15 Aug GUARDING THE GATES

This week’s parsha opens with the pasuk,
“Shoftim v’shotrim titen lecha b’chol
sh’arecha, Appoint judges and officers in
all your gates.”
(Devarim 16:18)
The Torah is instructing the Jewish nation
to appoint judges and officers in every
community. To establish a righteous court
system, thereby ensuring justice.
The Torah uses the singlular “lecha – for
yourself”, and not the plural “lachem –
for yourselves”, to emphasize that each
one of us has the responsibility to
integrate Torah values in differentiating
between what’s right and wrong.
Furthermore, the Torah uses the
expression “B’chol sh’arecha – in all
your gates.” Both Rabbi Chaim Vital
(1543-1620) and the Sheloh HaKodosh
(1565-1630) teach that there is a deeper

meaning to these words. While the literal
translation of sh’arecha is gates, it can be
understood to be referring to the seven
openings, the seven gateways to the
mind. Two eyes, two ears, two nostrils,
and the mouth. We know that what we
see, what we hear, and even what we
inhale, can affect us, mind, body and
soul.
How careful we must be with the
messages that enter our “gates”. Our
eyes, seeing – the images and videos we
watch, the newspapers, magazines and
books we read, all have lasting influences.
Our ears, hearing – to be careful not to
listen to words of loshon harah, gossip or
slander. Our mouth has a double closure
– teeth and lips, stressing how important
it is to be careful that our words aren’t the
cause of pain, embarrassment or
aggravation to others. As Shlomo
HaMelech wrote, “Movess v’chayim
b’yad haloshon – Death and life are in the

hand of the tongue.” (Mishlei
18:21). The stakes are high.
Words can either make or
break a person. Our tongues
can build others up, or they
can tear them down.
“And it shall be when he sits
on the throne of his kingdom,
he should write ‘Mishneh
Torah, a copy of the Torah’ “.
(Devarim 17:18) Rashi quotes
the Gemora (Sanhedrin 21b)
that the king, in fact, maintained two
Sifrei Torah. One was to be kept in the
king’s “Beis Genizo, his private treasure
collection, and another was to be with the
king “shenichnas v’yotzei, on his comings
and goings”, to accompany him on all his
missions. As the Torah states, “It shall be
with him, and he shall read it all the days
of his life” (Devarim 17:19).
Just imagine the kings of Am Yisroel,
great and learned individuals, well versed
in all areas of the Torah, yet the Torah
instructs that even they must have a
personal Sefer Torah with them at all
times, to be a constant reminder of their
connection to HaShem. A reminder that
they are part of HaShem’s holy nation
and have an obligation to live a life of
kedusha, holiness. Even the king needs
the Torah to be at his side as a protection
from the many negative influences and
values that he may encounter.
If the kings must have a Torah at their
side at all times, how much more so
does the typical man. If it was necessary
in ancient times, how much more so do
we need the words of Torah to
accompany us on all of our comings
and goings in the modern world.
My parents created a home that was
filled with Torah ideals. A home like the
geniza of the king that had Torah
within. The walls were lined with
bookcases, containing sifrei kedusha,
books whose contents were teachings
of our rabbis and sages. The living
room, dining room, and family room
were all filled with bookshelves. There
was one wall where my mother hung
paintings of all the zeides, our ancestors
going back many generations, all with a

hadras panim, a saintly countenance. The
message my parents wanted to impart to
us was clear: Torah values and the
constant influence of our holy ancestors
were always to be right before us.
I remember inviting a friend over for
Shabbos. Friday night as we sat in the
living room, she was very quiet. When I
asked her why, she responded that she
was looking at the portraits of the zeides
on the wall. She felt their presence, she
sensed their holiness, and as a result was
being extra careful with her words.
I grew up in a very secular community, an
area my parents chose to settle in to bring
Torah to the unaffiliated. At the same
time, our parents imbued us with a Torah
life. They gave us a strong foundation
that served us well. I grew up knowing
that I was the Rabbi’s and Rebbetzin’s
daughter, with an obligation to be a role
model for others, having Torah values at
my side with all my “comings and
goings”.
It’s never too late to create a Torah home.
To have our own geniza, treasure trove.
Boruch HaShem, we live in a world
where a plethora of so many books of
Torah content and teachings are so readily
available. Armed with Torah at our side,
the task of being our own personal judge
is made so much easier.
We are now beginning Chodesh Elul.
May we all have the inner strength to be
our own “shoftim v’shotrim”, our
personal gatekeepers, and in that merit
may the coming year be one of much
mazel, gezunt, berachah, and hatzlachah,
for each of us, our familes and for all of
Am Yisroel.