Parshas Shoftim: Guard Your Gates

 

Torah Parallels Weekly

Parshas Shoftim

A Thought on the Parsha:   Guard Your Gates                         The passuk states “Judges and officers shall you in all your gates, which Hashem, your G-d, gives you – for your tribes; and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.” Rashi explains that this passuk teaches the need to have Jewish courts, as well as officers to enforce its rulings, in each and every city. Although this is certainly the meaning of the passuk on a simple level, many meforshim are bothered by the choice of the singular form “l'cha” and “sh'arecha” (“to you [singular]” and “your [singular] gates”). If the Torah was speaking to the entire B'nei Yisroel and commanding to institute a judicial system, the Torah should have used the plural forms, “lachem” and “she'areichem”. Why does it instead use the singular form of “you”?                         The Sh'lah HaKadosh  writes that there is a deeper concept being hinted to in this passuk. Aside from the need to establish a judicial system that will rule according to halacha and ensure that its rulings are implemented, there is a further responsibility that each person has as an individual. There are seven orifices in the face; each one an entrance to the control center of the body. What passes through these entrances has the power to affect us in very real and direct ways. When dealing with our relationship with the physical world, this concept is an easy one to grasp. We can all imagine our ears throbbing after hearing blaring off-key music, while we can also relate to a feeling of calmness and tranquility when listening to peaceful music or a sense of confidence when listening to encouraging words. Bacteria can cause ear infections, changes in atmospheric pressures can result in ears popping or even bleeding. Similarly, we have all experienced horrible stomachaches after eating spoiled food or even inhaling bad air, as well as the sensation of complete satisfaction after a wonderful meal. We have seen things which made us cry or perhaps faint, and we have seen things which made us laugh. We have smelled noxious scents which caused terrible head- and stomach-aches, as well as fragrances which put us into an immediate good mood.               There is no doubt that indeed the orifices of the head have the potential to be the means of delivery for items which are both good and bad for us physically. For this reason, we try our hardest to figure out which ones we should allow into our system and which we would be happier without. However, the important thing to keep in mind is that these passageways can allow transmission of things that could impact our inner-self as well and affect us spiritually. Remaining vigilant in guarding our gates for what may enter to our system that could affect us spiritually is just as vital as protecting against the things that could impact us physically.               Who are these guards that we establish at our gates to determine that what we allow ourselves to see, hear, smell or say is safe? The Lev Eliyahu writes that our seichel (intellect) is the shofet (judge) and our degree of yiras shamayim (fear of Heaven) is the shoter (enforcing officer). It is quite difficult to hold oneself to a standard without basing the purposefulness of the standard. Working on one’s yiras shamayim is key to becoming sensitive to things that are unsafe to consume.               Later in the parsha, the Torah discusses some of the laws regarding a Jewish king. The Torah imposes limits on the king and emphasizes that even though people have an obligation to fear and listen to a king, the king is still not permitted to display any haughtiness. The Ramban comments that we see from here that it is forbidden for anyone to be haughty. After all, if even the king is not allowed to feel inherently better than others, then certainly regular people cannot express such lordliness. Rather, it is incumbent on each individual to understand his place in this world as an eved Hashem.                         The Orchos Tzadikkim writes that Hashem says about one who is haughty, “The world is not big enough for both Me and him.”  Despite gaivah being a middah which tries to lift one haughtily over others, it is really like gravity to one’s neshamos – a constant force trying to push it as far to the ground as possible. Gaivah comes from involving oneself heavily in this world and getting to the point of thinking that he is in control of his own life. Anivus on the other hand is the recognition of Hashem’s involvement in the world and our role as avdei Hashem balanced with being bonim l'Hashem (servants and also children to Hashem)               As we begin the month of Elul preparing for Rosh Hashanah, we must internalize what the yom haras olam (birthday of the world) is all about. The Gemara states that Hashem says, “On Rosh Hashanah say malchiyos so that you can crown me as King over you.” Rosh Hashanah is certainly a time of din, but on a deeper level it is not merely recognizing that we are being judged, but rather realizing that it is Hashem who is the Judge and King of the entire universe. This is something which we could only realize once our gaivah is removed.               May Hashem help us ready ourselves by growing in anivus and yiras shamayim so that we could establish proper shoftim and shotrim within ourselves and secure our necessary, but vulnerable, gates in order that we should be properly prepared to declare Hashem as our King on Rosh Hashanah