Parashat Mishpatim: The Blue That Joins Us

“Under His feet there was the likeness of a pavement of sapphire, like the very sky for purity” (24:10). This description of a vision of God appears in this week’s parsha, alongside its many laws.

“A pavement of sapphire” in Hebrew reads, livnat hasapir. Rashi, quoting the midrash, says that this levaynah, “pavement” or “brick,” was at God’s feet from the time of the Israelites’ bondage, to remind God of their suffering with “bricks,” levanim (the same word). And the bright pure light of the sky, ke’etzem hashamayim letohar, says Rashi, is the light and happiness that God experienced after their redemption.

He suffered with us and He celebrates with us. We are on His mind, not alone, either in happiness or in distress, but embraced by a loving Presence that keeps us constantly present, in mind.

On the flip side, the image of the blue sapphire, the color of the sky, is also the reason for the tekhelet in our tzitzit. A single thread of blue among the white (although most no longer have the tekhelet), it is meant to remind us of the sky and the blue sapphire, and therefore of God Himself. He reminds himself of us, and we remind ourselves of Him (and of our presence in His mind).

Like parents who keep pictures of their children (and grandchildren!) around them, we have a little blue string to constantly remind ourselves of God, and God has a blue brick to remind Himself of us. God and us, in suffering and in greatness, reaching for one another, always keeping the other in mind.