Parshas Mishpatim

This week’s Parsha is called, Parshas Mishpatim. The translation of the word “Mishpatim” means ordinances or laws. This title is very appropriate for this week’s Parsha because there are fifty three mitzvos (commandments) taught, twenty three positive and thirty negative. We will only be discussing a few of them.

In this week’s Parsha we learn about the mitzvah of keeping Kosher. Kosher is a “category” for food that doesn’t contain Basar V’chaluv (meat and milk) that were mixed together. We learn that a Jewish person cannot eat milk and meat together, cook milk and meat together, and benefit from food that has milk and meat mixed. But the Halachos (laws) of Kashrus (keeping Kosher) go beyond just mixing milk and meat and today we have trustworthy Rabbanim (Rabbis) who watch how the food in many institutions are prepared/cooked/packaged to ensure the Yiddin (Jews) are protected from eating these foods that are harmful to the neshama (soul) of a Jew. If the Rabbi sees that the food products are okay to eat, the rabbi will put a “hechshur” (kosher symbol) on that specific food. Otherwise, it does not get a hechshur and Jews know it is not proper for them to eat that food.


The hechshur is a little symbol that is registered and put on almost every kosher product. The appearance of hechshur varies for each Rabbi who performs this type of supervision. At the bottom of this Dvar Torah are common and trustable hechshurim according to my Rav Rabbi Nisenbaum.


There are also certain animals that are kosher if they are slaughtered according to the Torah’s specifications. Those animals must have split hooves and chew their cud. If they’re fish they must have fins and scales that can be removed without tearing the skin. Those are the basics to Kosher. The mitzvah of Kashrus or kosher is a chok (ch-oke) meaning it’s a mitzvah that Hashem does not explain to us, we are only told that it will make (us holy and since Hashem is Holy we should strive to be. Especially because we do not fully understand it, this is a very important mitzvah that unfortunately is not kept by every Jewish person.


We also learn in this week’s Parsha the Halachos (laws) of not to cause pain to a gair (convert) because at some point they might feel like strangers and we know how that feels because we were strangers in Egypt. Also, we have to also not cause any pain to the yasom (orphan) and almana (widow). This mitzvah is so important that it says anyone causing pain to the yasom, and/or almana will himself become an orphan and his children will become orphans and widows. We learn that we may not cheat a gair, yosom, and almana thinking that nothing will happen because he has no relatives to look out for him because Hashem is their protector. We say the following passuk every day during Shachris (morning prayers), “Hashem shomer es gairim yasom v’almana yiodade….” “Hashem protects strangers; orphan and widow He encourages.” It is important for us to realize that Hashem defines for us what is right and what is wrong for a Jew.

May we all learn to do that what Hashem teaches us whether we have full understanding or no understanding at all. I encourage everyone to take the first step do these mitzvahs in this week’s Parsha - we will enrich our lives in Olam Hazeh (this world) and in Olam Habah (the world to come). This will lead us to our true goal in life which is to have devaikus (a relationship with or attachment to) Hashem! -Amen!

HAVE A GREAT SHABBOS AND WEEKEND!

Stay tuned for next week’s Parsha called, Parshas Trumah where we learn about the Kaylim in the Mshkan (Tabernacle).

 

Here are common and trustable hechshurim according to my Rav
Rabbi Nisenbaum.