Parashat Shoftim 5785

by Rabbi Margie Cella

The first word of this parashah, shoftim, means “judges.” Much is said about the judicial system of Israel here, beginning with the command for the people to appoint judges and magistrates who will administer justice. They, in turn, are commanded to judge fairly and take no bribes. Judgements are to be rendered based on the testimony of two or three corroborating witnesses, who must be in total agreement about what they saw. This diminishes the likelihood of someone testifying falsely because they bear a grudge against someone. Further underscoring the seriousness of testifying, Moses instructs that in the case where an individual is condemned to death, the witnesses themselves must be the first to carry out the sentence by stoning. Anyone found guilty of testifying falsely must suffer the same punishment that would have been meted out on the accused had they been found guilty. Finally, one who does not accept the judgement of the priest or the judge is to be put to death.

The most well-known verse in this parashah tells us: “Tzedek Tzedek tirdof”, “Justice, [only] justice shall you pursue, that you may live, and inherit the land that the Lord your God gives you.” (16:20) Many attorneys keep a framed copy of this verse somewhere in their office; the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg z”l, famously had a copy hanging in her office.

An interesting thing about this verse, as well as almost all the verses in this section, is that the verbs are all in the second person singular, not the plural. The word “you” in the commandment to pursue justice is directed to each of us individually. A just society can exist only when all its citizens are committed to making it so. The word “pursue” conveys a sense of urgency. Seeing everything happening in our world today should underscore that urgency.

Oseh Shalom, Maker of Peace, help us to build a just and peaceful world, based on your Justice.