About LAW

Hebrew Name

מִשְׁפָּט

English Name

LAW

Phonetic Spelling

MISH-POT

Court,Of,Law,And,Justice,Trial,Session:,Imparcial,Honorable,Judge

What does LAW mean?

Mishpatim are laws that, though given by God, can be understood through human reason, such as the prohibitions against murder and theft and the obligation to set up courts of law.

שֹׁפְטִ֣ים וְשֹֽׁטְרִ֗ים תִּֽתֶּן־לְךָ֙ בְּכׇל־שְׁעָרֶ֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְהֹוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ לִשְׁבָטֶ֑יךָ וְשָׁפְט֥וּ אֶת־הָעָ֖ם מִשְׁפַּט־צֶֽדֶק׃
You shall appoint magistrates and officials for your tribes, in all the settlements that Hashem your God is giving you, and they shall govern the people with due justice.
SHO-f'-TEEM v'-SHOT-rim ti-TEN-l'-KHA b'-KOL sh'-a-RE-kha a-SHER a-do-NAI e-lo-HE-kha no-TAYN l'-KHA lish-va-TE-kha v'-sha-f'-TU et-ha-AHM mish-PAT tze-DEK
Deuteronomy 16:18

וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֤ם אֶת־חֻקֹּתַי֙ וְאֶת־מִשְׁפָּטַ֔י אֲשֶׁ֨ר יַעֲשֶׂ֥ה אֹתָ֛ם הָאָדָ֖ם וָחַ֣י בָּהֶ֑ם אֲנִ֖י יְהֹוָֽה׃
You shall keep My laws and My rules, by the pursuit of which man shall live: I am Hashem.
u-sh'-mar-TEM et-khu-KO-tai v'-et-mish-PA-tai a-SHER ya-a-SEH o-TAM ha-a-DAM va-KHAI ba-HEM a-NEE a-do-NAI.
Leviticus 18:5

Description about LAW

The Bible categorizes law into two types, chukim and mishpatim. Chukim are laws that cannot be understood by human reason and logic, such as abstaining from pork and the burning of the red heifer. Mishpatim are laws that, though given by God, can be understood through human reason, such as the prohibitions against murder and theft and the obligation to set up courts of law. The word shofet, “judge,” derives from the same grammatical root as mishpatim. Judges played a central role in the Biblical justice system, serving on three different kinds of courts, each with a different number of judges. A court of 3 judges presided over everyday cases, a court of 23 judges dealt with cases that involved capital punishment and a court of 71 judges was involved with issues that affected the entire nation. Mishpatim are the backbone of a functioning and flourishing society, so much so that the prophet Isaiah said, “Zion will be redeemed by mishpat” (Isaiah 1:27). By building and maintaining a society of justice and lawfulness, the nation of Israel will merit the final redemption. Interestingly, the Biblical portion immediately following the powerful narrative of the receiving of the Torah on Mount Sinai begins with the verse, “These are the mishpatim that you shall set before them” (Exodus 21:1) and then goes on to list many specific and detailed laws. This is the way of the Bible, to juxtapose an elevated spiritual experience with laws that govern the everyday aspects of our lives. The Bible both inspires us to reach out to the Divine and teaches us how to sanctify every mundane moment of our lives.

Attribute of LAW

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