The horn blows to usher in Elul, and it is blown every morning of the ninth of Elul as well, lest we forget and slip back, lest we surrender to the entropic pull of mindlessness. The Torah also stands ready to help keep us awake. As we move through the month of Elul, we also move through the Book of Deuteronomy, and each of the weekly Torah readings – Re’eh, Shoftim, Netzavim, Ki Tetze – whispers to us, “Wake up! Wake up!” Each of these readings offers a subtle rhyme to the process for awakening to which the month of Elul has called us.
This is Real and You are Completely Unprepared, Rabbi Alan Lew, p. 65
(יח) שֹׁפְטִ֣ים וְשֹֽׁטְרִ֗ים תִּֽתֶּן־לְךָ֙ בְּכׇל־שְׁעָרֶ֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֨ר ה' אֱלֹקֶ֛יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ לִשְׁבָטֶ֑יךָ וְשָׁפְט֥וּ אֶת־הָעָ֖ם מִשְׁפַּט־צֶֽדֶק׃ (יט) לֹא־תַטֶּ֣ה מִשְׁפָּ֔ט לֹ֥א תַכִּ֖יר פָּנִ֑ים וְלֹא־תִקַּ֣ח שֹׁ֔חַד כִּ֣י הַשֹּׁ֗חַד יְעַוֵּר֙ עֵינֵ֣י חֲכָמִ֔ים וִֽיסַלֵּ֖ף דִּבְרֵ֥י צַדִּיקִֽם׃ (כ) צֶ֥דֶק צֶ֖דֶק תִּרְדֹּ֑ף לְמַ֤עַן תִּֽחְיֶה֙ וְיָרַשְׁתָּ֣ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־ה' אֱלֹקֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לָֽךְ׃ {ס}
(18) You shall appoint judges and officers for yourself at all your gates, in all the tribes that your God ה' is giving you, and they shall judge the people with just judgment. (19) You shall not judge unfairly: you shall show no partiality; you shall not take bribes, for bribes blind the eyes of the discerning and upset the plea of the just. (20) Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may thrive and occupy the land that your God ה' is giving you.
~ What appears to be the simple meaning of the text?
~ What are the warnings?
~ Are those words applicable today as well?
~ What are other texts/stories that talk about the qualities of judges?
(21) You shall also seek out, from among all the people, capable individuals who fear God — trustworthy individuals who spurn ill-gotten gain. Set these over them as chiefs of thousands, hundreds, fifties, and tens, and (22) let them judge the people at all times. Have them bring every major dispute to you, but let them decide every minor dispute themselves. Make it easier for yourself by letting them share the burden with you.
(1) A psalm of Asaph.
God stands in the divine assembly; among the divine beings He pronounces judgment. (2) How long will you judge perversely, showing favor to the wicked? Selah. (3) Judge the wretched and the orphan, vindicate the lowly and the poor, (4) rescue the wretched and the needy; save them from the hand of the wicked.
(5) They neither know nor understand, they go about in darkness; all the foundations of the earth totter. (6) I had taken you for divine beings, sons of the Most High, all of you; (7) but you shall die as men do, fall like any prince. (8) Arise, O God, judge the earth, for all the nations are Your possession.
~ What connections can you form between our parsha and the Psalm for Tuesday?
~ The simple meaning of this text - the need for judges to be just in their decisions - is an important voice in our tradition. Equally important will be the reading that will internalize those directives towards the individual's spiritual growth.
Elimelech Weisblum of Lizhensk (Poland, 1717–March 11, 1787) is a leader of the third generation of Chasidut, having studied with Dov Ber of Metzritch. His brother was Reb Zusya of Hanipol, and his Sabbath lectures were recorded by his disciples and collected by his son Elazar and published a year after his death under the title "Noam Elimelekh".
Judges [shoftim] and Officers etc - we explain this through what is written in the Gemarah "the righteous are ruled [shoftan] by their inclination to good etc." (Berakhot 61b). The explanation is that the way of the righteous is that they have (internally) a rebuker that rebukes them on every action they take, it rebukes them on their faces and shows them that even in their good deeds how they are lacking, and how they did not do them appropriately (lit. according to the halakha) so as to do them for the sake of the Creator Praised Be, and this is "the impulse to do good rules them". This is not what happens to the evil people, to whom all is upside down, since all their deeds are good in their eyes, and even the evil deeds they do the impulse to do evil shows them that they did a good thing, and this is "the impulse to do evil rules them."
"Middling people are ruled by both", as the tanna says "like us, middling". That is, a person needs to strengthen oneself with these two ways, to always dispute internally regarding one's deeds, seeing oneself all the time as lacking in one's work (avodah, also worship) to the Holy One, and that one has not fulfilled one's obligation. As a person does one of the mitzvot of God, one needs to understand and comprehend very well that one did not do it with all the requirements regarding clearness (lucidity) and merit as fitting for Hashem Praised Be, and then one will see oneself as humble and despised in one's eyes. And yet, one should not, God forbid, hold oneself to be evil, because in that case the person won't be able to have heart to do a mitzvah or [study] Torah or pray, and what would this be? A kosher and direct action? [Of course not] A person in that case] despairs and says that they are not capable to do this. We find that one needs to strengthen these two levels (internally) together so they will be perfect within oneself, as the rabbis of blessed memory say "with all your hearts - with your two inclinations", and this is "like us, middling" and "middlings are ruled by both."
~ What is the Noam Elimelech's understanding of the function of the yetzer hatov for tzadikim, completely righteous people?
~ What is his understanding of the function of the yetzer hara for resha'im, completely evil people?
~ How can "Middlings" use both, since they are ruled by both forces?
~ Who or what are the judges and the officers, in this reading?
~ How does the Noam Elimelech reread the idea of gates?
"You must not bend etc and not recognize a face" (Deuteronomy 16:20) because it is written "you shall not have other gods before Me [lit. in front of My face]" (Exodus 20:3) and one can explain it like this: behold, the Blessed Creator is called "face of every thing", since every thing has a piece of divinity that makes it present and gives it vitality, and if, God forbid, a person thinks a extraneous thought, or looks at something evil, then one turns away and distances one's face from it. And the extraneous thoughts and the evil sightings and evil passing thoughts are called "other gods" and this is "you shall not have other gods etc" and this is [also] "you must not recognize faces" that is to say, that you will not sin and not think outside thoughts, so that you won't distance the face and become estranged from yourself. "You shall take no bribe because the bribe blinds the eyes of the wise, etc" (Deuteronomy 16:20), and at a first glance don't our eyes see many and many receivers of bribe, and they are healthy, and strong, and they die peacefully? But the issue is that the righteous person who is dedicated to Hashem in truth merits high levels in the eyes of His intellect, that is, the higher Wisdom. This is "the eyes of Hashem are on the righteous" (Psalms 34:16), meaning, that the Holy One of Blessing gives merit to the righteous in the eyes of the Higher Intellect. And this is [also how you can understand] "you shall not take etc because the bribe blinds the eyes of the wise etc": that the person will not merit in the eyes of His intellect in the Higher Wisdom. "And perverts the words of the righteous" that is, the righteous, who speak in holiness, are perverted by the receiver of bribes, that is, not only that that person will not merit Higher Wisdom, but also if the righteous want to rebuke them with their words and return that person to the good, their words will not help that person, since all their words will appear to that person as perverted.
~ How does the Noam Elimelech reread the directive to not show favor (ie, recognize a face)?
~ What happens, spiritually, to those who take bribes? Notice that the issue of bribes, as an objective reality, continues to exist in the Noam Elimelech's time and place.
~ What happens when the righteous try to chastise those who take bribes? Why?
"Justice, justice you hall pursue", meaning that you will try to make your deeds righteous ones, that through the righteousness of below, you will pursue the Higher righteousness, to raise it to is root and to sweeten it, and this is also the explanation for "and they will judge the people with a righteous judgment".
~ How does the Noam Elimelech read the last sentence of our text?
~ What does the doubling of the language teach, according to him?
~ How does our own self-betterment reflect or influence the betterment of the society around us?
(ו) שבע כפולות בג"ד כפר"ת יסוד חקקן חצבן צרפן שקלן והמירן וצר בהם שבעה כוכבים בעולם שבעה ימים בשנה שבעה שערים בנפש זכר ונקבה:
(ז) שבעה כוכבים בעולם שבתאי צדק מאדים חמה נוגה כוכב לבנה. שבעה ימים בשנה שבעת ימי השבוע. שבעה שערים בנפש זכר ונקבה שתי עינים שתי אזנים שני נקבי האף והפה:
(6) Seven Doubles: BGD KPRT (בגד כפרת) of Foundation
He engraved them, He carved them,
He permuted them, He weighed them,
He transformed them,
And with them He formed:
Seven planets in the Universe,
Seven days in the Year,
Seven gates in the Soul,
male and female.
(7) Seven planets in the Universe:
Saturn, Jupiter, Mars,
Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon.
Seven days in the Year,
The seven days of the week.
Seven gates in the Soul, male and female:
Two eyes, two ears, two nostrils,
and the mouth.
~ The important piece for our purposes is that the human being reflects the universe - "adam olam katan", a person is a microcosm. And that is hinted on the "7 gates to the soul".
Rabbi Ishmael his son said: he who refrains himself from judgment, rids himself of enmity, robbery and false swearing; but he whose heart is presumptuous in giving a judicial decision, is foolish, wicked and arrogant.
Yisroel Hopstein (1737–1814), also known as the Maggid of Kozhnitz. He is fourth generation of Chasidut, having been a student of both the Magid of Mezeritch (Dov Ber of Mezeritch) and of Elimelech of Lizhensk, and he founded the Kozhnitz dynasty among the hasidim.
והגס לבו בהוראה שוטה רשע וגס רוח. י"ל הפירוש כמו שנפרש הפסוק זה שופטים ושוטרים תתן לך בכל שעריך ושבעה שערים בנפש וצריך האדם לשפוט את עצמו כגון העינים שלא לראות רק במקום שרשאין לראות והאזנים רק לשמוע ד"ת ומצות ובפה רק לדבר בד"ת ובתפלה והאדם נק' עיר כמ"ש בקהלת עיר קטנה ואנשים בה מעט וצריך לשפוט ולהורות את עצמו את הדרך אשר ילכו בה ובפרט בימי הספירה ויותר בשבוע הששית שהוא צריך לתקן מדת היסוד שהוא בפסוק לך ה' הגדולה כו' כי כל בשמים ובארץ ותרגומו דאחיד בשמיא ובארעא כי מדת היסוד מרמז שהקב"ה הוא יסוד ועיקר דכל עלמין וזהו דאחיד בשמיא ובארעא וזהו הגס לבו בהוראה שמגיס דעתו ואומר שאינו צריך לשפוט את עצמו וסובר שאין מזיק את עצמו בראיה בעלמא ובאמת לא כן הוא: א"י ע"ד הפשוט כי כאשר מגיס דעתו קצת אז תיכף רוח שטות נכנס בלבו:
And one whose heart is presumptuous in giving a judicial decision, is foolish, wicked and arrogant (Avot 4:7). And one could understand this as it the verse 'You shall appoint judges and officers for your tribes.' And there are seven gates to the soul. And a person needs to judge themselves, such as the eyes should be turned to see only what is appropriate to be seen; and the ears should only listen to words of Torah and mitzvot, and the mouth should only speak words of Torah and prayer. And an individual is [also] called 'city', as it is written in Kohelet "a small city with a few men in it" (Ecclesiastes 9:14-15), and so one needs to judge and direct oneself towards the good path that they should take, particularly in the times of the counting of the Omer, and even more in the sixth week, when one has to fix the aspect of Yesod, which is symbolized by the verse "Yours, Ad-nai, are greatness, might, splendor, triumph, and majesty—yes, all that is in heaven and on earth; to You, Ad-nai, belong kingship and preeminence above all." (I Chronicles 29:11). And its targum [explanation, Zohar Bereshit 35:339] is "only One in heaven and earth", since Yesod hints that the Holy One of Blessing is the Yesod [basis] and the essence of all the worlds, and this is "only One in heaven and earth", and this is "And one whose heart is presumptuous in giving a judicial decision" is that they are presumptuous in thinking that they do not need to judge themselves, and that they think that do not impair themselves when they see inappropriate things, it is just seeing. And the truth is also found in the simple meaning: when one becomes arrogant and presumptuous, immediately a spirit of foolishness enters in one's heart.
~ How does the Avodat Israel understand our verse?
~ What is the connection that he sees between our verse and the mishnah in Pirkei Avot?
~ What are the dangers of judging others?
Levi Yitzchok of Berditchev (aka Levi Yitzchok Derbarmdiger, compassionate in Yiddish) - (Poland, 1740–1809), also known as the holy Berdichever, and the Kedushas Levi. He is third generation of Chasidut, having studied under the Maggid of Metzerich.
שופטים ושוטרים תתן לך בכל שעריך כו' ושפטו את העם משפט צדק (דברים טו, יח). דהנה הקדוש ברוך הוא שופט את הכנסת ישראל בבוא יום המשפט בגודל רחמיו וחסדיו. אך צריכין אתערותא דלתתא לעורר את המדה של רחמנות למעלה. ועל ידי מה נתעורר אותו המדה של חסד, כשאנו למטה מתנהגים בחסד ולמדים זכות על כל איש מישראל לדונן לכף זכות ואז על ידי זה גם מלמעלה נתעורר אותו המדה ולמדין גם עליו וגם על כל זרע ישראל חסדים. ואם כן האדם מעורר בעובדא שלמטה השער העליון לפתוח שערי חסד להריק ברכה על כל זרע ישראל. וזה שכתוב שופטים ושוטרים תתן לך בכל שעריך, רוצה לומר שאתה בעצמך תתקן ותכין המשפט של מעלה על ידי שעריך, והוא השערים שלך שאתה עושה ומעורר במעשיך. וזהו ושפטו את העם משפט צדק, רוצה לומר כל איש ילמוד את עצמו להתנהג לשפוט את העם משפט צדק ללמד צדקה וזכות על כל זרע ישראל ואז האדם מעורר השער של מעלה ועל ידי זה יוצא בדין זכאי במשפט של מעלה, כי במדה שאדם מודד מודדין לו:
Deuteronomy 16,18. “Judges and officers you shall appoint in your “gates” who will judge the people fairly.” Behold, God sits in judgment of the people of Israel on New Year’s Day through great compassion and lovingkindness. However, it an awakening from below is still needed for the aspect of compassion of above. When we carry ourselves with lovingkindess and we learn [to see the] merits of all the people in Israel, so as to judge with the benefit of the doubt, through this we awaken the aspect of lovingkindness. Through this, also above the same aspect is awakened, and so all Jews receive the benefit of the doubt. And so, a person who awakens the higher gate to open the gates of lovingkindness is able to bring out blessing on all Jews. And this is what is written: 'judges and officers you shall appoint in all your gates' - meaning, that you, yourself, should fix and ready the judgment of Above through your own gates, that are the gates that you create with your actions. And this is 'and they will judge the people with a righteous judgment' - meaning, every person will learn to conduct themselves to judge others, all the people, with a righteous judgment, to teach tzedakah and merit regarding them all. And doing so a person awakens the gate of Above, and through this the person comes out as righteous in the judgment of Above, since “With the measure that a person measures, [so] will they be measured” (Megillah 12b).
~ How does the Kedushat Levi understand judgment and judging oneself and others?
~ What are the gates, in his reading?
~ How do our actions and thoughts below awaken energies above? How do those energies come back to us?