Parshat Mishpatim, 5772/2012 thoughts

You can read the basics here.

I find it rather sad that a slave who was given a wife and had children with her could not take his wife and children with him when he was emancipated, and that the only way he could keep his family was to volunteer to become a slave for life. (See Sh'mot/Exodus, chapter 21, verses 1-6.)

See also my Parsha catch-up: Parshat Mishpatim (Wednesday, February 02, 2011)

Highlights:

• Anyone who doesn't believe that halachah (Jewish religious law) evolves has only to read Exodus chapter 21, verses 23-25. "Ayin tachat ayin, An eye for an eye," was interpreted by the rabbis to refer to monetary compensation at a point in Jewish history so long ago that I wonder whether anyone actually knows whether this law was ever carried out literally.
  
• I'm sure I learned this from someone else: "Naaseh v'nishma, We will do and we will hear," (Exodus chapter 24, verse 7) is the way that human beings develop--as children, we "do" first, and only understand why later, when we're old enough."