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The Jewish People receive a series of laws concerning
social justice.
Topics include:
- Proper treatment of Jewish servants.
- A husband's obligations to his wife.
- Penalties for hitting people and cursing parents, judges, and leaders.
- Financial responsibilities for damaging people or their property, by
oneself
or by one's animate or inanimate property, or by pitfalls that one
created.
- Payments for theft.
- Not returning an object that one accepted responsibility to guard.
- The right to self-defense for a person being robbed.
Other topics include:
- Prohibitions against seduction.
- Practicing witchcraft.
- Bestiality.
- Sacrifice to idols.
The Torah warns us to treat the convert,
widow and orphan with dignity,
and to avoid lying. Usury is forbidden and the rights over
collateral are limited.
Payment of obligations to the Temple should not be delayed,
and the Jewish People must be holy, even concerning food.
The Torah teaches the proper conduct for judges in
court proceedings.
The commandments of Shabbos and the Sabbatical
year are outlined.
Three times a year -- Pesach, Shavuos and Succos
-- we are told to
come to the Temple. The Torah concludes this listing of laws
with a law of kashrus -- not to mix milk and meat.
G-d promises that He will lead the
Jewish People to the
Land of Israel, helping them conquer the nations that live there,
and tells them that by fulfilling His commandments they will bring
blessings to their nation. The people promise to do and listen
to everything that G-d says.
Moshe writes the Book of the Covenant,
and reads it to the people.
Moshe ascends the mountain for 40 days in order to receive
the two Tablets of the Covenant. |