Legal Hot Takes – A poem for Parsha Mishpatim (Aliyah 4)

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I

You shall not pervert the judgment of your poor man in his lawsuit.

I tried to buy a lawsuit once
but they wanted to upsell me
with the law-shoes and the law-tie.

II

But in the seventh [year] you shall release [the land] and abandon it; the poor of your people shall eat [it]

My back yard lemons are ready for you
my neighbors, my friends.
Let your iced teas be forever garnished.
Let this Sabbath of the land
garnish all that is yours.

III

Three times you shall slaughter sacrifices to Me during the year.

The one good thing about
the Temple being rubble is
I don’t have to mix myself up
in the entrails of my finest lambs
or decide which one gets to go.

IV

You shall not cook a kid in its mothers milk.

I never do
I never would
There was a time once
when I did
But not now
Not anymore
Not ever

These poems are offered free for your enjoyment. If you use them as part of an event, meeting, educational or liturgical setting, please consider tipping the author.

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