Exodus 21:1 Now these are the judgments which you will set before them. C-MATS
Question: What is the civil law? The civil laws are an extension of the Tenth Commandment: Do not covet. In order to know what he may not covet, one must know the rights and property of others. Torah now goes on to begin defining what it is that belongs to others. Chumash
Question: The Torah is full of very detailed codes of conduct. Why do you think an infinite Elohim would be so concerned with such seemingly nonspiritual petty details as property laws? The answer to that depends upon how we define spirituality. The Hebrew spiritual ideal is to neither overly indulge in, nor abstain from the physical world and all of its activities. Rather, our goal is to perfect the physical world by being involved in it, but in a moderate and just way. יהוה‘s ‘concern’ is to provide us, via the Torah, with detailed guidance in all of life’s situations, so that we can best elevate them, and by doing so, perfect the world, and ourselves. Chumash
Question: Why does this chapter start with the rules for slaves? Even the most degraded men and women are made in the image of יהוה and their treatment is carefully regulated by Torah, just as much as the Temple service. The freedom of these servants after six years is a reminder of Israel’s own freedom from Egyptian slavery. Our own freedom and right to property is a Divine gift. Chumash