February 13, 2026 – Dr. Susanna Kokkonen
Mispatim 5786 (2026)
Exodus 21:1-24:18
Mispatim, the name of this Torah portion refers to the laws given by God to Moses. These are laws both about relations between members of a family and of a community but also refer to man’s relationship to God.
Slaves
The Torah portion of Mispatim starts with laws related to slavery and freedom. The instructions are detailed.
“If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything. If he comes alone, he is to go free alone; but if he has a wife when he comes, she is to go with him. If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the woman and her children shall belong to her master, and only the man shall go free.” (Exodus 21:2-4 NIV)
Manslaughter and Murder
God is a righteous judge. His law considers different circumstances even if the result might be the same. This is the difference between unintended and intentional harm. Our Western laws make a difference too between manslaughter and murder.
“Anyone who strikes a person with a fatal blow is to be put to death. 13 However, if it is not done intentionally, but God lets it happen, they are to flee to a place I will designate. 14 But if anyone schemes and kills someone deliberately, that person is to be taken from my altar and put to death.” (Exodus 21: 12-14 NIV)
Theft
The portion deals with theft in a similar manner.
“Anyone who steals must certainly make restitution, but if they have nothing, they must be sold to pay for their theft. 4 If the stolen animal is found alive in their possession—whether ox or donkey or sheep—they must pay back double.” (Exodus 22:2-3 NIV)
False Testimony
The Torah takes a serious view on justice. The Ten Commandments forbid giving false testimony, as such. But here instructions are incredibly detailed and there is a specific reference to the courts.
“Do not spread false reports. Do not help a guilty person by being a malicious witness.
“Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd…” (Exodus 23:1-2 NIV)
The Holocaust
Even if we only go over very few of the laws Mispatim God gave to His people, we very soon realize two particularly important things.
First, the laws are universal. Western societies have justice systems and courts. God’s law is the basis of modern justice because His law is perfect. For instance, the idea of differentiating between crimes of various degrees of cruelty or harm, comes from the Bible.
Second, in Nazi Germany all these laws were violated. The wickedness was such that at the Nuremberg military trials the defendants claimed to be innocent by the German law. They had, they argued, not broken any laws. However, the country, Nazi Germany had become a lawless society. Laws had been changed to allow persecution, theft, and murder. These, however, are things universally seen as crimes.
As an example of this, at the Holocaust Garden of Hope we talk about the changes in the society following Adolf Hitler’s coming to power in January 1933. The first things that were changed were laws. Persecution became normal. From there it was a slippery road to contempt for life; forced sterilizations of couples with genetic diseases and then Euthanasia. It is estimated that 275 000 Germans -judged unfit to live due to various conditions- died, as a result.
This all took place years before the Holocaust.
Law and Lawlessness
In the New Testament, there is much talk about law and lawlessness. Contrary to what Christians sometimes say, there is no possibility of anything functioning without laws. Lawlessness is not a positive thing. Dictionaries define it as being without order. It will in fact be a sign that things are going wrong and mankind is on the path to destruction. Personally to each of us, it is a sign that that something is wrong in our own lives.
“Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.” (1.John 3:4 NIV)
*For an explanation of the terms see the first The Torah Portion Blog.
And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.
Genesis 1:3 NIV
Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.
Psalm 119:105 NIV
Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.
Isaiah 60:1 NIV
…let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.
Matthew 5:16 NIV
Torah Scrolls were attacked and desecrated during the Holocaust. The enduring images of the Kristallnacht (November 9-10,1938) are those of synagogues on fire and Torah Scrolls burning. Some of these desecrated Torah Scrolls disappeared, others were buried. Some were lovingly rescued and are on display in museums in various locations.
