God of the Details
Parashat Mishpatim, Exodus 21:1–23:33
Haftarah: Jeremiah 34:8–11; 17–22; Brit Chadasha: Acts 4:32–5:11
R. Mordechai Gliebe, Devar Emet Messianic Synagogue, Skokie, IL
I often find myself caught up with grand events, perhaps the world of politics or global conflict. Then I begin to wonder how God is going to respond to a growing crisis. Yet God is not just the God of big things. He is also the God of the details: that quarrel you have with your neighbor, the disparaging remarks you have made about a fellow man, or the disrespect you showed another commuter the other day is God’s business too. This week’s parasha, Mishpatim, follows directly after the giving of the Ten Commandments. Given that almost the entire Torah portion is related to civil law, there is a curious connection to be acknowledged: the Torah is not beyond our physical realm and our worldly minutiae. The corresponding Haftarah and Brit Chadasha readings share this theme. Let’s consider five examples:
First, there were only two ways that a Jew could become a slave to another Jew: selling himself, with no other recourse due to poverty, or being caught as a thief (Exod 22:2). Note that while debtors’ prison still exists even today, there were no prisons in Israel, so the Torah provides for indentured servitude for a limited sentence. The maximum service was six years; in the seventh year, they were freed without a redemption fee being paid. Notice the justice displayed in this system: a Jewish person could overcome their poverty by service and be protected from exploitation. While others in society could easily overlook the plight of the impoverished or incarcerated, God values them.
Next, consider the fees imposed on a thief who is caught stealing an ox or a sheep (Exod 21:37–22:3 [22:1–4]). If a thief steals an ox, he pays more for that ox than he would if he stole a sheep. Rabbi Yochanan b. Zakkai explains that the thief pays less for the sheep because he carried the sheep as he stole it, thereby suffering embarrassment for his wretched situation (Bava Kamma 79b). Rashi goes a step further: if God shows so much compassion towards the feelings of a thief, imagine how much he values the feelings of someone who is innocent! God values the seemingly insignificant—even those who we think do not deserve our care!
Finally, consider the charge not to “follow a crowd to do evil [or] pervert justice [or] takes sides with a poor man in his case” (Exod 23:2–3). God charges judges to genuinely give judgments based on their understanding of the law and not to be persuaded by pressures from other judges even in the case of a poor person. One might feel tempted to rule in their favor, knowing that a rich man wouldn’t even miss his wealth and the reward would help the poor gain dignity. Yet while a noble cause, this would be perversion of law. Or HaChaim adds some color to this: the poor man’s grievance is really against God. As such, a judge would be perverting law in some fashion to “protect” God, which is ridiculous (Chamisha Chumshei Torah, Mesorah, 433). Even in small rulings the Torah commands righteousness, as God pays attention to the seemingly insignificant.
The Haftarah is a sorrowful story before the Babylonian exile. As Nebuchadnezzar and his army of Babylonians bore down upon Judah, King Zedekiah and the ruling class recommitted themselves to God with much celebration and pledged to keep the Torah by freeing their slaves in the seventh year as was commanded. However, as soon as the Babylonians began to withdraw from Judah, the ruling class betrayed God’s law and captured all of the freed slaves. God sees the plight of those betrayed and dragged back into slavery and promises judgment against the leadership of Judah. Again, God values the seemingly insignificant.
Finally, in our Brit Chadasha reading, we see what some may call a small theft and the serious consequences from God for it. All of the small body of believers was one mind and unit, and yet we see Ananias and Sapphira cheat God and the body of believers. Why should anyone care? Both people contributed to charity: they gave money and probably a decent sum! Why does Peter (and God for that matter) get involved in the affair? It’s because God is a God of details, and this crime does not go unpunished even if it is small. Others may dismiss their sin as insignificant, but God did not. He notices the details.
How can we boast about big ideas when we are the ones who cannot be responsible for even small things— especially our relationships? We find ourselves caught up in the forest forgetting the trees, but God sees the trees and the forest at the same time. Let’s do the same: be at peace with your neighbor, gossip no more about a fellow man, and forgive the person who just cut you off on the highway. Take pride in the work you do for God and take pride in the work others do as well. And remember to value the seemingly insignificant people and details because God does too.