Practice Parashat Mishpatim with TropeTrainer
Follow along with Hebrew text, trope cantillation marks, and audio at your own pace.
Parashat Mishpatim - פָּרָשַׁת מִשְׁפָּטִים
Mishpatim (“Laws”) recounts a series of God’s laws that Moses gives to the Israelites. These include laws about treatment of slaves, damages, loans, returning lost property, the Sabbath, the sabbatical year, holidays, and destroying idolatry. The portion ends as Moses ascends Mount Sinai for 40 days.
Torah Portion: Exodus 21:1-24:18
Parashat Mishpatim is the 18th weekly Torah portion in the annual Jewish cycle of Torah reading. Next read on February 6th, 2027 / 29 Sh'vat 5787
- Annual Reading
Read Annually
1:
21:1 - 21:19· 19 p’sukim
2:
21:20 - 22:3· 21 p’sukim
3:
22:4 - 22:26· 23 p’sukim
4:
22:27 - 23:5· 9 p’sukim
5:
23:6 - 23:19· 14 p’sukim
6:
23:20 - 23:25· 6 p’sukim
7:
23:26 - 24:18· 26 p’sukim
Maftir:
24:15 - 24:18· 4 p’sukim
Haftarah Part 1:
Jeremiah 34:8 - 34:22· 15 p’sukim
Haftarah Part 2:
Jeremiah 33:25 - 33:26· 2 p’sukim
- Triennial Year 1
February 14th, 2026
1:
21:1 - 21:6· 6 p’sukim
2:
21:7 - 21:11· 5 p’sukim
3:
21:12 - 21:19· 8 p’sukim
4:
21:20 - 21:27· 8 p’sukim
5:
21:28 - 21:32· 5 p’sukim
6:
21:33 - 21:36· 4 p’sukim
7:
21:37 - 22:3· 4 p’sukim
- Triennial Year 2
February 6th, 2027
1:
22:4 - 22:8· 5 p’sukim
2:
22:9 - 22:12· 4 p’sukim
3:
22:13 - 22:18· 6 p’sukim
4:
22:19 - 22:26· 8 p’sukim
5:
22:27 - 23:5· 9 p’sukim
6:
23:6 - 23:13· 8 p’sukim
7:
23:14 - 23:19· 6 p’sukim
Maftir:
23:14 - 23:19· 6 p’sukim
- Triennial Year 3
February 26th, 2028
1:
23:20 - 23:25· 6 p’sukim
2:
23:26 - 23:30· 5 p’sukim
3:
23:31 - 23:33· 3 p’sukim
4:
24:1 - 24:6· 6 p’sukim
5:
24:7 - 24:11· 5 p’sukim
6:
24:12 - 24:14· 3 p’sukim
7:
24:15 - 24:18· 4 p’sukim
About Parashat Parashat Mishpatim
Coming directly after the revelation at Sinai, Mishpatim ("Laws/Ordinances") shifts from the heights of the Ten Commandments to the practical legal and moral framework of a just society — a body of legislation scholars call the Covenant Code or Book of the Covenant. Beyond the civil and criminal laws of servitude, damages, and liability, the portion is distinguished by its insistence on social justice: it repeatedly commands kind treatment of the stranger ("for you were strangers in the land of Egypt"), the widow, the orphan, and the poor, and forbids bribery and the perversion of justice. It weaves ethical monotheism into daily life through the Sabbath, the sabbatical (shmita) year, and the three pilgrimage festivals. The portion culminates in a covenant ceremony in which Israel formally accepts the law and Moses ascends Mount Sinai, translating divine revelation into a concrete, enforceable order and presenting Judaism as a religion of just action.
The Haftarah
In most communities the Haftarah for Mishpatim is Jeremiah 34:8-22, followed by Jeremiah 33:25-26, and this same reading is used in both Ashkenazi and Sephardi rites without the divergence found in some other portions. The thematic link is the law opening the parashah — the release of Hebrew slaves (Exodus 21:1-6). Jeremiah recounts how, during Nebuchadnezzar's siege of Jerusalem, King Zedekiah and the people covenanted to free their Hebrew slaves as the Torah commands, then reneged once the siege temporarily lifted; the prophet condemns this betrayal and warns of Jerusalem's fall. The reading is often noted for closing by reverting to two earlier verses (33:25-26) so it ends on God's promise of consolation rather than destruction. When Mishpatim coincides with a special Shabbat the Haftarah changes — for example, Shabbat Shekalim (II Kings 12) or Shabbat Machar Chodesh (I Samuel 20) — so worshippers should confirm the reading for a given year and rite.
Notable passages and verses
Mishpatim's most celebrated passage is "na'aseh v'nishma" — "We will do and we will hear/obey" (Exodus 24:7) — Israel's acceptance of the covenant by pledging to act before fully understanding; the Talmud (Shabbat 88a) praises this as angelic faith and it is widely cited as encapsulating Judaism as a religion of action. The portion also contains the famous principle "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" (Exodus 21:24), which Jewish tradition interprets as monetary compensation rather than literal retaliation. It is the scriptural source of the thrice-repeated prohibition "you shall not boil a kid in its mother's milk" (Exodus 23:19), a foundation for the laws separating meat and milk, and it repeatedly enjoins compassion for the stranger, widow, and orphan. The reading closes with the dramatic "blood of the covenant" ceremony and Moses ascending Mount Sinai for forty days and forty nights.
Frequently asked questions
What is parashat Mishpatim about?
Mishpatim (Exodus 21:1-24:18), the 18th weekly Torah portion, is the body of civil and criminal law that follows the revelation at Sinai. Scholars call it the Covenant Code: it covers the treatment and release of Hebrew servants, homicide and assault, theft, liability for damages, and property law, alongside commands to protect the stranger, widow, orphan, and poor. It also legislates the Sabbath, the sabbatical year, and the three festivals, and ends with Israel accepting the covenant and Moses ascending Mount Sinai for forty days. With TropeTrainer you can hear and practice this reading with its trope (cantillation).
What is the haftarah for Mishpatim?
In most communities the Haftarah for Mishpatim is Jeremiah 34:8-22 followed by Jeremiah 33:25-26, read the same way in Ashkenazi and Sephardi rites. It tells how King Zedekiah and the people covenanted to free their Hebrew slaves during the siege of Jerusalem and then broke their word, connecting to the parashah's opening law on releasing Hebrew servants; it closes with God's promise of consolation. On special Sabbaths (such as Shabbat Shekalim) a different haftarah is read, so confirm the reading for your year and rite. TropeTrainer lets you hear and practice this reading with trope.
What are the themes of Mishpatim?
Mishpatim turns the revelation at Sinai into practical law. Its central themes are civil and criminal justice (servants, damages, liability, property), social justice and protection of the vulnerable (the stranger, widow, orphan, and poor, plus bans on bribery and perverting justice), ethical monotheism in daily life (Sabbath, the sabbatical year, and the pilgrimage festivals), and covenant — culminating in Israel's pledge of 'na'aseh v'nishma,' 'we will do and we will hear.' You can hear and practice this reading with its trope on TropeTrainer.
What does 'na'aseh v'nishma' mean in Mishpatim?
'Na'aseh v'nishma' (Exodus 24:7) means 'We will do and we will hear/obey' — Israel's response when accepting the covenant, pledging to act before fully understanding. The Talmud (Shabbat 88a) praises this as angelic faith, and it is often cited as encapsulating Judaism as a religion of action. The phrase appears near the end of Mishpatim, just before Moses ascends Mount Sinai. With TropeTrainer you can hear and practice this reading with trope.
Where to go next
Open a sample Torah reading with full Hebrew text, trope marks, and audio to see how TropeTrainer works.
See the complete list of weekly parashot with links to every reading and detail page.
Work through guided lessons on Torah trope cantillation, from basic symbols to advanced phrase patterns.