Empathy and Ethics in Parshas Mishpatim: Navigating Interpersonal Commandments for a Compassionate Life

Do you know your spouse's favorite restaurant or your child's favorite snack? What about your best friend's most coveted vacation destination? If you do not already, maybe time to commit it to memory. For this week in Parshash Mishpatim we received the great halachic manifesto. More than 57 mitzvos are mostly pertinent to laws of interpersonal relationships, man and his friend, laws of judging people, laws of money, laws of tzedaka, laws of husband and wife. Bin adam lechavir and in this covenant code in parichav bayh, pasachav dalad were taught in kesef talva es ami. Even if you will loan money to a poor person, lotiya leik naisha, don't be a creditor. And letasimun alab nashekh, don't charge him interest. No ribbis, only interest-free loans for juice. It says. Rashi, have a mestaqel. The commandment included in it is to look at yourself, ba'atsmacha keelu ataani, as if you are the poor person, and to think to yourself. It seems this is the impetus for. Therefore, don't charge ribbis, no interest, for nobody wants that, especially not the poor. It seems that the entire guidebook of a Parshash Mishpatim is for us to learn up our friends to understand what it would be like if God forbid, I was in his tough situation to need a loan, but I want ribbis. So while some people may be excited to take out their spouse to a fancy restaurant. So you're going to J2, but he may want entree. He may be someone who's a vegetarian, so don't get some meat. Your child may want bomba and you're trying to do something nice, but if you haven't gotten into their head, you may buy him gushers. And while your friend wants to go to Tahiti, you took him to Baltimore. It's nice, but it ain't Tahiti. So you have to learn up your spouse. Learn up, get in the head of other people so you can really fulfill the mitzvah of your Haftalerecha Kamaycha.