Survival by Design

Parashas Mishpatim

The world around us seems to stretch the limits of immorality—as if there ever were any. Throughout history, we have faced relentless attempts at annihilation from all sides, carried out in the most horrific ways. Our ancestors were burned at the stake, decapitated, sold into slavery, forced to convert, gassed to death, and subjected to countless other atrocities. Yet, we survived. We are still here.

Even today, in a time that appears more civilized, shaped by the Western embrace of Judeo-Christian values (which are, at their core, rooted in Judaism), we are jolted when immorality resurfaces, as it inevitably does. We are horrified by the murder of babies, the kidnapping of innocents, and the culture of hatred directed toward us from all directions. We are shocked when this hate is openly celebrated by those who claim to uphold values seemingly opposed to baseless cruelty. We tell ourselves that such things belong to the past, that they have no place in today’s world. And yet, history reminds us otherwise.

Still, we refuse to be defined by how others treat us. Instead, we define ourselves by who we are.

With that certainty, we know that we will overcome this, too. Challenges come and go—but they always come. And they will go.

What is the secret to our resilience? How do we ensure that we rise above cruelty and respond with strength and purpose?

I believe there are many answers to this question, and each may hold truth. I would like to focus on one: morality.

(Much of what follows is drawn from ideas in Rabbi Jonathan Sacks’ magnum opus on this topic, Morality.)

At first glance, Parashas Mishpatim appears to be a seemingly random selection of laws—primarily concerning damages, slavery, the treatment of those less privileged, and other everyday matters. Hardly the type of laws one might expect the Jewish people to focus on after finally leaving Mitzrayim and experiencing the awe-inspiring revelation at Sinai.

However, these laws convey a central message: If we are to be the chosen people, an Am Kadosh, we must learn how to be the chosen people. It is not just about how we function as a collective—though that has its time and place—but about how we conduct ourselves as individuals within that collective.

We are Klal Yisrael. We are not simply a nation made up of individuals; we are a nation because of our individuals. As a collective, we endure. However, endurance alone is not enough—our survival depends on something greater: our moral choices and personal responsibility.

As individuals, we must do our part to ensure we remain moral, for it is not only nations that rise and fall; individuals rise and fall through their choices as well. It is not the nation that must do its part—it is each one of us. Survival is not passive; it is an active commitment to the values that define us. As Rabbi Sacks writes, “Society flourishes only when people behave well to one another”.¹

That is not to dismiss the importance of community, for true morality and integrity thrive within the communities and traditions that sustain them. As he further states, “You don’t need to be religious to be moral, but it makes a huge difference to be part of a community dedicated to being a blessing to others”.²

Mishpatim is not simply a collection of laws—it is the foundation of our survival. As Ray Dalio puts it, “Principles are ways of successfully dealing with reality to get what you want out of life.”³ The Torah teaches us that morality is not an abstract ideal—it is a principle-based system for engaging with reality in a way that ensures our endurance, even in the harshest of times.

Parashas Mishpatim introduces the moral framework that guarantees our survival. Rabbi Sacks explains that just as there are thousands of spoken languages, and each community chooses the language with which to communicate, morality too requires a conscious commitment. Morality is not instinctive—it is a choice. To become moral, we must commit ourselves to a moral community and code.

This is why Mishpatim appears here. We have become a nation. We have our language. Now is the time to shape our moral character—the very thing that sets us apart and grants us the freedom to be a light unto the nations. We do not fear God in order to be moral. Rather, it is through morality that we demonstrate our fear of God.⁴

Only when we act with morality toward one another can we truly be called an Am Kadosh. Only when we are a moral nation can we serve as a light to the rest of the world. It begins with us, as individuals. We must act morally toward each other in order for the world to act morally toward us.

This is precisely why Mishpatim follows the Giving of the Torah at Sinai. It is not enough to receive the Torah—we must learn how to live by it in a way that sustains us through every challenge. These laws are not mere technicalities; they are the principles that allow us to remain a moral and enduring people.

Without the fundamental virtue of morality—both as individuals and as a nation—we have no foundation on which to build. We risk losing the very secret of our survival. “A good society prospers. A bad society fails”.⁵

Throughout Tanach, we find that the nevi’im consistently carried and delivered this message to Klal Yisrael. Yeshayahu HaNavi reproaches us with the following words:⁶

לִמְדוּ הֵיטֵב דִּרְשׁוּ מִשְׁפָּ֖ט אַשְּׁרוּ חָמוֹץ שִׁפְטוּ יָתוֹם רִיבוּ אַלְמָנָה׃
Learn to do good.
Devote yourselves to justice;
Aid the wronged.
Uphold the rights of the orphan;
Defend the cause of the widow.

לְכוּ־נָא וְנִוָּכְחָה יֹאמַר ה’ אִם־יִהְיוּ חֲטָאֵיכֶם כַּשָּׁנִים כַּשֶּׁלֶג יַלְבִּינוּ אִם־יַאְדִּימוּ כַתּוֹלָע כַּצֶּמֶר יִהְיוּ׃
"Come, let us reach an understanding,"
—says Hashem.
Be your sins like crimson,
They can turn snow-white;
Be they red as dyed wool,
They can become like fleece.

אִם־תֹּאבוּ וּשְׁמַעְתֶּם טוּב הָאָרֶץ תֹּאכֵלוּ׃
If you are willing and listen,
You will eat the good of the land.

וְאִם־תְּמָאֲנוּ וּמְרִיתֶם חֶרֶב תְּאֻכְּלוּ כִּי פִּי ה’ דִּבֵּר׃
But if you refuse and rebel,
You will be devoured by the sword—
For it was Hashem who spoke.

Rav Moshe Dovid Vali⁷ explains that when we act properly in this world, we can then stand properly before Hashem, and He will listen to our prayers. When we live with integrity and do what is right, change can happen—sometimes in ways that feel nothing short of miraculous.

He quotes Sefer Yetzirah⁸:

גם את זה לעומת זה עשה אלהים טוב לעומת רע רע לעומת טוב טוב מטוב רע מרע הטוב מבחין את הרע והרע מבחין את הטוב טובה שמורה לטובים ורעה שמורה לרעים:
"Also, Hashem made one opposite the other⁹: Good opposite evil, evil opposite good. Good from good, evil from evil. Good defines evil, and evil defines good. Good is reserved for the righteous, and evil is kept for the wicked."

When we act with kindness and integrity, we elevate not only our immediate relationships but the world around us. It starts with individuals and can grow into a national movement—ultimately shaping the destiny of all mankind.

Or, as Rabbi Sacks wrote: “Individually and collectively we are free to choose between good and evil, and our fate is determined by our choices. We are moral agents, and therefore responsible and called to account for what we do.” ¹⁰

The contrast between the moral code set forth in the mishpatim of the Torah and the cruelty of terrorism is unmistakable. Where others glorify destruction, we build. Where some celebrate death, we choose life. Even in the face of suffering, we refuse to be defined by despair or to lose our hope. The secret to our resilience has never been strength alone, our moral code is what guides us. It is through truth, integrity, and unwavering faith that we endure.

This is how we rise. This is how we survive. This is how we thrive.

1. Morality, p. 292

2. The Power of Ideas, p. 29

3. Principles, p. ix; https://www.principles.com/

4. Morality, Chapters 20–21

5. Morality, p. 292

6. Yeshayahu 1:17–20

7. Kos Yeshuos Tanyana, Yeshayahu 1:18

8. Sefer Yetzirah 6:1

9. Koheles 7:14

10. Essays on Ethics, p. xxiii