Torah! Exodus 21:1-24:18, 2 Kings 12:1-17, Matthew 5:33-42; Matthew 17:1-11

Regular public reading of the Torah was introduced by Ezra the Scribe after the return of the Judean exiles from the Babylonian captivity, as described in the Book of Nehemiah.

Mishpatim (????????????? — Hebrew for "laws," the second word of the parashah) is the eighteenth weekly Torah portion (?????????, parashah) in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah readingand the sixth in the Book of Exodus. The parashah sets out a series of laws, which some scholars call the Covenant Code. It reports the people's acceptance of the covenant with God. The parashah constitutes Exodus 21:1–24:18.