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Why do the laws of Hebrew servants open Parshas Mishpatim's social justice section? The Torah (תורה) targets theft specifically because thieves avoid responsibility by acting secretly, revealing a slave mentality. The six-year servitude teaches responsibility through immediate, complete restitution rather than mere punishment.
This shiur examines the opening laws of Parshas Mishpatim, specifically the laws of the Hebrew servant (eved ivri), and why they begin the social justice section despite seeming relatively minor compared to laws of murder or theft. Rabbi Zweig explains that these laws were part of the Sinaitic experience itself, not just given at Sinai, because they establish the fundamental principle of teaching personal responsibility rather than merely controlling behavior. The analysis focuses on why only theft, among all crimes requiring restitution, results in selling the perpetrator into servitude when he cannot pay. The key insight is that theft differs from robbery or battery in that the thief attempts to avoid taking responsibility for his actions - he steals secretly, hoping not to be caught or identified. This indicates a slave mentality, someone unwilling to own up to consequences.
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Parshas Mishpatim 21:2-6
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