

Mishpatim. Blind Faith?
Who is the greater believer, the person who follows God blindly, or an individual who makes well-reasoned, informed decisions? Is commitment to God supposed to be a “leap of faith,” a jump into the absurd; or does Judaism embrace instead cognition and reason? Our parsha ends with one of the most famous declarations ever stated by the Jewish nation: “נעשה ונשמע - Naaseh ve-Nishma – We will do and we will hear” (Exodus 24:6). But the order is awkward. Usually we “listen,” and a