Mishpatim
One of the longest Torah portions, containing 23 positive commandments and 30 negative precepts. Included are laws regarding: the Hebrew manservant and maidservant, manslaughter, murder, injuring a parent, kidnapping, cursing a parent, personal injury, penalty for killing a slave, personal damages, injury to slaves, categories of damages and compensatory restitution, culpability for personal property damage, seduction, occult practices, idolatry, oppression of widows, children and orphans.
The parsha continues with the laws of: lending money, not cursing judges or leaders, tithes, first-born sons, justice, returning strayed animals, assisting the unloading of an animal fallen under its load, Sabbatical year, Shabbos, the Three Festivals (Pesach, Shavuos & Succos).
Mishpatim concludes with the promise from Hashem to lead us into the Land of Israel, safeguard our journey, ensure the demise of our enemies and guarantee our safety in the land — if we uphold the Torah and do the Mitzvos. Moshe makes preparations for himself and for the people and then ascends Har Sinai to receive the Ten Commandments.
Bava Basra 10a
Turnusrufus, the rasha, asked Rabbi Akiva, “If your God loves the poor, why doesn’t he support them?”
“In order that we should be saved from Gehennom by giving them charity,” replied Rabbi Akiva.
“Just the opposite,” said Turnusrufus. “This will make you deserve Gehennom. I will give you a parable. A mortal king grew angry at his servant. The king had the servant bound in prison and ordered that no one give him food or drink. A certain man went and gave him food. When the king hears about this how will he react? Won’t he be angry? And you are called servants, as it is stated, ‘For Me the Children of Israel are servants’ (Vayikra 25:55).”
Rabbi Akiva responded, “I will give you a parable. A mortal king grew angry at his son. The king had his son bound in prison and ordered that no one give him food or drink. A certain man went and gave him food. When the king hears about this, how will he react? Won’t he send him presents? And we are called children, as it is written, ‘You are children of the Lord, your God’ (Devorim 14:1).”