Parasha
Mishpatim
Exodus 21:1-24:18
By:
Dani'el Rendelman
Ahavat
Olam
- As
performed by Craig
Taubman
“No! Come back here right now,” I yelled in
my loudest voice.
My youngest son, Judah, was
just a few feet away from
the road when he heard my
scream. Judah immediately stopped, teared up and
walked in my direction.
His mad pout proved
that he just wanted to play.
Judah loves to play
outside, yet he doesn’t
understand that just a few
feet past our yard is a
dangerous road.
You see, Judah is
only three years old, so
when he wants to go outside
he must be watched very
carefully.
All Judah had to
do was take one step too
many and tragedy would befall
my family.
Near the road is
just not a safe place for
kids to fool around.
Why did I stop Judah from
running into the street?
Why do parents prevent
their children from running
with scissors or messing
with matches?
The answer of course is simple
– loving parents build boundaries
for the behavior of their
kids.
Love motivates moms
and dads to say “no” when
something is not safe or
of benefit. Love stops kids from getting their way
all of the time.
Love yells “no!”
when a toddler tries to
drink drano or pull the
dog’s tale. The everlasting love of a mother or father
is powerful enough to spank
even though it really hurts
the parents much more than
it hurts the child.
Simply put, love
sets rules.
Love and Rules?
Unfortunately, most people
don’t equate the concepts
of “love” and “rules.” Do you think my son felt love when I did
not allow him to jump in
the road?
Do you feel loved
when you are in a hurry
and want to break the speeding
limit?
Parents’ decisions
and driving rules seemingly
stop fulfillment and satisfaction. Yet both are motivated by protection,
by love.
Rules, laws, judgments,
or commandments are given
to prevent the danger and
bless the obedient. Loving laws aren’t given to restrict.
The Western mind
seems to think that laws
punish, while the Torah
teaches that rules protect. Such is the case with the everlasting
love of Yahweh and the giving
of His Torah. Out of His great love Yahweh has given
man instructions on living.
To remember this
idea, the Sages of Yisra’el
have composed a prayer called
“Ahavat Olam.”
“Ahavat Olam” is a short blessing
that is usually sung in
the morning and at night
right before the “Shema”
is recited.
“Ahavat Olam” is
the Hebrew phrase for “everlasting
love,” from which Yahweh
gave us His Torah.
Ahavat Olam shows
Yahweh’s love for Yisra’el
while the Shema shows our
love for Yahweh.
This prayer has been passed
down from generation to
generation as a remembrance
of Elohim’s ahava (love.)
True love leads to
actions and Yahweh’s love
for Yisra’el led Him to
give the words found in
the first five books of
the Bible.
This blessing is
an expression of gratitude
to Yahweh, His gift. Yahweh loves us and the fact that He has
given us the Torah proves
this.
Just read the prayer
for yourself and perhaps
you can understand this
better:
“You have loved the family
of Yisra’el with an ever-lasting
love. Torah and Mitzvot, laws and precepts have
You given us. Therefore,
0 Elohim, when we lie down
and when we rise up, we
will meditate on Your laws
and rejoice in Your Torah
and Mitzvot for ever. Day
and night we will reflect
on them, for they are our
life and the length of our
days. Then Your love shall
never depart from our hearts!
Blessed are You, Yahweh,
who love the people Yisra’el.”
Ahavat olam beit yisraeil
amcha ahavta, Torah umitzvot
chukim umishpatim otanu
limad'ta.
Al kein Adonai Eloheinu
b'shochbeinu uv'kumeinu
nasi-ach b-chukecha, v'
nis mach b'divrei torat'cha
uv'mitzvotecha le-olam va-ed.
Ki
heim cha-yeinu v-orach yameinu
uva-heim nehgeh yomam valaila. V-ahavatcha al tasir mimenu le-olamim,
Baruch ata Yahweh, oheiv
amo yisraeil.
Ahavat Olam
Ahavat Olam is the everlasting,
eternal love of Yahweh expressed
in his “torah and mitzvot,
laws and precepts.”
You might notice
in this Hebrew prayer the
term “umishpatim.” This is the same word used to title this
week’s Torah portion.
“Mishpatim” or “judgments”
in English is the subject
of Shemot 21:1-24:18. This Parasha highlights the civil rules
being given to the bnai
(children) of Yisra’el. These laws are called “mishpatim.” According to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance
and Dictionary this Hebrew
term means, “law, rules,
justice, including a particular
right, or privilege, determination, discretion, disposing, form,
to be judged, judgment,
manner, measure, order,
ordinance.” Mishpatim is from the base Hebrew word
"shaphat", which means,
"to establish, set on, reduce,
bring, ordain, to contend
and defend."
Through the mishpatim,
Yahweh’s love is trying
to stop us from playing
in a busy road.
Isn’t
it wonderful that Yahweh
through divine love gave
His people mishpatim or
rules on how to get along
with each other?
These rules remain
as reminders on how Yisra’el
should live. Many issues are discussed in this portion,
from how to handle the restitution
of an incident to how Eretz
Yisra’el experiences the
Sabbath rest.
Each section of these
chapters has valuable information
for the believer. Time could be taken to study every single
verse and every single word
of this Parasha. For that matter you could even break the
words down and examine and
research the Hebrew letters
that make up the words.
We could do all of
this, but let’s not.
Please, let’s not
rationalize, spiritualize,
or analyze this Torah portion. Let’s just receive these instructions
as what they are – LOVING
MISHPATIM from Yahweh.
Just
as I stop my son from playing
in the road because I love
him, Yahweh loves us and
has given us Mishpatim.
To remind yourself
of Yahweh’s ahava, just
try praying the “Ahavat
Olam” prayer daily before
you recite the Shema.
Ahavat
Olam - As performed
by Craig Taubman (Artist)
