Torah 101-Mishpatim Parsha

I.

ANSWERS TO STUDY QUESTIONS (Yitro)

1) Question for Exodus 18:

There are two places where it seems Jethros advice has a double edged sword to
it, being part encouragement and part rebuke. Where is this evidence from the
Hebrew?
KABED (18:17) = heavy. Jethros rebuke of Moshe seems to have a bit of a
double edged sword. The word KAVED here probably indicates the primary
meaning is the task is TOO MUCH or TOO HEAVY for you which goes well
with Jethros concern earlier in the line, You will wear yourself out. However,
KAVED can also mean honorable or glorious and in that sense Jethro might
also mean This task is too glorious for you, which would be a very ironic
rebuke considering how humble Moshe is. If this is what Jethro intends also, it
may be that Moshes humility has in a sense gotten him in trouble in the sense
that his need to serve outweighed his better judgment that Israel will not do well
with him if he is exhausted.
ETAH SHEMA BQOLI AYATZAKAH (18:19) = Now listen to my voice and I
will give you counsel. In yet another possible indication of the dual nature of
Jethros message to Moshe, the word for counsel here is YAATZ and it can
mean either to exhort/encourage or to admonish. I believe it is quite possible
Jethros intentions are to do both at the same time.
2) Question for Exodus 19:
How do two different words for the same Set-Apart object paint a beautiful
picture of Abba YHWHs redemption for Israel?
BIMSHOCH HAYOVEL (19:13) = the sounding of the Yovel, yovel meaning
rams horn, shofar in this verse. However it is also the word for Jubilee, the
once every half century when debts are forgiven and land reverts to its original
owner. In a sense, the year of the Exodus was MEANT to be a Jubilee in that
Israel was supposed to take possession of Canaan. It was only after worshipping
the Golden Calf and the bad incident of sending out the spies in Numbers that a
40 year wandering sentence was imposed on them, thus delaying the Jubilee that
was supposed to happen now until much later. Every time land changes owners
even this first cycle that counts from 0 to 50is in a sense a 50th year as well as
the 0 year.
SHOFAR (19:18) = Rams horn. The same horn referenced in 19:13 as a
YOVEL is here clarified to be an actual shofar. This may be because the first
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blasts of the horn were meant to proclaim a kind of Jubilee referenced above but,
once proclaimed, the next series of blasts was more meant as a cry to gather Israel
to witness the wonders of Abba YHWH.
3) Question for Exodus 20:
Where does Abba YHWH use the most personal language in dictating one of
the Ten Commandments?
20:3: LO YIHYEH LECHA ELOHIM ACHERIM AL PANAY
Do not have other gods before My Face
In other words, do not put a pagan false-god face on the Set-Apart Face of the one
true Elohim. This is a total ban to depict Abba YHWHs essence in physical form
through which one venerates Him in worship. This is the most personal or
intimate form of language that Abba YHWH uses in phrasing the Ten
Commandments and it goes a long way to explaining His rage at the Golden Calf,
even after Aaron tried to make it right by proclaiming a festival to Abba
YHWH on the day of the pagan rituals with the Egyptian Apis bull.
4) Haftorah Question of the Week: Yeshayahu (Isaiah) 6:1-7:14; 9:5-6
There is a word in this portion that has one of the letters deliberately altered,
breaking a basic rule of Hebrew grammar. What is the word and why was the
letter altered?
The phrase is towards the increase or LMARBEH, which has a FINAL meem
(M) in the middle of the word rather than at the end of the word. The spelling and
meaning of the word are unchanged, but the appearance of a final letter where a
regular letter should be is very striking.
I believe the reason this was done had to do with the Masoretic scribes being
unknowinglyinspired by the Ruach haKodesh to testify about Abba YHWHs
Son.
The scribal system of the Masoretes used various extra letters to indicate the
kind of a sentence the Hebrew was in and show what phrases were meant to
connect with words before or after it. Thats the official story anyway, and I have
no reason to doubt that the Masoretes believe it sincerely.
However, I have noticed these extra letters also seem to coincide with the opening
or closing of a prophetic strandspecifically when a short term prophetic branch
closes off and a long term prophetic branch opens up. It seems no coincidence to
me that the letters used in this way have the appearance of being totally opened

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(regular meem) or totally closed (final meem). Other letters used this way are
PEH (for open) or SAMEKH (for closed).
In this line of Isaiah then we see the short branch of prophecy closethe part that
is about King Ahaz, Isaiah and Isaiahs pregnant wifeand now it transitions to a
longer strand about Yshua the Mashiyach. The reason has to do with the eternity
language involved, since we know the kingdom of Judah will go into the
Babylonian captivity and that the only remaining descendant of David to take up
the throne of Judah is Yshua our Savior. As a result, the letter shows as
CLOSED because the short branch is done and longer one is beginning. The
closing of the Final Meem also represents infinity, the length of Messiahs
kingdom!

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II.

QUESTIONS FOR THIS TORAH PORTION (Mishpatim)

Please NOTE:
For clarity and time constraints, if I elect to not read the whole parsha
(which is the case this week) I may still ask questions relating to the
portions I did not read!
5) Question for Exodus 21:
Why does the text talk about acquiring a servant as opposed to directly
purchasing one, and what might the difference between those terms mean?
6) Question for Exodus 22:
The Rabbis say that the use of the word Elohim in 22:27 refers to the judges
and not to Abba YHWH as it normally would. Are they correct in this
assumption? Why or why not?
7) Question for Exodus 23:1-24:18:
How does one detail given here help prove the true color of the blue thread of the
tzit-tzit?
Special Teaching for Exodus 23!
Inside Look: Lo Bashamayim Hi
In todays parsha we read the clear provisions of Exodus 23:1-3:
'You will not spread false rumors. You will not lend support to the wicked by
giving untrue evidence. You will not be led into wrong-doing by the majority
nor, when giving evidence in a lawsuit, side with the majority to pervert the
course of justice; nor will you show partiality to the poor in a lawsuit. (Exodus
23:1-3 NJB)
However, sometimes in the course of Jewish halachic debate it seems the plain wording
of Torah can get lost. In this case it is the twisting of two key Torah passages, so since
the first one is already up there, let me give you the second passage
'For this Torah which I am laying down for you today is neither obscure for you
nor beyond your reach. It is not in heaven, so that you need to wonder, "Who
will go up to heaven for us and bring it down to us, so that we can hear and
practice it?" Nor is it beyond the seas, so that you need to wonder, "Who will
cross the seas for us and bring it back to us, so that we can hear and practice it?"

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No, the Word is very near to you, it is in your mouth and in your heart for you to
put into practice. (Deuteronomy 30:11-14)
So to begin with, lets just sum up what these easy verses say. Exodus 23:1-3 tells us to
not follow a crowd to do evil or show partiality while Deuteronomy 30:11-4 says the
Torah from Abba YHWH is not difficult to practice.
But, when we turn to the Talmud it seems there is a whole different idea going on
If a man made an oven out of separate coils [of clay, placing one upon another],
then put sand between each of the coils 1such an oven, R. Eliezer declared, is not
susceptible to defilement, while the sages declared it susceptible.2
It is taught: On that day R. Eliezer brought forward every imaginable argument,
but the Sages did not accept any of them. Finally he said to them: "If the
Halakhah (religious law) is in accordance with me, let this carob tree prove it!"
Sure enough the carob tree immediately uprooted itself and moved one hundred
cubits, and some say 400 cubits, from its place. "No proof can be brought from a
carob tree," they retorted.
And again he said to them "If the Halakhah agrees with me, let the channel of
water prove it!" Sure enough, the channel of water flowed backward. "No proof
can be brought from a channel of water," they rejoined.
Again he urged, "If the Halakhah agrees with me, let the walls of the house of
study prove it!" Sure enough, the walls tilted as if to fall. But R. Joshua, rebuked
the walls, saying, "When disciples of the wise are engaged in a halakhic dispute,
what right have you to interfere?" Hence in deference to R. Joshua they did not
fall and in deference to R. Eliezer they did not resume their upright position; they
are still standing aslant.
Again R. Eliezer then said to the Sages, "If the Halakhah agrees with me, let it be
proved from heaven." Sure enough, a divine voice cried out, "Why do you dispute
with R. Eliezer, with whom the Halakhah always agrees?" R. Joshua stood up
and protested: "The Torah is not in heaven!" (Deut. 30:12). We pay no
attention to a divine voice because long ago at Mount Sinai You wrote in
your Torah at Mount Sinai, `After the majority must one incline'. (Ex. 23:2)"

Fist footnote from Talmud passage: Since each portion in itself is not a utensil, and the sand between the
portions prevents the oven from being regarded as a single utensil, therefore, according to R. Eliezer, the
oven is not liable to defilement. The sages, however, hold that the oven's outer coating of mortar or cement
unifies the coils so that the oven is liable to defilement.

Second footnote from Talmud passage: The oven discussed was the oven of Akhnai.

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R. Nathan met [the prophet] Elijah3 and asked him, "What did the Holy One do at that
moment?" Elijah: "He laughed [with joy], saying, 'My children have defeated Me, My
children have defeated Me.'"
Babylonian Talmud, Baba Metzia 59b, excerpted from: H.N. Bialik and Y.H.
Ravnitzky, eds., Sefer Ha-Aggadah (The Book of Legends), translated by William G.
Braude, Schocken Books, NY, 1992). page 223.
So notice these two revisions at the end? The first is that phrase in Hebrew again, lo
bashmayim hi, or it is not in heaven. The context of the phrase is given in
Deuteronomy 30:14, that you may hear it and do it. There is no mention of rabbis,
learning academies or traditions here. The average person, because again the Torah is
NOT hard, can grasp it, understand it and perform it.
Instead however, the rabbis use the phrase to justify their right to CHANGE Torah. They
cry No fair in response to Abba YHWH interfering with THEIR right to tell the other
rabbis what to do, regardless as to how Abba YHWH feels about it.
Next, lets look at Exodus 23:2, because I think the situation there is even worse! Lets
look at the tale of the tape:
Torah:
You will not be led into wrong-doing by the majority nor, when giving
evidence in a lawsuit, side with the majority to pervert the course of justice.
Talmud:
R. Joshua stood up and protested: "The Torah is not in heaven!" (Deut. 30:12).
We pay no attention to a divine voice because long ago at Mount Sinai You
wrote in your Torah at Mount Sinai, `After the majority must one incline'.
(Ex. 23:2)"
So the first Scripture (Deuteronomy 30:12) is misapplied in the rabbis favor, and I think
thats an understatement and the second Scripture (Leviticus 23:2) is deliberately
misquoted and turned into its opposite! It says, after the majority DO NOT INCLINE to
do evil.
And thats not all of the issues either. Note that the rabbis said, We do NOT listen to a
divine voice? Since the justification for that decision was based on a flawed reading of
Exodus 23:2, we need to go deeper and see what really happened with the Israelites and
3

Third footnote for Talmud passage: [3] It was believed that Elijah, who had never died, often appeared to
the sages.

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the divine voice. Is it really true they were not supposed to pay attention to Abba
YHWHs voice? Well, lets see what the Scripture says
Of all these people who have seen my glory and the signs that I worked in Egypt
and in the desert, who have put me to the test ten times already and not
obeyed my voice, not one shall see the country which I promised to give their
ancestors. Not one of those who have treated me contemptuously will see it.
(Numbers 14:22-23 NJB)
Apparently, two years after Moshe wrote Exodus 23 down, Abba YHWH was still
holding people accountable for not hearing HIS VOICE! Lets see this again
Then Yahweh said to me, "What they have said is well said. From their own
brothers I shall raise up a prophet like yourself; I shall put my words into his
mouth and he will tell them everything I command him. Anyone who refuses
to listen to my words, spoken by him in my name, will have to render an
account to me. (Deuteronomy 18:17-19 NJB)
40 years now out from Exodus, first generation is now all dead except for Moshe, Joshua
and Caleb, and yet apparently hearing His Voice is still important to Him. Okay, maybe
things changed after Moshe and Joshua died
Yahweh's anger then blazed out against Israel, and he said, Since this people has
broken the covenant which I laid down for their ancestors, since they have not
listened to my voice, in future I shall not drive before them any one of those
nations which Joshua left when he died, in order, by means of them, to put
Israel to the test, to see whether or not they would tread the paths of Yahweh as
once their ancestors had trodden them.' (Judges 2:20-22 NJB)
Doesnt look like it. In fact, Jeremiah made a similar complaint (22:21) and Daniel tells
us that to ignore His Voice invites disaster:
"While the word was in the king's mouth, a voice came from heaven, saying,
'King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is declared: sovereignty has been removed from
you. (Daniel 4:31 NAU)
Even Yshuas kingship was certified also by a very similar heavenly voice (Matthew
17:5).
But heres the really odd part. The rabbis, elsewhere in their own traditions, contradict
this assertion! Lets see just one example:
Our Rabbis taught: Since the death of the last prophets, Haggai, Zechariah and
Malachai, the Holy Spirit [of prophetic inspiration] departed from Israel; yet they
were still able to avail themselves of the Bath-kol. Once when the Rabbis were
met in the upper chamber of Gurya's house at Jericho, a Bath-kol was heard from
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Heaven, saying: 'There is one amongst you who is worthy that the
Shechinah should rest on him as it did on Moses, but his generation does not
merit it.' The Sages present set their eyes on Hillel the Elder. And when he died,
they lamented and said: 'Alas, the pious man, the humble man, the disciple of
Ezra [is no more].' Sanhedrin 11a
The Bat Kol literally means daughter voice but it specifically refers to a heavenly voice
which, in this case, the rabbis are clearly accepting instruction from. Therefore the
teaching on lo bashamayim hi goes even against the Talmud itself, in addition to the
Scripture!
So this for me is where the proverbial rubber meets the road. We cannot turn and cling to
traditioneven if it is very good traditionif that same tradition is self-contradictory.
More than that though, if it doesnt line up with the Torah, then the tradition is not doing
a good job of what its creators intended it to do, as the rabbis also taught three main
principles
1) Be not hasty in judgment; 2) Make many disciples; 3) Make a fence around the
Torah.
Now weve talked about the problems with fences before at length so let me just say this:
a fence that contradicts what it is supposed to protect is not a fence at all!
8) Haftorah Question of the Week: Jeremiah 34:8-22; 31:31-34
How are the two readings of Jeremiah linked to Yshua?
9) NT Commentary: Hebrews 9:15-22 (extemporaneous commentary)

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