Mishpatim

Spiritual Maturity

Inspired by Rabbi Yonatan Grossman

Parshat Mishpatim presents laws about the treatment of slaves, women, animals, foreigners, and debtors. In its closing scene, Moshe, Aharon, Nadav, Avihu, and seventy elders ascend Mount Sinai to have a meal while gazing at God. To describe this scene, the Torah borrows words from the story of Avraham's attempted sacrifice of his son Yitzchak.

Moshe arose early in the morning . . . to the elders Moshe said, sit for us here, until we return to you . . .He built an altar, and twelve pillars, representing the twelve tribes of Israel . . . God called to Moshe . . . God did not raise his hand against the leaders . . . (Shemot/Exodus 24)

Avraham arose early in the morning . . .Avraham said to his youths, sit yourselves here . . .and we will return to you . . .Avraham built the altar there, he arranged the wood, and he bound Yitzchak . . .The messenger of God called to him . . .Do not raise your hand against the boy . . . (Bereisheet/Genesis 22)

A few significant changes in wording highlight the Torah's view of the spiritual meaning of the mishpatim. Avraham's "youths" become Moshe's "elders." Avraham's nation of one descendent has matured into the twelve tribes Moshe leads. Avraham's mistaken notion about what to sacrifice is replaced by Moshe's clarity.

Spiritual maturity, the Torah suggests here, does not come when a person is passionately willing to sacrifice everything of theirs to God. Rather it comes when a person understands that ethics places limits on passion and on power over others. An elder who takes responsibility for transmitting this understanding is truly sitting in the presence of God.

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