- If an ox has pushed people before then kills someone the ox and owner shall die unless he pays a ransom for himself
- If an ox pushes a servant the owner shall pay their master 30 shakels of silver and the ox will be stoned
- If a man digs a pit and an animal falls in he shall pay the owner for it
- If an ox kills another's they shall sell the live ox and split the money and divide the dead ox
- If a man steals an ox or sheep and kills it or sells it, he shall restore 5 ox for one or 4 sheep for one
- If a man is found breaking in, in the night, and is killed it is on his own head, but if it is day their is guilt
- If the theft is found in his hand he shall restore it double
- If a man's animal shall eat of another man's field he shall repay with the best of his field
- If a fire damages grain or standing grain the man who caused it shall pay for the loss
- If you're holding something for someone and it is stolen you shall be brought before the judges if the theif is not found
- If there is a dispute of ownership the matter will come before the judges and the loser will pay double
- If you're holding an animal for someone and it dies, gets hurt, or runs away, they shall make an oath of innocence
- If a man borrows something and it is hurt or dies he shall make it good unless the owner was with it
- If a man lay with a woman not betrothed he shall take her to wife, if the father refuses he shall pay a dowry
- You shall not suffer a witch to live
- Whoever lays with a beast shall be put to death
- Whoever sacrifices to another elohim shall be destroyed
- You shall not oppress a stranger
- You shall not afflict the widow or the fatherless
- You shall not lend to the poor with interest
- If you take clothing for a pledge you shall return it to him by sundown
- You shall not revile the mighty ones nor curse the ruler of your people
- You shall not delay in giving your firstfruits
- You shall be holy and not eat an animal torn by beasts
- You shall not raise a false report or join to the wicked as a false witness
- You shall not follow a multitude to do evil
- You shall not honor a poor man in his cause
- You shall return an enemy's lost animal
- You shall not turn your eye from even an enemy who needs help
- You shall not bend the judgment of the poor in their matters
- Keep far from a false matter
- You shall take no bribe
- You shall not oppress the stranger
- Every 7th year you shall let your field rest and the poor may eat of your field and vineyard
- You shall rest on the 7th day, you and all your servants and animals
- Keep all things I have said and make no mention of the name of other elohim
- All males shall come before me 3 times a year, Feast of unleavened bread, Feast of Harvest, and Feast of Ingathering
- You shall not offer the blood of His sacrifice with leavened bread nor leave the fat of the sacrifice until morning
- You shall bring your firstfruits to the house of YHWH and shall not boil a kid in it's mother's milk
- YHWH sends an angel before Him do not provoke him, if you obey him YHWH will be an enemy to your enemies
- Do not serve the elohim of the people He will cast out but serve Elohim and He will bless you
- The blessings for serving YHWH are given
- Moshe, Aharon, Nadav, Avihu, and the 70 elders are commanded to come worship YHWH, but Moshe alone will draw near
- Moshe told the people all the judgments of YHWH and all the people said all YHWH has said we will do
- Moshe wrote down all the words of YHWH and built an altar with 12 pillars under the hill
- Moshe sent young men of Yisra'el to offer sacrifices and he put half of the blood into basons and half on the altar
- Moshe read the book of the covenant to the people and they said all YHWH has said we will do and be obedient
- Moshe took the blood and sprinkled the people saying behold the blood of the covenant
- Moshe, Aharon, Nadav, Avihu, and the 70 elders saw Elohim and under His feet were sapphires
- YHWH called Moshe up to recieve the two tables of stone with the law to teach the people
- Moshe tells the elders to stay with Aharon and him and Yahushua will go up
- Moshe went up into the mount and a cloud covered it for 6 days and on the 7th YHWH called to Moshe
- Moshe went into the cloud and was in the mount 40 days and 40 nights
- Haftarah - Yisra'el gets in trouble for not letting the servants go in the 7th year
In this weeks parasha we get what seems to be a lot of random judgments and rulings. I have heard it spoken by many Jewish commentators that this section is about civil law. I have heard it's about how we treat each other. I think this misses the mark. It is too easy to generalize this as just about being a good person. I think a person has to find the common thread and pull it to see what ties them all together.
Let's first look at the word for this weeks parasha, Mishpawt - which comes from the root word shafat Spelled Shin, Pey, Tet in the Ancient Hebrew that could mean, Test, edge, contain. This could be understood to mean the testing of the edge or commandments which divide between good and evil, and contains, which is the sign for the clay basket, a vessel made of the earth. In this we can see the concept of the testing of the commandments of each individual. Judgment does this. It tests all involved. From the witnesses, to the people involved, to even the judge himself who must make a right ruling. All people involved are being tested. So the judgments or mishpatim is spelled with the mem then shafat then yod mem. The mem represents the waters. so the judgment from the beginning of the waters to the end comes. And before the end is the yod or hand. This I beleive represents the commandments and more importantly the spirit of the commandments. So my interpretation of this word is that mishpatim or judgments are all of our deeds and our spirit that will be judged from the beginning of time, Since the spirit of Elohim vibrated upon the face of the deep, to the end..
So now that we have addressed the word Mishpatim, let's look at what is happening in this portion. What do all of these things have in common. There is one underlying theme here that must be observed. Many of these cases have to do with people and their position. A master and their servant, the servants wife and children in relation to his master. The extent of his master's authority. One man to another and the ruling of a judge over them both. An animal and his master vs. another person who htey have harmed and then the judges who will rule over them both. The cost of money verses life and goods vs. life and punishment. All of these things are outlining a structure of how you will judge or be judged and the cost of actions and the cost repaid to the innocent. What does it all mean?
The first thing to look at is that one of the fundamental jobs of a judge is to first figure out what happened ie get to the truth, then make a judgment on the cost to whatever party. This starts with the servant who is allowed to go free. Who allows this? The first thing to notice is even if you have a master there is one greater than him. Ad even if you are a master of your wife and children, you also have a master greater than you. Elohim says the Hebrew servant shall go out free in the seventh year and as we see in the haftarah some people thought they were a greater authority than Elohim over their servants and got punished. There are two witnesses the earthly and spiritual. Heaven and earth as Moshe said will witness against us. Then a cost will be assessed. As many people as there are that like to think all costs are paid for by Mashiach I think will be in for a rude awakening. He well judge the whole earth. I beleive just as the ruler who took an accounting of his servants did, he will assess what is owed.
The thing this parasha really teaches is accountability for your actions. It doesn't matter if you were stumbled upon by a burglar you still have responsibility for your actions. We are to have judgment at all times. And we are being judged at all times. There is a new show called moment of truth that puts people on the spot with a lie detector in front of the people they have wronged or lied to. They put them in front of their family and friends and ask them questions. It reminds me of being before the judges and the witnesses ie the lie detector reveals the truth. There is no where to hide. People are much more sinful than they think, but there fig leaves will not conceal their sin. I beleive this day is coming when all people will be ashamed and their wickedness revealed. I know for my self I am very sinful. It's better not to fool yourself or others.
One of the other big themes here is that you affect others around you. Whether it is your negligence not to do something like cover a pit or watch your animals who have pushed people before, or whether you are outright stealing, bearing false witness, or causing harm to another. There will be a price paid. it even covers if you don't help or oppress those in need. So we are being judged by not only what we do, what we fail to do, and how it affects others around us. In watching that show moment of truth i see the dynamic of people sitting at home watching the person squirm as the truth is revealed about them. It makes me think of how people are glad it's not them. They are glad their truths are hidden. For me it just reminds me of how awful a person I really am. It reminds me of the story of Iyov or Job where the people around him are gawking and criticizing him because of what he is going through. But it is probably better for him then them. Their time is coming and maybe it will be much worse for them.
The final loo at this parasha shows that we all have a place and certain responsibilities in all situations. You can't alter your judgment for a bribe or because it's to help the poor. You have to be just all the time. You can't change judgment for your enemy nor for your friend. The foundation of the parasha is seen in the freewill servant who in Judaism is looked upon as lowly for wanting to remain a servant or he is just doing it to save his family, but the text says he first loves his master, there is no room for alternate interpretation. The other things are just made up by men who like those who spoke to Mashiach said we have never been servants. They see this as lowly to be a servant. But the servants of YHWH have been the greatest of all men. The servant assesses the cost of his freedom, he also realizes that his master cares for him and the one in authority loves him and he loves him also. I see this as the high point in a servants life. He no longer serves because he has to but because he wants to. He will serve this master forever. Some Jews interpret this as only until the Yavel at the fifty years. But for ever hasn't changed as far as I know. And the Yavel doesn't mean we stop serving YHWH either. When a servant is just a servant he may go free someday, but when a servant loves his master he becomes part of him like his hand and will never want to be seperated. There is a cost of judgment good and bad and a rpice for all of our choices and actions. The Mishpatim of our lives is being counted, accumulated, and will be revealed before the shafat or judge of all the earth. Let's have judgment to avoid the cost of our judgment in the future. Shalom
A disciple should diligently search for the truth and humbly deny and reconsider it's possession.
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