Open Search form

PARSHA POSTS: MISHPATIM

Apply for a Blog

Jun 22, 2026, 11:33 AM

Mekudash: Restore the Court’s Voice Where It Left Off

The United States and Iran signed a memorandum of understanding that halted recent military operations, reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial shipping, lifted blockades, extended a ceasefire to Lebanon, and established a 60-day window for further nuclear negotiations....

Nette Berelson-Hatan

Feb 19, 2026, 10:19 AM

Stolen Words, Stolen Truth

I Called My Sister the N-Word I was seven years old, and we were tasked with folding all the family laundry. My older sister called "underwear!" the easiest piece to fold. I was infuriated at her since she always did...

Claire R. Bright

Feb 18, 2026, 10:13 PM

Mishpatim and the Refusal of Permanent Exile

Relevant slide I created as part of my presentation

Welcome to Series 2! This last Shabbat we read Mishpatim. The shift is abrupt. We move from the narrative drama of Exodus — with stories that can and do fill West End/Broadway stages — into pages of laws: damages, restitution,...

Feb 15, 2026, 5:12 PM

Mishpatim 2026 — Silent Negotiations of Justice

Parashah Mishpatim 2026 — When Justice Is Negotiated in Silence In 2026, no one forces you to be unjust. They make it comfortable. There are no whips. There are contracts. No shouting. There are small clauses. No executioners. There are...

Andy Blumenthal

Feb 15, 2026, 10:24 AM

Hashem Calls on Us to Bring Our Best

This morning in synagogue, as the Arak was poured during Kiddush, a fellow congregant shared a poignant memory of his father in Lebanon. His father used to distill his own Arak, and the process invariably yielded two distinct results:...

Feb 14, 2026, 4:11 PM

Parashah Mishpatim: When Justice Becomes Life

Parashah Mishpatim — Existential Lessons: When Justice Becomes Life After the fire comes the test — not on the mountain, but in the market, in the queue, at home, in fatigue, in the middle of an ordinary afternoon. Because listening...

Steven C. Wernick

Feb 14, 2026, 9:30 AM

Toward a More Decent Society: Tragedy in Tumbler Ridge

This grab from video shows students exiting the Tumbler Ridge school after deadly shootings, in British Columbia, Canada, Tuesday Feb. 10, 2026. (Jordon Kosik via AP)

I remember exactly where I was when the Parkland school shooting happened. I was serving as CEO of the United Synagogue of Conservative Judaism. It was an ordinary afternoon until my phone rang. It was my youngest daughter, Alana. She said, “Dad,...

Feb 13, 2026, 8:22 PM

The Good Among Doctors — To Gehinnom..?

V’rapo yerapeh” — “And he shall surely heal. Photo by Chabad Jamaica

Every one of us has sat in a doctor’s office or beside a hospital bed and silently wondered: Who really holds my life right now? This week’s Torah portion, Mishpatim, contains the primary source for medicine in Judaism. The verse states:...

Feb 13, 2026, 7:20 PM

The sequel: Parshat Mishpatim

Often, an original book or movie is better than the sequel. Last year (on TV), I caught the end of Beverly Hills Cop, starring Eddie Murphy. I had not seen it in years, and I had forgotten how funny a...

Feb 13, 2026, 5:36 PM

Parashah Mishpatim — Where Fire Learns to Walk

Parashah Mishpatim — Where Fire Learns to Walk The mountain is still burning — not with visible flames, but as an inner pressure, a vibration that did not leave when the thunder fell silent. Anochi settled in the chest like...

Load more