This week we read Mishpatim. It features many laws we know well, and laws we might not be so familiar with. One of these is the law against mistreating a foreigner – a line you may be familiar with. Exodus 22:20 states, “You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” We’ve heard this narrative countless times. This line doesn’t just mean non-Jews. It also includes Jews by Choice who start out as “strangers”, and follow a process to become Jewish. It even includes Jews who think or practice differently from you. Some Jews are more religious, some are less – and that’s ok! These “strangers”, whether they are born Jewish, become Jewish later on, or remain not Jewish, all bring a unique perspective to life and to Judaism. The ways in which people of different and similar faiths interact is what makes the world an interesting place. We experience life and learn best when we interact with people of different perspectives.
Much like people practice Judaism differently, another amazingly cool thing about Judaism is that there is so much up for interpretation, especially when it comes to the Torah. We can all read the same portion, but pull different lessons from it. So for this week, in the spirit of Mishpatim, we wanted to share with you some posts about this portion that we found interesting. You may be wondering what this has to do with the “spirit of Mishpatim”, well, we’ll get to that in a bit. First, let’s introduce you to the posts we’d like to share with you this week.
In this week’s Ten Minutes of Torah by ReformJudaism.org, Rabbi Mary Zamore focuses on the part of Mishpatim that talks about loans. The portion starts with a description of how to treat slaves and the repayment of debt. People today are no strangers to loans and debt. Rabbi Zamore talks about how the repayment of debts has changed over time. We encourage you to check out her piece, The Enslavement of Debt, Then and Now.
Our other post comes from BimBam, an organization that specializes in teaching through digital storytelling. In 2019, they had Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz teach about Mishpatim. He chose to focus on the part of this portion that teaches us to do what is right. He discusses the idea that we need to decide for ourselves what the right path is, instead of just going along with what is popular. Please watch the full video, Mishpatim: Doing What’s Right, from BimBam to learn more.
So, what does this all have to do with the “spirit of Mishpatim”? Well, it all brings us back to the law from the portion that instructs us to not mistreat a foreigner and interpretation. We are able to interpret different lessons from the Torah because we look at it with unique perspectives and purposes. Rabbi Mary Zamore wrote a piece geared toward an older audience (young adults and up) while Rabbi Dr. Shmuly Yanklowitz was writing a narrative for an animated video geared towards a younger audience. Knowing these demographics combined with their unique perspectives led them to pull out different lessons from this portion.
Our perspectives are influenced by our upbringing, life experiences, culture, etc. Therefore, someone who is “foreign” to us (had a different upbringing or comes from a different culture) may have a different perspective than we do. What happens if we mistreat the foreigner? We lose their perspective. Our world goes from three-dimensional and full to 2-dimensional and flat. We lose so much when we silence others. The voices and perspectives of others are vital to the functionality of the world.
This month is also Black History Month. It’s a whole month dedicated to learning about people who may be different from us. Take the time this month to uplift those from this community, learn from them, and share their stories. Don’t just take the stories from your history books at face value (they may be hiding the things or skewing the story to favor one side), really do your research and learn. In addition, don’t just consume media about the struggles of Black people. Yes, it’s important to learn, but remember to also consume media celebrating Black joy. Watch movies, read books, listen to music, etc. that celebrate Black joy and lift them up. Remember, we can’t get better without looking back and learning from past mistakes. We need the perspectives of others to better ourselves and our community.
Next week is a big week for us at MPT! Sunday, February 20th is our first birthday! We can’t believe a year has gone by already. It has been a fun first year with you all and we can’t wait to see what this coming year has in store.
Until next time,
Be kind, wear your mask, wash your hands, and listen & learn from others.
Amanda & Marissa
