Mishpatim begins with the laws of ‘Eved Ivri’ – an indentured Jewish servant, sold into servitude to compensate for items he has stolen but cannot repay. The commentaries all struggle to understand why this particular set of civil laws appears in the Torah before any others.

Rabbi Dunner offers a range of ideas to help understand this puzzling introduction to the Torah’s first enumeration of civil laws.

PARSHAT MISHPATIM 2019 – SOURCE SHEET