Parashat Shoftim שֹׁפְטִים

The first two words in our Parasha, judges and police officers (“שֹׁפְטִים וְשֹׁטְרִים”) allude to the importance of our earthly legal system and its basic implementation. The word “Shoftim” has another word in it, the word “Peshat” (“פשט" - simple), alluding to basic judgments and assumption of crime and punishment. The “Shotrim” (“שֹׁטְרִים” - police officers), are the ones who must enforce the law and the execution of each judgment. Within the word “Shotrim” we find the “Shetar” (“שטר" - certificate), meaning that each judgment must be written and recorded. This system of judges and police officers must be placed at every city in the land of Israel, the land given to us by HaShem.

The Torah writes that we must place such judges and police officers in “our gates” to maintain Torah law and order. Our sages say that it comes to teach us that, as individuals, we must place guards within us. We must restrain and protect our eyes, mouth and our nose as they are the “gates” to our souls. Our judges and police officers are as follows:

       I.         “שֹׁפְטִים”, judges - they make and follow the laws along with Halachot as they are

compared to our eyes as we look and unfortunately judge people without truly knowing them.

   II.         “שֹׁטְרִים”, police officers - they enforce the laws, as they are compared to our mouth as we say things, unfortunately speak ill of people and make Lashon Hara, leading to a great sin.

We must control our “gates”, all our body parts, as they are the gates to righteous life and the life HaShem wants us to live by. Just as the judges and police officers are ordered by HaShem to seek out the true justice, so too we must do the same. We truly have five gates as they represent our five senses. The word “Chamisha” (“חמישה“) also alludes to the five senses and their organs: sight, smell, taste, touch, and hearing. We must use each one of them to worship HaShem properly and perform the Mitzvot with each of these organs. We should guard each and every “gate” of our bodies, from all non-holy and un-kosher items. There are seven gates, 2 eyes, 2 ears, 2 nostrils and 1 mouth. The Chida (Rabbi Haim David Azulai) said that the “gates” are the two gates of Torah (written) and Mishan (oral). We learn this from HaShem’s commandment to learn and teach the Torah, as we say in our daily prayers “Vedibarta Bam” ("ודברת בם"), meaning you shall learn and teach them. The word “Bam” ("בם") is actually the acronym to the first two words of both the written Torah, “Beresheet” (“בראשית") and the oral Torah “Me’Ematai” ("מאמתי").

In the first verse there is a hidden prophecy within the word “תִּתֶּן - Teten” (you shall give) which is 850 in numerical value. This is the same number of years Bnei-Yisrael  will be in the land of Israel based on the condition of keeping the laws while placing judges and police officers to enforce it. The prophet Yeshyahu (1:23) warned Bnei-Yisrael of an exile, specifically with the sins of bribery among the leadership of Bnei-Yisrael.

The Torah writes “Tzedek, Tzedek Tirdof” (“צדק צדק תרדוף”) “Justice, Justice you shall purse” to teach us that we must literally “chase” after the truth and the true justice. This term was written twice in the Torah (verse 17:20) to make sure our legal system clearly understood the power of justice and its outcome. Only if we keep such commandment of true justice, we shall merit the reward of our Holy Land, as the Torah writes: “צדק צדק, תרדוף--למען תחיה וירשת את-הארץ, אשר-יהוה אלוהיך נותן לך”. Our Sages add and say that “Tzedek, Tzedek” also means that we should first do a Mitzvah for its merit and then another for others. 

HaShem instruct the children of Israel to pursue justice  ״צדק צדק תרדוף״ It is very interesting to mention here that the word “Tzdek” in Gematria is 194 and it is written twice which equal 388, alluding to the word “Chapes” ("חפש" - seek out the truth) which has the same numerical value.

HaShem ordered Bnei-Yisrael  to place such judges and police officers who truly pursue justice and never dstort justice. Yitro (Parashat Yitro 18:21) advised Moshe to choose such people as he says “You shall seek out from among the people Anshie Chail (“אנשי-חיל"). The word “Chail” (“חיל" - valor) meant to tach us that such people can never be “bought” and never “sway” an outcome based on favoritism, rather they only seek true justice.  The numerical value of the word “Chail” is 48 same as the word “Moach” ("מח" - brain), to teach us that a true righteous men possess the 48 attributes of qualities to fulfill the laws of the Torah.