Shoftim

Justice within, Justice without! - Mark Soloway

Marc has been the rabbi of Congregation Bonai Shalom in Boulder, Colorado since August 2004 and is a former co-chair of Limmud conference. 

Sometimes the only way to have a meaningful relationship with Torah is to internalize some of the instructions and laws that seem to be external, because they are apparently so far from our reality. The consciousness of Hasidim and neo-Hasidim has given us tools to see so many aspects of the tradition as part of a personal, introspective journey. The wars and enemies, even the Promised Land can all become psycho-spiritual dimensions! This has been part of what Reb Zalman Schechter-Shalomi has called the 'paradigm shift.' At other times, however, the same sections of Torah become so much more tangible and real on the external level. Now is one of those times. World events, especially Israel and the Middle East, and the constant threat of terror give us a more immediate perspective on the language of Torah.

"You shall appoint judges and officers in all of your gates, which the Eternal your God has given to your tribes, and they shall judge the people righteously." (Deuteronomy 16:18)

This command from the opening of Parshat Shoftim is addressed in second person singular, not the plural as we might expect. As well as the dichotomy between internal and external, there is also a dynamic tension between the individual and the community in our tradition.

This instruction would seem to make more sense as an obligation for the community, to establish a legal system and a police, or security forces. Rather, it is addressed to each one of us as a wake up call to be more watchful and vigilant in the ways in which we bring justice and truth to the world. We have just begun the month of Elul, which precedes Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Elul is a month of preparation and introspection, where we reflect on our year so that we can be ready to stand before the Judge of all Judges. In order to do this, we must first be our own judges "b'chol sh'arecha - in all of your gates". These gates can be seen as part of each of us - our eyes, our mouths, our ears, our hands and feet. We are our own guardians of how we see and hear the world around us, of the words that we allow to come out of our mouths and all that we allow in our mouths. It is we who choose our actions, we who 'walk our walk.' With the Days of Awe only a few weeks away, we are being invited to ex amine our own, personal gates of justice.

Right now, this internal reading of the verse is not enough on its own. We see the physical reality of our spiritual inheritance, Eretz Yisrael, so vulnerable and under threat. Much as violence and war pains us, we see the intense need for security, for defense against an evil enemy and know that every gate of every city must be vigilantly guarded. Even in the face of terror, this must still be implemented with as much justice as possible. The model of society for Israel described in the Torah demands moral accountability at all times. We must all play our part in bringing more justice to this frightening world, which is why the language is singular, to remind each individual of their role in the wider community. As our parsha says two verses later: "Tzedek, tdekek tirdof - justice, justice you shall pursue!" (16:20) Once again the commandment is in the second person singular, reemphasizing that each one of us is bound by its demand. Tzedek, justice is repeated twice. Perhaps the first tzedek is our internal sense of justice and the second a call for us to play our part in protecting The Land of Israel, with a deep sense of social justice.

A spirituality that cuts us off from the world is meaningless and an activism that is not connected to our own soul is superficial. Torah reminds us to see the world as a powerful balance of individual and community; physical and spiritual; internal and external. All of us have to be engaged in ensuring Israel's survival while simultaneously each doing our own inner work in this month of Elul. This is how we keep the Torah alive and sustain the world.