Ilustration Credit: Elad Lifshitz, Dov Abramson Studio
Midrash מִדְרָשׁ
Our parashah begins with the commandment to appoint judges and a system of courts. The Torah explains that the judges must be fair and pursue justice. Then, only three pesukim later, the Torah jumps to a totally new topic:
לֹא תִטַּע לְךָ אֲשֵׁרָה כָּל עֵץ…
You shall not set up an asheirah—any kind of tree for idolatry…
This pasuk says that you’re not allowed to plant a tree that is an asheirah—an idol that some of the nations in Eretz Yisrael used to worship. What could an asheirah possibly have to do with justice?
אָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ כׇּל הַמַּעֲמִיד דַּיָּין עַל הַצִּיבּוּר שֶׁאֵינוֹ הָגוּן כְּאִילּוּ נוֹטֵעַ אֲשֵׁירָה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "שֹׁפְטִים וְשֹׁטְרִים תִּתֶּן לְךָ" וּסְמִיךְ לֵיהּ "לֹא תִטַּע לְךָ אֲשֵׁרָה כָּל עֵץ."
Reish Lakish says: If you appoint a judge over the community who is not appropriate, it’s as if you planted an asheirah in Israel. As it is stated: “You shall appoint judges and officers for yourselves” (Devarim 16:18), and next to it, it is written: “You shall not set up an asheirah—any kind of tree for idolatry…” (Devarim 16:21).
Reish Lakish explains that the Torah brings these two mitzvot together to teach that we must be very, very careful about who we choose to be judges. If we choose someone who isn’t worthy or isn’t dedicated to the task, that’s as bad as the horrible sin of worshiping idols.
- What’s the connection between an unworthy judge and idol worship? Why is worshiping idols wrong, and what does that have to do with what an unworthy judge might do wrong?
- What kinds of judges and leaders should we look for to make sure this doesn’t happen?
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