Parshas Mishpatim -

פרשת משפטים

Parsha Stumpers and Something to Think About

1. Rashi writes that even if non-Jews judge regarding certain matters as Beis
   
   
   
   
    Din, still one should not go to them to judge even in such a case. Why is this? 
   
   
   
   
   Why would this be considered giving chashivus to avodah zarah if it is well
   
   
   
   
    known that the Torah's perspective is the same as society's perspective in 
   
   
   
   
   this area?

2. Why does the Torah interrupt between the passukim of hitting and cursing 
   
   
   
   
   one's parents with “וגנב איש ומכרו...מות יומת” ?

3. The passuk in Perek 22 Passuk 17 says, “מכשפה לא תחיה”. Sorcery is against the 
   
   
   
   
   Torah and is taken seriously.
   
   
   
   
   a. What is fundamentally wrong with sorcery?
   
   
   
   
   b. I am not sure if this would fall under “כשוף" , but what is the origin of 
   
   
   
   
   Avada Kedavra [והמבין יבין ]?
4. 
   
   Rashi (22:24) says that every word אם in the Torah implies a voluntary act – 
   
   
   
   
   except for in three places. What are these three places? And is there a 
   
   
   
   
   connection between them?
5. 
   
   
   
   Rashi (23:7) writes that one could not accept a bribe even to judge correctly.
   
   
   
   
    What is this case? Is someone offering a bribe to judge correctly? Is a bribe 
   
   
   
   
   being offered to judge one way which the judge feels is correct? Either way, 
   
   
   
   
   why not take the bribe? It shouldn't even be considered a bribe in such a 
   
   
   
   
   case but more like an incentive to judge correctly?

6. Which mitzva in this week's parsha was neglected by the Jews during the time of ירמיה הנביא?