Parshat Mishpatim - Maintaining a Justice System
The Torah describes in the previous week's portion the greatest Divine revelation in history, the giving of the Torah at Mt. Sinai. This was definitely a formative event for the entire humanity. All the nations of the world knew that the 7 universal Noahide laws were transmitted through Moses to all the nations as an eternal obligation. These laws apply to the world as a whole and to each individual.
Before the giving of the Torah at Sinai, the separation between physical and spiritual was unbridgeable. At Sinai the separation was broken; G-d enabled us, to elevate the physical world and connect it to holiness. Although the Torah is the will and wisdom of G-d, it was brought down to this lowest world. The Torah not only deals with the highest Divine precepts but also brings the laws concerning the lowest physical world such as theft, damage, slavery, etc. The higher a thing is, the lowest it can descend. Thus, the Torah gives us the rules upon which we can overcome negativity.
The animal soul is the selfish aspect and part of the personality, but it’s not necessarily destructive. However, perfection and purification are needed, so it will not hold back the service of Hashem. The first lesson is to recognize the power of destructive habits and to prevent ourselves from falling into negative behavior patterns. But it is not enough, the 7 Noahide commandments could elevate each individual and give him the power to fulfill his mission.
One of the Noahide laws is to establish a justice system. Establishing courts and justice according to righteous principles. Therefore, Noahide is permitted to learn the laws between one person and another, such as fraud and damage, the laws of theft, and everything that is related to a court of justice in accordance with the Torah law. The prohibition against blasphemy also appears in this Torah portion, which includes the obligation to honor the name of G-d.
"God looked into the Torah and created the world," the Torah says. In other words, the Torah is the creation blueprint. It is the plan that G-d used to build the universe. As a result, our goal is to elevate all of creation and perfect the world by fulfilling the Torah laws and concerning Noahides, fulfilling the 7 Divine commandments.
Rabbi Moshe Bernestein is a writer and a Community Rabbi in Netanya, Israel. He believes in making connections between the Jewish People and the Noahides worldwide in order to share and enhance the knowledge of the Torah's Universal Code for Humanity and fulfil Isaiah's Prophecy 11:9 " And the world will be filled with the knowledge of G-d as the waters cover the oceans".
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