My friend’s 10 year old remarked we can curse Jews, say what ever profanity but you cannot use words like “nigger”. Our new reality can be summed up as Me Too unless you are a Jew.
We have all become familiar with “woke culture” and major celebrities fearing to stand up for right in case they get “cancelled”. The basic premise is the weaker party is always right and we should feel their pain regardless. They are the underdog. Based on this framework we can justify why they raped, murdered, mutilated, stole and kidnapped.
This week, we read the Torah portion called Mishpatim - Justice. We learn details of our civil and ethical laws that underly our modern legal system.
These laws go above and beyond the Ten Commandments. We cannot cause pain with words or actions to converts or widows, we have detailed laws about rumor and gossip. The list includes laws around bribes, lending money or causing damage to a property even when accidental.
Ultimately it shares a message that we cannot just do what is good, we need to do what is right too. We cannot simply say I am a good person or I am doing good in the world. We are also expected to do what is right!
#shabbat shalom