30 Aug JUDGES, OFFICERS AND GATES
“Shoftim v’shotrim titein lechah b’chol sh’arechah…., You shall appoint judges and law enforcers in all your gates (cities).” (Devarim 16:18)
This week’s parshah, Shoftim, opens with the mandate of appointing righteous, impartial judges and law enforcers. The Ohr HaChaim teaches that both are necessary to uphold a safe, secure society.
How true are the Torah’s commandments, words that are relevant for all time.
Just this past week, the world was shocked to see footage of a most jarring unprovoked attack which took place in Kings Plaza (a large shopping mall in my own neighborhood). A thirty-six year old man was sucker-punched on his head. Security cameras captured the entire incident. The victim fell, face down, and lay motionless on the floor. Though there were numerous bystanders, none came to his aid. The cameras caught an even more disturbing picture of a uniformed security guard walking right past the motionless man without even stopping to ascertain the victim’s condition or to summon emergency aid.
Shoftim v’shotrim, judges and law enforcers. When they don’t fulfill their responsibility to society, our safety and security are in jeopardy.
I am reminded of when my mother, the Rebbetzin a”h, lectured to members of the US military and their families in Fort Hood, Texas. My mother spoke about the atrocities that she and our people endured during the Holocaust. She imparted a message of how important it is for the United States, the world’s greatest democracy, to protect the rights and freedom of mankind. To be partners with G-d in making sure the horrors of the Holocaust will never be repeated.
After the lecture, a little girl had a question. “Rebbetzin, ma’am, why didn’t you call the police?”
What an American question, my mother thought. How could she possibly explain to this innocent child, growing up in a free, democratic society, that the police were equally treacherous, equally brutal, equally determined to kill them? That the Hungarian police were collaborating with the Nazis in their war against the Jews.
We read in the Torah, “Tzedek, tzedek tirdof…., Justice, justice you shall pursue”. The word tzedek, justice is repeated, to remind us how important it is to go above and beyond in the pursuit of justice. To protect man’s freedoms and liberties, even their very own physical beings.
The directive to appoint judges and officers is “lechah, for yourselves.” Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l taught that the Torah states lechah, to demonstrate that we must be accountable for our own character, our own actions. This message is especially timely and meaningful during the days of Elul.
As we approach Rosh HaShanah, the baalei mussar teach that we should make a personal cheshbon hanefesh, a deep soul-searching and self-accounting, hopefully leading to refinements in our character, and improvements in our thoughts and actions.
The Shelah HaKodosh addresses the question as to why the Torah uses the words “b’chol sh’arechah, in all your gates” rather than “b’chol irechah, in all your cities.” The Shelah teaches while the literal translation of sh’arechah is gates, there is a deeper connotation for each of us to internalize. Sh’arechah, gates can be understood as referring to the seven openings, the seven gateways to the mind. HaShem gives us two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, and a 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 lashon 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 in Mishlei, “Mavess v’chaim b’yad loshon – Death and life are in the power of the tongue.” The stakes are high. Words can either make or break a person. Our tongues can build others up, or they can tear them down.
The remaining two gates to the mind are our nostrils. The gates of aromas and scents. However, there is a difference between the nostrils and the other gates. In Gan Eden, when Adam and Chavah took from the Eitz HaDaas, the Tree of Knowledge, each of the senses was involved, except that of scent. They saw the fruit of the tree, they listened to the words of the serpent, and they tasted the fruit. Their nostrils, however, remained pure – undefiled. It is for that reason, at the close of Shabbos, during Havdalah, we say a berachah, take a whiff of besamim, and allow the aroma to enter our nostrils, the gates of smell. It travels directly to the neshamah, and supplies us with that extra measure of strength – a whiff of Gan Eden. A whiff to give us koach, strength for the week ahead.
On Motzoei Shabbos it is customary to escort the Shabbos Queen upon her departure with a Melaveh Malkah. Once again, we light candles, wash for hamotzi, and recite special zemiros and tefillos.
There is one tefillah, Ribon kol haolamim, Master of all worlds, which I find especially stirring, and speaks to me in a very personal way. In this prayer, we beseech HaShem to open for us in the coming week the numerous Gates of Blessings. There are sixty-three gates mentioned, among them the gates of long life, gates of wisdom, gates of understanding, gates of happiness, gates of redemption, gates of strength, gates of Torah, gates of forgiveness, gates of sustenance, gates of good health, gates of peace, and gates of Divine protection.
In the merit of us guarding our seven gates, may HaShem bless us by opening for us all of His gates of blessings.