This Parsha appears immediately after Parshas Yisro, the Parsha where Klall Yisrael receives the Torah. At this point, the story of the Meraglim, the story of the spies had not occurred yet . For all practical purposes, the Jewish people were going to be in Eretz Yisrael in a matter of weeks. If you had written the Torah, which mitzvah would you have written last in Pashas Mishpatim?
I thought about this and I would have put the halchos of slaves last.
We were heading to Eretz Yisrael, we would need to know all the halachos of Yishuv Eretz Yisrael?
No one owned any slaves and none would own any slaves in the near future. We would need to know the basics of manufacturing Tefillin, what color should the be? How many compartments? What shape? We would need to know halachos of Terumois Umassrois, Leket, Shikcha and Peah, at least the basics...
Nope!
The Torah chose to put the halchos of slaves first, number one , and gave this priority over all the 613 mitzvos.
Why?
Because it was a "teachable moment!"
Klall Yisrael had just been slaves merely weeks before and the tortures they had experienced were very fresh in their minds. It was "davka" at this time that Hashem chose to teach them how to treat slaves.
There were many who claimed that after Walder was exposed as the monster that we all learned he was, and then having decided not to give his victims "closure" by killing himself, we should all "protect" our children by not telling them what really transpired.
We learn that the juxtaposition of the Halchos of slavery immediately after Matan Torah, draws an entirely different picture.
The Torah is telling us that when an incident occurs, the lessons learned should be immediately applied, while the story is still fresh!
We need to teach our children President Reagan's dictum "trust but verify." Children need to know the dictum of the Talmud
אין אפוטרופות לעריות meaning you cannot trust any one when it comes to sexual matters. Not your rebbe, not your Rosh Yeshiva, not your therapist and not even a grandfather or even a father, unfortunately!
I also suggest that when it comes to children up to 12 years old, halachos of Loshon Hara should not be taught to them at all. Children should not be encumbered by halachos that can actually harm them.
We as parents want to know every single thing that happens to them in school. We want to know if they are being bullied, we want to know if they are being sexually abused and even verbally abused. And children should be told very sternly that if they they are being touched inappropriately by someone in school, they should never report this to anyone in authority or anyone on staff in school, but to come home and report that to you.
We don't teach children Halachos of Niddah or even Aveilus. Don't teach them Hilchos Loshon Hara, I am positive that the Chafetz Chayim didn't write these Halachos for toddlers .
