A shiur (traditional lecture) on beginning of the Torah portion of ‘Mishpatim’. Rabbi Jacobs spends over forty minutes unpacking the first verse, “And these are the judgments which you shall set before them”, explaining among other things the relation between this section of laws and the other two in Leviticus 19 and Deuteronomy 20; expounding on the letter vav with which the verse begins; and offering numerous interpretations of the term mishpatim, “judgments”. He transitions with ease from the concepts of semikhah (rabbinic ordination) and dina demalkuta (the law of the land) in talmudic literature to ideas put forward by modern rabbis such as Meir Shapiro (the Lubliner) and Shimon Shkop, demonstrating his proficiency at Jewish learning. A unique opportunity to get a glimpse of the master’s wisdom!
