EXOD516 Mishpat comes from the root meaning shofet, “judge,” and thus mishpat originally meant the decision of a judge, or a precedent. It has that meaning, for example, in the very first verse of Exodus 21, the opening of the weekly portion called Mishpatim, for as biblical scholars have pointed out, the norms contained in that section of the Bible probably originated as judicial precedents. From this origin, the word mishpat expanded to mean law generally, especially in the plural form, and so the new American translation of the Bible published by the Jewish Publication Society translates mishpatim as “rules.” For example, “See, I [Moses] have imparted to you laws (hukkim) and rules (mishpatim), as the Lord my God has commanded me...” (Deuteronomy 4:5). (The term is also used this away and translated as “rules” in Deuteronomy 4:8 and 14; Ezekiel 20:25; Malachi 3:22). Finally, already in the Bible the word mishpat expands yet further to mean justice. For example, “The Rock!--His deeds are perfect, Yea, all His ways are just (mishpat) (Deuteronomy 32:4).