Torah Study > Chapter 3: Mishpat vs. Tzedek > Text 3
What, if anything, surprised you about this text? Why?
According to this Mishna, how do you think the rabbis understood
the concept of mishpat?
Do you think their interpretation is true to the values expressed in the
book of Exodus?
How is compensation for “shame” treated differently than physical
and monetary damages?
What is the benefit of having the laws determine how a wrong can
be righted?
The rabbis of the Mishna refuse to read Exodus 21 literally: they choose to
understand, “an eye for an eye,” as a formula for monetary compensation.
The rabbis realized that a law which enforces a literal interpretation of “meassure
for measure” does nothing to improve society or increase the amount
of good in the world. They also boldly articulate five dimensions of injury for
which one must be compensated—extending the scope of one’s responsibbility
far beyond what is evident from a simple reading of the biblical text.
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Did you ever make a mistake or do something wrong and try to make
up for it? What did you do? What did you do to make things right?
How was it received?
Did someone ever wrong you and then try to make up for it? Did you
feel satisfied at the end?
What difference do you think it would make in the situations you
have reflected upon if your behavior and the behavior of others was
strictly governed by these principles? Is this ideal? Is it realistic?
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