Portal:Judaism/Weekly Torah portion/Mishpatim

Mishpatim (משפטים) Exodus 21:1–24:18 The Weekly Torah portion in synagogues on Shabbat, Saturday, — "The Presence of the Lord appeared in the sight of the Israelites as a consuming fire on the top of the mountain." (Exodus 24:17.)

God told Moses to give the people a series of laws, which some scholars call the Covenant Code. God invited Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and 70 elders to bow to God from afar. Moses repeated the commandments to the people, who answered: “All the things that the Lord has commanded we will do!” Moses then wrote the commandments down. He set up an altar and some young Israelite men offered sacrifices. Moses read the covenant aloud to the people, who once again affirmed that they would follow it. Moses took blood from the sacrifices and dashed it on the people. Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the 70 elders of Israel then ascended, saw God, ate, and drank. Moses and Joshua arose, and Moses ascended Mount Sinai, leaving Aaron and Hur in charge of legal matters. A cloud covered the mountain, hiding the Presence of the Lord for six days, appearing to the Israelites as a fire on the top of the mountain. Moses went inside the cloud and remained on the mountain 40 days and nights.

Hebrew–English Text

Hear the Parshah Chanted

Commentary from the Ziegler School of Rabbinic Studies at the American Jewish University (Conservative)

Commentary from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America (Conservative)

Commentary by the Union for Reform Judaism (Reform)

Commentaries from Project Genesis (Orthodox)

Commentaries from Chabad.org (Orthodox)

Commentaries from Aish HaTorah (Orthodox)

Commentaries from the Jewish Reconstructionist Federation (Reconstructionist)

Commentaries from My Jewish Learning (trans-denominational)