Food Tourah – Mishpatim

February 18, 2025 in Food Tourah

Because life so often happens around food, we’re spending the year exploring the weekly parshiot and finding connections to each week’s Shabbat menu.  Sarah, a seasoned Jewish educator, brings a wealth of knowledge to our discussions, while Alison, who loves creating dishes that bring people together, is excited to explore the weekly portions in greater depth. Each week we will give a brief overview of the parsha and then suggest ways to incorporate its themes into your Shabbat menu. This is our version of Julie and Julia – the charming movie in which a blogger challenges herself to make all 524 recipes from Julia Child’s 1961 classic Mastering the Art of French Cooking in just one year.  Lucky for us, we only have to cover 54 parshiot –  36 more to go!

Mishpatim is not in the form of a narrative.  It is, rather, a list of 53 commandments. The 613  Torah commandments can be categorized in different ways.  “Mishpatim” (versus Hukim) are laws that can be clearly understood for the functioning of civil society.  Themes include fairness, responsibility, and the importance of compassion, even toward those we may not get along with.  The portion begins with describing ways to treat workers fairly.  It proceeds with the laws of damages including the famous phrase “an eye for an eye” (Exodus 21:24).  People are not only responsible for damage that they cause, but also damage caused by animals that they own.  The Israelites are told to be fair in lending practices and honest in dealings with the law.  A favorite verse of mine is 23:5,  “When you see your enemy’s donkey lying under its burden and would refrain from raising it, you must nevertheless help raise it.”  This verse, about helping a suffering animal even if it belongs to someone you dislike, speaks volumes about overcoming your worst self to be your best self.  Letting the land rest in the seventh year and the people rest on the seventh day are both mentioned, as are the agricultural aspects of the three pilgrimage festivals – Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot.  The list of laws concludes in chapter 23 with a description of all of the positive blessings that will befall the Israelites if they follow God’s commandments. Then Moses, Aaron, Nadav, Avihu, and the seventy elders ascend Mount Sinai. There are a few moments of going up and down the mountain and speaking with the Israelites who accept all of the orders with the phrase na’aseh v’nishma  – we will do and we will hear (24:7); before the parsha concludes with Exodus 24:19 “Moses went inside the cloud and ascended the mountain; and Moses remained on the mountain forty days and forty nights.”  

Exodus 22:30 explains the origin of the word treif when the Israelites are told not to eat an animal that has been preyed upon by another animal.  Exodus 23:19 is the first of the three times in the Torah that we are told not to boil a kid in its mother’s milk.  The inclusion of these laws in this portion, makes us think about how the laws of kashrut can be viewed as a basis for justice and compassion.  Don’t worry we aren’t going to provide a recipe for treif, but here is a delicious vegetarian cheese burger.  Or enjoy this hearty vegetable stew with others for a share of compassion to overcome any “damages” you may be responsible for. For a recipe that highlights the vision of sapphire that the elders see when they ascend Mount Sinai (24:10), try this Blueberry Lemon Tart.  The balance of sweet and tart can remind us of the scales of justice in a fair society.

B’tayavon and Shabbat Shalom,
Alison (Baraf) & Sarah (Roark)

To read past installments of Food Tourah, click here. 

For a more in-depth look at this week’s parsha, visit Sefaria.com.