You must not carry false rumors; you shall not join hands with the guilty to act as a malicious witness: You shall neither side with the mighty to do wrong—you shall not give perverse testimony in a dispute so as to pervert it in favor of the mighty— nor shall you show deference to a poor man in his dispute.
- What do you think this is saying here? Is there more than meets the eye?
- What is justice? What spoils justice?
- How does this source relate to the previous one?
- Who is the I here? Who is the judge?
- Is it possible to achieve different levels of justice?
רבן שמעון בן גמליאל אומר, על שלשה דברים העולם עומד, על הדין ועל האמת ועל השלום, שנאמר (זכריה ח) אמת ומשפט שלום שפטו בשעריכם .
Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel used to say: On three things does the world stand: On justice, and on truth, and on peace, As it is said: “Judge with truth, justice, and peace in your gates.”
- What does this source say about our world?
- How might justice sustain it?
כִּֽי־יִתֵּן֩ אִ֨ישׁ אֶל־רֵעֵ֜הוּ חֲמ֨וֹר אוֹ־שׁ֥וֹר אוֹ־שֶׂ֛ה וְכָל־בְּהֵמָ֖ה לִשְׁמֹ֑ר וּמֵ֛ת אוֹ־נִשְׁבַּ֥ר אוֹ־נִשְׁבָּ֖ה אֵ֥ין רֹאֶֽה׃ שְׁבֻעַ֣ת יְהוָ֗ה תִּהְיֶה֙ בֵּ֣ין שְׁנֵיהֶ֔ם אִם־לֹ֥א שָׁלַ֛ח יָד֖וֹ בִּמְלֶ֣אכֶת רֵעֵ֑הוּ וְלָקַ֥ח בְּעָלָ֖יו וְלֹ֥א יְשַׁלֵּֽם׃ וְאִם־גָּנֹ֥ב יִגָּנֵ֖ב מֵעִמּ֑וֹ יְשַׁלֵּ֖ם לִבְעָלָֽיו׃ אִם־טָרֹ֥ף יִטָּרֵ֖ף יְבִאֵ֣הוּ עֵ֑ד הַטְּרֵפָ֖ה לֹ֥א יְשַׁלֵּֽם׃ (פ)
When a man gives to another a donkey, an ox, a sheep or any other animal to guard, and it dies or is injured or is carried off, with no one about, an oath before G-d shall decide between the two of them that the one has not laid hands on the property of the other; the owner must accept, and no payment shall be made. But if [the animal] was stolen from him, he shall make restitution to its owner.
If it was torn by beasts, he shall bring [a piece] as evidence; he need not replace what has been torn by beasts.
- What’s going on here?
- Why might someone not need to replace an animal that was eaten by another animal?
- Why does someone need to bring a piece of the animal?
וַיִּקְח֖וּ אֶת־כְּתֹ֣נֶת יוֹסֵ֑ף וַֽיִּשְׁחֲטוּ֙ שְׂעִ֣יר עִזִּ֔ים וַיִּטְבְּל֥וּ אֶת־הַכֻּתֹּ֖נֶת בַּדָּֽם׃ וַֽיְשַׁלְּח֞וּ אֶת־כְּתֹ֣נֶת הַפַּסִּ֗ים וַיָּבִ֙יאוּ֙ אֶל־אֲבִיהֶ֔ם וַיֹּאמְר֖וּ זֹ֣את מָצָ֑אנוּ הַכֶּר־נָ֗א הַכְּתֹ֧נֶת בִּנְךָ֛ הִ֖וא אִם־לֹֽא׃ וַיַּכִּירָ֤הּ וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ כְּתֹ֣נֶת בְּנִ֔י חַיָּ֥ה רָעָ֖ה אֲכָלָ֑תְהוּ טָרֹ֥ף טֹרַ֖ף יוֹסֵֽף׃
Then they took Joseph’s tunic, slaughtered a goat, and dipped the tunic in the blood. They took the tunic to their father, and they said, “We found this. Please examine it; is it your son’s tunic or not?”
He recognized it, and said, “My son’s tunic! A savage beast devoured him! Joseph was torn by a beast!”
- What are Joseph’s brothers doing?
- Does this source show justice?
Mishaptim provides a series of laws to govern societies; to lay down the rules of the game we all find ourselves collectively playing on this Earth. These laws emphasize the importance of being able to trust one another; to hold onto our things when we cannot tend to them, and when disaster strikes to be able to trust that we’re telling the truth to one another. The Torah constructs these regulations within the context of its time, and the history which has come before its giving–as seen in the case of a ripped animal. When we agree to operate by the rules spelled out here, we take a step in nourishing the world, the only question which we must ask is how we can nurture its growth.