Mishpatim – V’Eyleh Mishpotim Osher Tossim Leifneichem

Mishpoim means laws. But there are three kinds of laws. Firstly the laws that are inscrutable, without human capacity to fathom their logic – these are the Chukkim — of which I Judaism there are very few, a mere handful, like Mikva and Kashrut. Secondly there are the laws that once understood are perfectly reasonable an intelligible e.g. Keeping Shabbat as a day of rest, or eating Matza on Pesach in memory of the exodus. Then there are laws that are so perfectly rational that one wonders why the Torah bothered even enunciating as societies evolved these of their own accord, like laws against murder, theft, sharing of goods and services. So why did the Torah need to sanction these? Because human ingenuity is such tat we could rationalize the out of existence. How nations rationalize mass murder as the eradication of vermin, or and inferior race. Only an appeal to higher authority can keep these sacrosanct out of reach of human rationalization. Don’t do things because they are reasonable — do them because they are right. And ultimate right is defined by G-d not man.