parsha bit: Mishpatim

[cellio]

Parshat Mishpatim enumerates a variety of commandments for the Jewish people. The rabbis ask what is the purpose of the commandments? According to Rabbi Abahu, they are not just to improve us but to improve the world as well. He compares Israel to a gardener tending an orchard; the commandments are like the instructions given to the gardener. If they are followed, the orchard will survive, bloom, and provide food for all who need it. (Exodus Rabbah 30:9)