‘Mishpatim’ reminds us that our Torah is life!

Our parasha contains two pasukim that reiterate the prohibition of avodah zarah (idol worship) and its practices, the commandment to completely destroy all monuments associated with idol worship and the positive mitzvah to worship Hashem:

“You shall not prostrate yourself before their gods, and you shall not worship them, and you shall not follow their practices, but you shall tear them down and you shall utterly shatter their monuments. And you shall worship the L-rd, your G-d, and He will bless your food and your drink, and I will remove illness from your midst.” (Shemot 23:24-25)

The Ramban (Nachmanides, 1194-1270), in his Commentary on the Torah, explicated our verses’ conceptual underpinning. In doing so, he revealed much regarding the very nature of avodah zarah:

“The intent of this passage [is dependent upon the notion] that the majority of idol worshippers recognize and know that Hashem, the Honored One, is the G-d of all the gods and the Master of all masters – and their intention, [therefore,] is really not to worship idols at all – it is just that they think that through these different kinds of idol worship they will find success. By way of illustration: There are those that worship the sun because they have found that it rules over their grain, and those that worship the moon since it rules over the springs and the murmuring depths [such as tides] - so, too, in the case of all the heavenly hosts. It is all the more so the case in their minds in regards to the angels, wherein they maintain that there is extra benefit to be derived through their worship, since they are, [in actuality,] honoring the servants of the great G-d.”

At this juncture, Nachmanides proceeded to focus upon the meaning of our second pasuk: