Parshas Shoftim- What our Sages have to teach...

This week’s parsha discusses fundamental aspects for Jewish leadership, such as, establishing Jewish courts, laws pertaining to the conduct of a Jewish king, and laws pertaining to the conduct of judges.

We are told to obey all the rulings of the Great Sanhedrin and the Torah Sages of all generations.  The Great Sanhedrin, consisting of 71 judges, had the ultimate authority regarding Jewish law. The Torah tells us not to depart from their ruling. Hashem reserved this authority to the Sages to preserve the Torah. If each Jew were to interpret the Torah as he saw fit, the entire Torah would be inconsistent and the Jewish nation would not have survived as long as they have.

Moreover, a person who instructs the Jewish people against the Sanhedrin may incur the death penalty.

In our society today, we all think we know what’s best for us. We consider the Torah as ‘ out dated’ and ‘no longer pertaining to us,’ since we have become such a modern civilization, we think we no longer a religion to keep us humane. Well, let us look at the current world we live in. Despite the fact that we have advanced technologically, biologically, psychologically, scientifically, etc., we still seem to be fighting barbaric wars, both worldly and internally. Maybe we should bite our tongues and listen to what our dear Rabbis have to teach us. The ancient wisdom they have to share may be the antidote to the internal and external warfare we are faced with. By living according to the true essence of what religion has to teach, as Hashem had wanted, maybe we will achieve a world as connected to Hashem has the times of the Great Sanhedrin.

The HUMBLE Jewish King

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The parsha continues discussing the mitzvah to appoint a Jewish King...

After settling into the land if Israel, the Jews were commanded to appoint a Jewish king, destroy Amalek, and build the Bait Hamikdash.

The essence behind a Jewish monarchy is to build the Jewish nation and to elevate the Jewish people religiously (govern them with Jewish law- halachot- and bring righteousness to the nation).

In order to prevent the king from sinning and becoming arrogant, Hashem prescribed the following laws for the king:

1.     He may not have extra horses.

2.     He may not have more than 18 wives.

3.     He may not accumulate excess wealth, other than that necessary to build and maintain his army.

4.     He must write a Sefer Torah and keep it with him at all times.

5.     He must read parts of the Book of Devarim at a nation assembly every seven years.

Reasons behind these laws:

1.     Horses were bred in Egypt and Hashem didn’t want the Jews going back to Egypt for any reason. Also, horses symbolized power, wealth, and arrogance, Hashem didn’t not want the Jewish king to amass more than he needed, hence he would succumb to arrogance. Arrogance leads a man away from Hashem.

2.     The king was forbidden to have more than the prescribed number of wives because this can lead a man from Torah studying and observance. The gentile kings had large harems and Hashem did not want the Jewish king to emulate such promiscuous behavior. The role of the Jewish king was to govern the people according to the standards of Torah, not to pursue his personal physical desires.

Indeed, King Solomon had many wives, but on his high level of intelligence, he declared that he was able to withstand all the trials without sinning. In other words, he put himself through the extra struggle in order that Hashem would reward him heavily for defeating his yatar hara. However, as we see, King Solomon was not able to withstand the tests, and his wives did make him go stray.

3.     The king was forbidden to accumulate more wealth than his nation needed, because Hashem did not want his personal lust for money take over. Rather Hashem wanted the king to develop his good inclination and to be conscious of providing for his nation.

4.     The king was commanded to write a Sefer Torah and to have it on him at all times. Wherever he was, he was obligated to internalize that he was Hashem’s servant. Whenever the king had a free moment, he was obligated to study torah.  The king was to be a righteous Torah scholar and leader so that he would be an example to his people.

5.     The king was obligated to occupy himself with Torah study and observe Hashem’s mitzvot constantly!

The king had a highly respected role, a person who disrespected him could be executed, no one was allowed to ride his horse or sit on his throne, and everyone (except the kohan gadol) was obligated to bow in his presence. Hashem wanted the Jewish people to give honor to their king, for he represented Hashem’s Kingship.

Despite the honor the king was given, the king maintained his humility.  He was constantly in a state of thanksgiving, for being endowed with such a distinguished position. The king was continuously taught not to be haughty,(must carry a Sefer Torah, and all other rules to remind him of his ultimate mission in life, to be Hashem’s servant) so to, how much more are we to develop our humility in the face of Hashem? Seeing that the Jewish king, the ambassador to God, saw His imminence and serviced him in such humility, this should teach us that we too are ambassadors to God who must strive to connect to and follow His Torah!

In this month of Elul, each day we are getting closer and closer to the high holy days, we should be mindful of ways we can develop our humility in front of God. May we all be blessed with the courage to develop that awareness and pursue an everlasting connection with the Source of all, today, tomorrow, and for the rest of our lives! AMEN and SHABBOT SHALOM!

QUOTES THAT MATTER!

Parshat Shoftim

Passuk Kaf Bet (22) “And You shall not set up for yourself a monument, which Hashem, your G-d hates.”

Rashi comments on the words “which Hashem your G-d hates,” Hashem has commanded you to make an altar of stones and altar of Earth. This, however, He hates, because this was a religious statue of the Canaanites, and although it was dear to Hashem,  He hates it, since these people made it a statue for idolatry’’.

            Nowadays, we too take something that Hashem likes and then instead of using it for good, its use becomes a form of idolatry. Especially with technology, we are so involved in it that we don’t even hear out parents talking to us! It’s scary how we are so attached enslaved by these gadgets! Hashem does like the fact that technology provides us with efficient ways to communicate. However, we have turned what was meant to be used for goodness into a form of idolatry. For example, we let technology waste our precious time! We watch phony movies and waste precious tears over them, we stalk people on facebook, which may lead us to speak loshan hara and/or writing rude comments about one another, etc. Therefore, now, Hashem, your G-d, hates it because technology is holding you captive, the Yetzer Hara- Evil Inclination trapped you. It made you into a person who acts like a Rasha- and evil person. We have completely hypnotized by the ipad, ipod, computer, and television screen world-- the fourth dimension,  the fake world.  Scary isn’t it!  There must be a battle plan that we can use to overcome our challenges we have nowadays; which is Technology!

Battle Plan:

Step one: talk to Hashem, your G-d and ask Him to help you overcome this Yetzer Hara- Evil Inclination.

Step two: The Ramchal writes in Messilat Yesharim that the way to overcome the Evil Inclination is to keep yourself busy with Torah, Mitzvot and Chessed, that way the Evil Inclination has no time to trap you.

Step three: if you have nothing to do, immediately find something to do!

Here are some options:

1. Call a friend and learn something with him/her.
2. Go online to torahanytime.com, simpletoremember.com and listen to any lecture you would like to hear about.
3. Give a helping hand.

Shabbat Shalom,

Esther Shamayev