Parshat Shoftim: The pursuit of justice – The Jewish Standard
Posted By admin on August 13, 2021
As we approach the end of 5781, I find myself both hopeful and concerned about the challenges that lay ahead for We The People of the United States, for People Israel and all of us who inhabit Planet Earth. Over this past year, the plagues of covid-19, hatred and bigotry, and climate change have created a perfect storm that challenges our physical, societal, and spiritual survival. Facing these threats simultaneously has led me to re-examine the meaning of the opening verses of this weeks parsha.
You shall appoint magistrates and public officials for your tribes, in all the settlements that Adonai your God is giving to you, and they shall govern the people with due justice (mishpat tzedek). You shall not judge unfairly, you shall show no partiality, you shall not take bribes for bribes blind the eye of the discerning and upset the plea of the just. Justice, justice you shall pursue tzedek, tzedek tirdof that you may thrive and occupy the land that Adonai your God is giving you.
(Deuteronomy 16:18-20)
Get The Jewish Standard Newsletter by email and never miss our top storiesFree Sign Up
As each of this month undertakes the process we call cheshbon hanefesh, the accounting of the soul, in preparation for Rosh Hashanah, there are questions we have both the right and responsibility to ask not only of ourselves but of each other.
One question which these opening words of our parsha directs me to ask this year is: How well are the new national leaders in both America and Israel living up to the challenging standards set out here in the opening verses of our parsha?
The Talmud, (Sanhedrin 32b) suggests that the repetition of the word justice, tzedek in verse 20 implies that we must be just both in making a judgment and in reaching a compromise.
Both the Biden administration and the new Israeli government led by Naftalie Bennet and Yair Lapid face the difficult challenge of pursuing justice for all the inhabitants of their respective countries while finding themselves having to work together with legislatures in which they have razor-thin support? Can they overcome both the anger and apathy in their societies, which threatens the democracies they lead, while simultaneously defending their nations against the real threats, both foreign and domestic, that both Israel and America face in this third decade of the 21st century?
I found a hopeful answer to my question in a medieval commentary on these opening verses of Shoftim by Bachya ben Asher, a Sephardic Jew. Bachya wrote that the double use of tzedek teaches us that we must pursue justice under all circumstances: Whether it leads to your benefit or to your detriment; both in the words we speak as well as in our actions, whether the matter involves another Jew or a non-Jew. Moreover, the double use of tzedek in this verse teaches us that we cannot use unjust means to secure justice.
Bachya lived in what historians today refer to as The Golden Age of Spanish Jewry. It was a community that was at peace with its Muslim and Christian co-inhabitants. It was internally self-governing and economically thriving. I hear in Bachyas commentary upon this weeks parsha critical lessons for We the Jewish People and We the People of the United States in the 21st century. Both societies face the challenge of minority populations who, while equal under the law, face societal discrimination and economic inequality. I believe that both the Biden and Bennett administrations are committed to equal justice and equal opportunity for their citizens. I pray that both governments will succeed in this goal.
A second question that I hear in these opening words of Shoftim that are amplified by Bachyas interpretation of tzedek, tzedek tirdof is that the imperative to pursue justice, justly, is applicable not only to nations and their leaders, but is directed to each of us, personally.
As we emerge from the death and devastation of the plague of covid-19, I believe that the challenge of the year ahead is whether the fault lines in trust between governed and governors can be repaired. I worry today that the ideal shared by both American and Jewish tradition that we can and we must honor free expression of opinion while distinguishing fact from fiction is under siege. Be it health issues such as the rejection of the lifesaving vaccines that protect all of us from covid-19 or environmental challenges such as climate change which has been manifest here in America this past year by record levels of rain in the American Northeast and equally devastating draught in the West, is there not a serious injustice we are actively or passively participating in when we allow our political preferences, to trump science? Is not the God to whom we will appeal for another year of life on Rosh Hashanah both the Creative Force of our Universe and The Commanding Voice from Sinai that pleads with us Love your neighbor as yourself?!
This summer we have all felt the impact of climate change as draught and oppressive heat impact the western regions of America, while lakes and rivers overflow in the northeast and condominiums crumble in South Florida. The double use of tzedek in our parsha this week reminds me that similar to Americas communal response to the pandemic of covid-19, the effects of climate change now demand that our federal state and local leaders must develop better systemic ways to deal with these medical and environmental challenges. Our national approach must continue to be based upon both justice and compassion. Reading Shoftim this week while preparing for Rosh Hashanah, which is also called Yom Harat Olam, the birthday of the world, reminds me that we must provide help to those directly affected by the impacts of climate change and to lead our fellow Americans to come to grips with the reality of climate change and the unmistakable challenge it poses to the future of this planet.
This past Monday was the first of Elul. As you and I count down the days in anticipation of a new year, I suggest that we all inscribe upon our hearts the words tzedek, tzedek tirdof. Let us not only use it as a measure by which we judge our political leaders but also take a vow that we will not be so quick to judge others, both loved ones and those with whom we disagreewe , and that we will simultaneously judge all our actions by the measuring stick of Torah. Rather than continuing to play the blame game in the year ahead, may all block out the noise of our world on these upcoming High Holy Days to hear the Divine call to change taught to us in a small but salient little book called Avot de Rabbi Natan: When a person does something wrong to you let it be little in your eyes; when you wrong another let it be great in your eyes.
Read the original post:
Parshat Shoftim: The pursuit of justice - The Jewish Standard
- The Evening Shema: The Perfect Place to Begin - Chabad Lubavitch World Headquarters - Lubavitch.com - August 13th, 2022
- 'You don't want to take my money, do you?': Mandarin-speaking rabbi fights antisemitism on Chinas TikTok - Yahoo News - August 13th, 2022
- Tisha B'Av: The Arch of Titus an alternative view - The Times of Israel - August 13th, 2022
- At Oakland's 'Base,' rabbinic couple wants you to make connections J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - August 13th, 2022
- Chazanut and music: tradition and today - Australian Jewish News - August 13th, 2022
- VA'ETCHANAN: In this week's Torah portion, a command to love J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - August 13th, 2022
- Don't Believe in Other Gods Versus God is One - aish.com Ancient Wisdom & Modern Psychology - Aish.com - August 10th, 2022
- Discerning Between Darkness and Light - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - August 10th, 2022
- Activist-writer Elana Dykewomon dies, just as her first play debuts J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - August 10th, 2022
- Reading the Book of Psalms in the Twenty-First Century - Jewish Journal - August 10th, 2022
- Tuesdays primaries offered a glint of hope for Democrats this fall - The Guardian - August 10th, 2022
- Talmud - Jewish Virtual Library - August 1st, 2022
- STAND UP AND SPEAK OUT! - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - July 31st, 2022
- War News And Gefilte Fish - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - July 31st, 2022
- Blinded by Hate | Michael Laitman | The Blogs - The Times of Israel - July 31st, 2022
- Making sense of the sedra: Matot-Masei - Jewish News - July 31st, 2022
- At least 9 cities in the Twin Cities metro targeted with antisemitic, racist flyers - Bring Me The News - July 28th, 2022
- The God Squad: From the mailbag | Opinion | pressrepublican.com - Plattsburgh Press Republican - July 28th, 2022
- Free Online Bible Library | Talmud - BiblicalTraining.org - July 27th, 2022
- Rebuilding Together - Jewish Journal - July 27th, 2022
- Twenty years after Ben and Marla and the Hebrew University bombing - The Times of Israel - July 27th, 2022
- Woven together: Lessons from bringing Israeli rabbis to the U.S. - eJewish Philanthropy - July 27th, 2022
- The God Squad: From the mailbag | Opinion Columns | union-bulletin.com - Walla Walla Union-Bulletin - July 27th, 2022
- Respect Yourself - Respect Others - aish.com The Color of Heaven - Aish.com - July 27th, 2022
- Abortion is a Jewish right and a rabbi says hers was a blessing - Business Insider - July 27th, 2022
- The Flood and Canaan: God's Patience Revealed - Patheos - July 27th, 2022
- Pinchas and the broken vav | The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle - thejewishchronicle.net - July 27th, 2022
- PJ Library Focuses on Widening its Reach - Publishers Weekly - July 27th, 2022
- The Three Weeks And A Message Of Peace - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - July 27th, 2022
- Jewish people have a different set of priorities - The Jewish Star - July 14th, 2022
- With Biden in Israel, we must spread the blanket of peace far and wide - JNS.org - July 14th, 2022
- Shaming women who have abortions is not a Jewish ethic - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - July 14th, 2022
- Rabbi, get thy head out of their tents - The Times of Israel - July 14th, 2022
- Advocating for respect and unity - The Jewish Standard - July 14th, 2022
- Politics and the Parah Adumah - Jewish Journal - July 10th, 2022
- Mass prep 3 points/30 seconds: What was the Samaritans mercy? Understanding the Greek - Aleteia - July 10th, 2022
- Don't Use Judaism as a Weapon in the Abortion Debate - Jewish Exponent - July 10th, 2022
- Why Being Firstborn is a Blessing and a Curse - aish.com Spiritual Odysseys, Featured, Spirituality - Aish.com - July 10th, 2022
- David Halivni's Great Light | David Novak - First Things - July 8th, 2022
- What Happened to the Truth? - aish.com Personal Growth, Featured, Spirituality - Aish.com - July 8th, 2022
- Q & A: Offering Tefillin To Passersby (Part VII) - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - July 8th, 2022
- The 8 Genders of the Talmud - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - July 4th, 2022
- Is It Proper To Go On Vacation To A Place With No Minyan? - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - July 4th, 2022
- Inheriting America, then choosing America | Jon Spira-Savett | The Blogs - The Times of Israel - July 4th, 2022
- The time I studied Talmud with Uri Zohar - The Times of Israel - June 26th, 2022
- What Is Required To Fulfill 'You Shall Teach Your Son Torah?' - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - June 26th, 2022
- The Torah supports me in an argument with my wife that I will never win - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - June 26th, 2022
- Ties That Bind - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - June 26th, 2022
- Holding The High Line: Rapids Draw NYCFC - Last Word On Sports - June 26th, 2022
- Why We Need Boundaries - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - June 13th, 2022
- State, city ordered to finish investigation of NYC yeshiva - New York Post - June 13th, 2022
- Letters to the Editor: June 8, 2022 - St. Louis Jewish Light - June 13th, 2022
- From Gnosticism to Marxism: The Spirit of Antichrist in Movement - OnePeterFive - June 13th, 2022
- Holding The High Line: Rapids 2 in focus, Auston Trusty leaving - Last Word On Sports - June 13th, 2022
- The Rules of Conversion - Tablet Magazine - June 4th, 2022
- Why this video about seltzer and Torah study went viral in the Orthodox Jewish community - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - June 4th, 2022
- For Jews, the Torah Is Sustenance | Jewish & Israel News Algemeiner.com - Algemeiner - June 4th, 2022
- These Jews were among baseball's all-time greats but do they count as Jewish baseball players? - Forward - June 4th, 2022
- Onward And Upward Through Learning Torah - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - June 4th, 2022
- Putting Sinaitic Revelation to work for mankind - The Jewish Star - June 2nd, 2022
- Letter: History shows us where theocracies lead | Opinion | yakimaherald.com - Yakima Herald-Republic - June 2nd, 2022
- France has 500,000 Jews but only 5 women rabbis. A growing movement is pushing to change that. - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - June 2nd, 2022
- Anti-Black Racism and The Great Replacement | OP / ED | thesuburban.com - The Suburban Newspaper - June 2nd, 2022
- Take The NYS Dept. Of Ed Fight To The Streets - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - June 2nd, 2022
- He Who Must Not Be Named: Responding to Mass Murders - aish.com - Aish - June 2nd, 2022
- Inscription in Beit Shearim Burial Cave Reveals the Deceased: Yaakov the Convert Who Warned Grave Robbers - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - June 2nd, 2022
- Opinion: Uvalde reminds us to teach our children to make the right choices - El Paso Matters - June 2nd, 2022
- The Many Different Reasons We Read The Book Of Ruth On Shavuot - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - June 2nd, 2022
- When Stocks And Bonds Won't Do - Seeking Alpha - June 2nd, 2022
- Misfortune may not be a product of our faults - The Jewish Star - June 2nd, 2022
- The Supremacy Of Torah - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - May 22nd, 2022
- Thanking G-d For Who You Are And Who You Are Not - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - May 22nd, 2022
- Shabbat Behar: Valuing the Land J-Wire - J-Wire Jewish Australian News Service - May 22nd, 2022
- Celebrate with our community at the Jewish Federation Annual Meeting - Jewish Community Voice - May 18th, 2022
- Here comes Alice Walker and the Jews, again - The Jewish Star - May 18th, 2022
- Torah prioritizes the mother's life and health | The Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle - thejewishchronicle.net - May 18th, 2022
- Baseless Hatred is Destroying Our Nation - The Stream - May 18th, 2022
- The Year Of Slipping Away (Part I) - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - May 18th, 2022
- Seeking help both for ourselves and fellow Jews - The Jewish Star - May 18th, 2022
- Baddiel: Jews Don't Count TV documentary will have 'surprising' differences to book - Jewish News - May 18th, 2022
Comments