Summary: Dena Weiss. Our parashah opens, וְאֵלֶּה הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים אֲשֶׁר תָּשִׂים לִפְנֵיהֶם and these are the laws that you shall place before them. Rashi comments that the phrase “and these” frames these laws as a continuation of the Ten Commandments that were given in the previous Torah portion. Both the broad principles in the Ten Commandments and the detailed laws contained in this parashah were given at Har (Mount) Sinai. This suggestion of Rashi’s catches the attention of the Ma’or VaShemesh since Rashi already stated at the beginning of Parashat Behar that all of the mitzvot were given on Har Sinai. Why would the laws of Mishpatim need to be singled out as having Sinaitic origin?
