Em Habanim

Parashat Mishpatim

Questions

1. In what context is a mezuza mentioned in this week's parsha?
2. What special mitzvah does the Torah give to the master of a Hebrew maidservant?
3. What is the penalty for wounding one's father or mother?
4. A intentionally hits B. As a result, B is close to death. Besides any monetary payments, what happens to A?
5. What is the penalty for someone who tries to murder a particular person, but accidentally kills another person instead? Give two opinions.
6. A slave goes free if his master knocks out one of the slave's teeth. What teeth do not qualify for this rule and why?
7. An ox gores another ox. What is the maximum the owner of the damaging ox must pay, provided his animal had gored no more than twice previously?
8. From where in this week's parsha can the importance of work be demonstrated?
9. What is meant by the words "If the sun shone on him"?
10. A person is given an object for safe-keeping. Later, he swears it was stolen. Witnesses come and say that in fact he is the one who stole it. How much must he pay?
11. A person borrows his employee's car. The car is struck by lightning. How much must he pay?
12. Why is lending money at interest called "biting"?
13. Non-kosher meat, "treifa," is preferentially fed to dogs. Why?
14. Which verse forbids listening to slander?
15. What constitutes a majority-ruling in a capital case?
16. How is Shavuot referred to in this week's parsha?
17. How many prohibitions are transgressed when cooking meat and milk together?
18. What was written in the Sefer Habrit which Moshe wrote prior to the giving of the Torah?
19. What was the livnat hasapir a reminder of?
20. Who was Efrat? Who was her husband? Who was her son?

Answers

All references are to the verses and Rashi’s commentary, unless otherwise stated.

1. In what context is a mezuza mentioned in this week's parsha?
   21:6 - If a Hebrew slave desires to remain enslaved, his owner brings him "to the doorpost mezuza" to pierce his ear.
2. What special mitzvah does the Torah give to the master of a Hebrew maidservant?
   21:8,9 - To marry her.
3. What is the penalty for wounding one's father or mother?
   21:15 - Death by strangulation.
4. A intentionally hits B. As a result, B is close to death. Besides any monetary payments, what happens to A?
   21:19 - He is put in jail until B recovers or dies.
5. What is the penalty for someone who tries to murder a particular person, but accidentally kills another person instead? Give two opinions.
   21:23 -
   (a) The murderer deserves the death penalty.
   (b) The murderer is exempt from death but must compensate the heirs of his victim.
6. A slave goes free if his master knocks out one of the slave's teeth. What teeth do not qualify for this rule and why?
   21:26 - Baby teeth, which grow back.
7. An ox gores another ox. What is the maximum the owner of the damaging ox must pay, provided his animal had gored no more than twice previously?
   21:35 - The full value of his own animal.
8. From where in this week's parsha can the importance of work be demonstrated?
   21:37 - From the "five-times" penalty for stealing an ox and slaughtering it. This fine is seen as punishment for preventing the owner from plowing with his ox.
9. What is meant by the words "If the sun shone on him"?
   22:2 - If it's as clear as the sun that the thief has no intent to kill.
10. A person is given an object for safe-keeping. Later, he swears it was stolen. Witnesses come and say that in fact he is the one who stole it. How much must he pay?
    22:8 - Double value of the object.
11. A person borrows his employee's car. The car is struck by lightning. How much must he pay?
    22:14 - Nothing
12. Why is lending money at interest called "biting"?
    22:24 - Interest is like a snake bite. Just as the poison is not noticed at first but soon overwhelms the person, so too interest is barely noticeable until it accumulates to an overwhelming sum.
13. Non-kosher meat, "treifa," is preferentially fed to dogs. Why?
    22:30 - As "reward" for their silence during the plague of the first-born.
14. Which verse forbids listening to slander?
    23:1 - Targum Onkelos translates "Don't bear a false report" as "Don't receive a false report".
15. What constitutes a majority-ruling in a capital case?
    23:2 - A simple majority is needed for an acquittal. A majority of two is needed for a ruling of guilty.
16. How is Shavuot referred to in this week's parsha?
    23:16 - Chag Hakatzir -- Festival of Reaping.
17. How many prohibitions are transgressed when cooking meat and milk together?
    23:19 - One.
18. What was written in the Sefer Habrit which Moshe wrote prior to the giving of the Torah?
    24:4,7 - The Torah, starting from Bereishet until the giving of the Torah, and the mitzvot given at Mara.
19. What was the livnat hasapir a reminder of?
    24:10 - That the Jews in Egypt were forced to toil by making bricks.
20. Who was Efrat? Who was her husband? Who was her son?
    24:14 - Miriam, wife of Calev, mother of Chur.