CONEJO JEWISH OUTREACH
Parashat Shoftim
Prepared by Rabbi Len Muroff
The Parasha contains two important themes:
1. The guarantee and pursuit of justice within the society.
2. Concern for trees and the ecological balance of the world.
Summary:
1. The parasha is devoted almost entirely to the theme of justice.
2. The parasha opens with the command to appoint judges and legal officials to carry out justice with the society and with a warning against the worship of other g-ds.
3. Two witnesses must be heard before the court can impose the death penalty.
4. Regulations for picking a king/leader are listed, including the warning that this leader should follow the laws of the Torah faithfully.
5. The difference between a real and false prophet is also listed.
6. Cities of refuge for those guilty of manslaughter are described.
7. The portion concludes with the rules to be followed during a war along with the description of communal responsibilities when the body of a murder victim is found beyond city limits.
Commentary:
1. The Torah establishes limits on the powers of judges, kings, priests, and prophets.
2. By making these limitations known to the public, the Torah lays the groundwork for public supervision of human authorities thus preventing them from gaining absolute domination and prestige.
3. The wellbeing of society is dependent not on the goodwill of the ruler nor on the ascendance of the most capable in a competitive environment but on the certainty that the law will treat all alike and will protect the most vulnerable from the most powerful. The absolute primacy of justice, a theme that occurs throughout the Torah, receives its greatest emphasis here. [Heine]
4. (Chapter 16, Verse 18) due justice-Hebrew: mishpat tzedek. Berkovits distinguishes between these terms: tzedek is justice in the sense of doing the right thing in a legal procedure; mishpat is justice as a cosmic principle that maintains harmony in the world and makes possible the world's continued existence.
5. (Chapter 16, Verse 20) Justice, justice shall you pursue: The term 'pursue' carries strong connotations or effort and eagerness. This implies more than merely respecting or following justice; we must actively pursue it [Heschel]. This command also means to "pursue justice justly," for just goals can never be achieved by unjust means; the worthiest of goals will be rendered less worthy if we have to compromise justice to achieve it [Simcha Bunem].
6. (Chapter 18, verses 1-8) Deuteronomy differs significantly from the earlier books of the Torah with regard to who may be a priest and what the public is required to give the priests (see Leviticus 7:28-36; Numbers 18:9). It considers not only descendants of Aaron but all Levites are eligible for the priesthood. The priests are to minister to the Lord by offering sacrifices and by pronouncing blessings in God's name.
7. (Chapter 18:9-22) The prophets were among the leaders of society, along with the priests; elders; and in monarchic times, kings and royal officials. Some prophets were in fact influential members of the royal court. Deuteronomy strengthens the authority of the prophet by affirming that he or she is the successor of Moses and the only legitimate channel of communication with G-d. This is in contrast with the king, whose power it limits.
8. Abhorrent practices: Procedures for practicing magic or divination, invoking occult powers. Such procedures are objectionable because they seek to circumvent G-d.
9. Abhorrent to the Lord: It is because of practices that are connected to contacting the dead that G-d is driving out the Canaanites.
10. Wholehearted: Undivided in your loyalty to G-d.
Halakhah LeMaseh: The Torah prohibits such occult sciences as fortunetelling and Satanism (BT Sanhedrin 65a). Magic for purposes of entertainment is permitted.
11. Chapter 18:15-22: God promises to show enduring concern for Israel by sending them prophets. In the Bible, a prophet is not someone who tells the future, stealing knowledge from G-d and sharing it with the people. Rather a prophet is someone who tells the truth. The prophet is not one who tells us what we want to know but rather what G-d wants us to know, reminding us of our convenantal obligations. "The prophet is a person who sees the world with the eyes of G-d, who holds G-d and man in one thought at one time, and at all times" [Heschel].
12. (Verse 22): Jeremiah offered a distinction between a true prophet and a false prophet that is instructive. If the message is painful for the prophet to utter and painful for the people to hear, it is likely authentically from G-d (Jeremiah 28:8-9). But if prophet words are popularly received, we have reason to doubt them, and the prophet would have reason to doubt the authenticity of the message as well.
13. Chapter 19: The torah instructs us to judge the act of causing another's death not only by the examining the deed but also by looking at the motivation behind it. A deliberate murderer is punished severely because of the holiness of the life taken. An inadvertent manslayer is protected because his or her life is holy. The cities of refuge were designed by the Torah as a place for unintentional murderers to be protected from the vengeance of the family of their victim. By the time of the Talmud, the issue of vengeance was less of a factor to that the cities of refuge were less for protection and more for the punishment of exile.
Summary of the Haftarah
1. This is the fourth Haftarah of Consolation-Isaiah 51:12-52:12
2. Each part of the Haftarah features a pattern of double proclamation. The repetitions intensify the divine commands and spotlight the haftarah's three themes of divine presence, national transformation, and return from exile.
3. To counter the feeling of abandonment that was felt on Tisha B'Av, the prophet emphasizes G-d's presence-"I am the one who comforts you" (Isaiah 51:12) and announces a time of joy and redemption.
4. The goal of the prophetic selection is to evoke a sense of encouragement and immediacy.
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