Parshas Ki Seitzei - Partners in Crime

Parshas Ki Seitzei

Partners in Crime

By: Daniel Listhaus

לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ בְּכִיסְךָ אֶבֶן וָאָבֶן גְּדוֹלָה וּקְטַנָּה: לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ בְּבֵיתְךָ אֵיפָה וְאֵיפָה גְּדוֹלָה וּקְטַנָּה: אֶבֶן שְׁלֵמָה וָצֶדֶק יִהְיֶה לָּךְ אֵיפָה שְׁלֵמָה וָצֶדֶק יִהְיֶה לָּךְ לְמַעַן יַאֲרִיכוּ יָמֶיךָ עַל הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר ה' אֱלֹקיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ: כִּי תוֹעֲבַת ה' אֱלֹקיךָ כָּל עֹשֵׂה אֵלֶּה כֹּל עֹשֵׂה עָוֶל

“You shall not have in your pouch a stone and a stone – a large one and a small one. You shall not have in your house a measure and a measure – a large one and a small one. A complete [perfect] and honest stone shall you have, a complete [perfect] and honest measure shall you have, so that your days shall be lengthened on the land that Hashem, your G-d, gives you. For an abomination of Hashem, your G-d, are all who do this, all who act fraudulently.”

-Ki Seitzei 25:13-16

As is most of Sefer Devarim¹, this mitzva is a reiteration of what was commanded earlier in the Torah.² The requirement for a person to make sure that one's scales are accurate is a mitzva which is fundamental in the Torah because it represents the necessary honesty and truth which must be exhibited at all times.

The Kli Yakar³ is bothered that if one takes a closer look at these passukim (verses), one will notice a technical difficulty. What does the Torah mean by “a large stone” and “a small stone”? Our first thought may be to think that they represent measures which would result in giving too much or too little merchandise. The Torah would then be describing a dishonest person who, when taking things for himself uses the large stone, yet when measuring for others uses the small stone. However, this cannot be the right explanation because it does not fit well in the passuk. When the Torah writes what one should have instead of these two stones, it says, “A complete [perfect] and honest stone shall you have...”.⁴ The passuk counters the small stone by stating that one must have a full one, but does not seem to directly address the over-sized measurement by advising to instead get a smaller one of normal size. Why is this so?

Based on this question, it must be that there is a slightly different explanation and perhaps a deeper message being taught here in the Torah. The Kli Yakar explains as follows. Although when the Torah writes here “a small stone” it does indeed refer to one which measures less than it should, the “large stone” which is mentioned does not reflect this same idea to refer to a measure more than it is supposed to be. Instead, when the Torah describes the “large stone” it means a perfectly accurate stone. The Torah only used the adjective “large” in order to compare and contrast it to the fraudulent small one.

The obvious problem with this is, as the Kli Yakar himself points out, why does the Torah command that such a stone should not be found in one's possession? The Torah should instead have said, “You should not have in your pouch a small stone, rather you should only have a large one.” Furthermore, after stating this negative commandment, the Torah⁵ strengthens it by saying that this is considered an abomination to Hashem. Why should Hashem despise those who carry accurate measures?

The Kli Yakar answers these questions in the following way. Shlomo HaMelech writes in Mishlei⁶, “A stone and a stone, a measure and a measure, also both of them are abominations to Hashem”. The word “also” (“gam”) seems to be extra. Why not just write “both of them...”? Based on this the Kli Yakar explains that the two stones/measures that Shlomo refers to are not both dishonest. Rather, one is small and the other is accurate, and yet Shlomo is coming to teach us that even the one which is the right measure is an abomination. The reason for this is because having the correct stone creates a situation which allows one to be deceitful by accrediting the small one. After all, imagine if this store owner would only have his small measure. He could take his chances, but every time he dares to cheat someone, he will be worried that people will realize and take him to Beis Din (Jewish court). In such a case he will be found guilty and suffer the consequences. However, with an accurate measure in his pocket as well, which he could use for some of his customers, a fail-proof scheme is formed. Now if someone were to go home and discover he was given less than he should have gotten and try to take the dishonest person to Beis Din, this person would be able to confidently go to Beis Din and call in those for who he always measured correctly to swear in his defense. The result would be that Beis Din would assume that the person claiming to have been cheated is indeed the real cheater and that his own weights are the ones which are imprecise.

Immediately after this commandment not to have inaccurate measures, the Torah charges us to never forget what Amalek did to us when we came out of Mtzrayim. They attacked us when we were vulnerable and we cannot forgive them of this. Rashi⁷ comments that the juxtaposition between these two seemingly unconnected topics is coming to communicate the following message. If we are untruthful about our measures and weights, then we should should begin worrying about getting attacked by our enemies.

The Kli Yakar is very bothered by this Rashi. First, what does being dishonest have to do with our enemies attacking us? We know that Hashem punishes middah k'neged middah (measure for measure), so why is having our enemies attack us considered a fit punishment for cheating our customers? Furthermore, when Amalek attacked us there were certainly no cases yet of people with fraudulent measures, so this explanation does not even work well with the first time Amalek waged war against us. How could we understand this Rashi?

The Kli Yakar continues and says that with the aforementioned idea we developed, we could now have a better appreciation for this juxtaposition that Rashi is coming to address. The person who has the accurate measuring stone together with the under-sized one is trying to secretly deceive his customers. He is one who is lacking yiras shamayim (fear of Heaven), for he does not consider the fact that Hashem is omniscient. Rather, he thinks that Hashem will be tricked with his scheme along with the Beis Din. A person with such a mentality deserves to be attacked by Amalek – who attack publicly at times when we are lax in our yiras shamayim.⁸

The yesod (foundation, main point) of this Kli Yakar is one which is an important one to internalize. Even though the accurate stone is nothing more than a passive player in a plot to harm others, it is still considered as much an abomination as the stone specifically designed to cheat. Keeping quiet while a friend is doing something wrong, or being a silent partner in a crime, still makes one a responsible party in what occurred. We must be careful not just to make sure that we are not the dishonest stone, but to even make sure that we do not place ourselves as the accurate measure in an environment which, with its presence, sheker could be enhanced.

The opposite is also true. Earlier in this week's parsha, the Torah relates some exceptions as to who is allowed to convert to Judaism.⁹ Among these passukim, the Torah¹⁰ says, “You shall not hate an Edomite, for he is your brother; you shall not abhor an Egyptian for you were a sojourner in his land. Children who are born to them in the third generation may enter the congregation of Hashem.” At face value, this passuk is extremely difficult to understand. We are commanded to not show hatred toward Egyptians nor prevent them from converting to Judaism because we are forever indebted to them; after all, we stayed in their land. What exactly do we owe them for? The price we paid for staying in Mitzrayim was not worth the value we received. We were forced into hard, purposeless labor, they tried to kill our children by drowning them in the Nile, and even after we finally left Mitzrayim they chased after us! Yet, despite all this, we are expected to allow them to convert to Judaism after three generations? For what do we owe this favor? Rashi¹¹ on this passuk comments that although all these facts are true and we were indeed treated miserably by the Egyptians, nevertheless because they were a source of help during our time of need when there was a famine in Eretz Yisroel and the shevatim came to Mitzrayim for food, we are indebted to them.

This Rashi does not make the passuk any easier to understand. No time in history did the Ancient Egyptians intend to do anything nice for the Jews. Hashem had a plan to get B'nei Yisroel down to Mitzrayim. Therefore, Hashem created a famine everywhere except for Egypt which had seven plentiful years and had stored silos of food. The Egyptian government's full intention was to become fabulously wealthy using the advise that Yosef HaTzadik gave them. Yet, even though they were nothing more than a proverbial pawn in Hashem's master plan, still, because we benefited from dwelling there, we must hold back our hatred and allow them to convert to Judaism if they wish.¹²

We see here a very similar concept as we saw in the Kli Yakar. It does not matter how passive a part one may play in an overall plan. If one causes goodness to come from him, no matter how indirect, it will be attributed back to him. The same, however, is true in the opposite scenario. Even someone as complete and perfect as the accurate stone, but who is lacking in yiras shamayim and plays even the smallest role in contributing to bring aveiros into the world, is responsible for those ramifications.

As difficult as it may be for a person to become a “perfect stone” in the first place, that still cannot be our ultimate goal. The Orchos Tzadikkim¹³ offers the following moshol. A person may work hard to fill his barrel with wine, but as long as there is a hole in the barrel, it will all leak out. The same is true when it comes to people. One may even be on the level to realize that gashmiyus (materialism) is not what is important, and such a person may fill his barrel with Torah and chesed. However, as long as there is a lack in yiras shamayim, there are holes in the barrel and it will all leak out.

The trickster in our parsha has a perfect stone. However, because it just sits silently as a deceitful scheme evolves around it, it too is an abomination in Hashem's eyes. As mentioned, though, the opposite holds true as well. One who is the cause of chesed, even if it be indirectly, is owed a sense of gratitude for being there in a time of need. Imagine if we actually make an effort to encourage people or actively help others to achieve, how much more so will we be rewarded!

1This is in fact why Sefer Devarim is also called Mishna Torah – because it is a repeat of many of the Torah.

2Vayikra 19:35

3Devarim 25:13

4Devarim 25:14

5Devarim 25:16

6Mishlei 20:10

7Devarim 25:17

8See Rashi on Shemos 17:8

9Devarim 23:4

10Devarim 23:8-9

11Devarim 23:8

12See Sifri Devarim 252 (23:8-9)

13In the Hakdama (Introduction) to the sefer.

Parshas Ki Seitzei - Hangman, Shovels, and Fingers in Your Ears; Kavod Ha'adom vs. Kavod Hashem: Same Difference

Parshas Ki Seitzei

Hangman, Shovels, and Fingers in Your Ears

Kavod Ha'adom vs. Kavod Hashem:

Same Difference

By: Daniel Listhaus

וְכִי יִהְיֶה בְאִישׁ חֵטְא מִשְׁפַּט מָוֶת וְהוּמָת וְתָלִיתָ אֹתוֹ עַל עֵץ: לֹא תָלִין נִבְלָתוֹ עַל הָעֵץ כִּי קָבוֹר תִּקְבְּרֶנּוּ בַּיּוֹם :iהַהוּא כִּי קִלְלַת אֱ־לֹקים תָּלוּי וְלֹא תְטַמֵּא אֶת אַדְמָתְךָ אֲשֶׁר ה' אֱ-לֹקיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ נַחֲלָה

“If a man will have committed a sin whose judgment is death and he shall be put to death, and you shall hang him on a wooden beam. His body shall not remain for the night on the wooden beam, rather you shall surely bury him on that day, for a hanging person is an insult of Hashem...”

-Ki Seitzei 21:22-23

Rashi¹ comments that we do not leave the body hanging because man is made in the image of Hashem, and the Jews are His sons. Therefore, to leave a body hanging would be deemed a degradation of the King. Rashi continues and gives the following moshol (parable): There were two identical twin brothers. One became a king, while the other became involved in thievery and was hung. Whoever would see him hanging would exclaim, “The king is hanging!”

There are a couple of questions on this Rashi which beg to be asked. Granted, man was created with the image of Hashem and we are His children. However, at the end of the day, this guy did an aveirah (sin) deserving of death². Last week's parsha stated many times that we should show no mercy to those deserving of punishment for not following the laws of the Torah³. Why is it then that when it comes to keeping the man hanging, the Torah suddenly seems to show mercy for his corpse? Furthermore, if we take everything this Rashi says literally, then this whole concept seems difficult to understand. Is it really true that if one will see a man hanging that he will say about it that Hashem is hanging? Certainly not! So what exactly is going on here? What is the underlying reason behind why we do not leave the man hanging? And how could we understand Rashi's concern of people immediately associating man with Hashem?

Later on in the parsha, the passukim (verses) resume dealing with the halachos (laws) of going out to battle. The passuk⁴ tells us that in addition to a soldier's weaponry, there is an obligation upon each soldier who goes out to battle to carry a shovel. The reason for this, as the Torah itself tells us, is in order to be able to use it to dig a hole and cover one's excrement.

Let us think for a moment about this strange mitzva. It does not take a military expert to comprehend that when going to battle one must only pack the essentials. A gun⁵ is a good idea. A canteen of water is a good idea. A heavy solid-metal shovel is not a bad idea... it is a TERRIBLE idea! Why tire out an entire army by making each soldier carry such an instrument?⁶

Furthermore, the Gemara⁷ learns out a limud from this passuk. The passuk⁸ says, “There should be a spade among your weaponry”. The Hebrew word for “your weaponry” is “a'zei'ne'cha” which is very similar to the word for “your ears” - “a'za'ne'cha”. With this, the Gemara goes on to say a halacha; that we learn from here that if someone is about to hear something which is not nice [such as lashon harah or nivul peh], one should put his fingers – which are shaped as spades – into his ears.⁹

There is obviously a connection between this halacha and the halacha that each soldier must carry a spade into battle, based on the similarity of words. This alone would certainly allow chazal to make their limud.¹⁰ However, is there perhaps a deeper connection linking these seemingly very different halachos together?

Perhaps there is a common denominator between the hanging man, digging excrement, and listening to evil speech. Let us start our analysis with the shovel one is required to carry during battle. From the fact that the Torah demands that it be part of the weaponry, it must be because it is just as important as the weaponry. We could try to understand this based on the following. We know that there are two elements to everything we do: our hishtadlus – the effort we put in, and siyata d'shmaya – aid from Hashem. Certainly the weaponry we bring with us to battle is the hishtadlus we put in. The shovel, on the other hand, is our symbol for siyata d'shmaya. The halacha¹¹ is that it is assur (forbidden) to daven in front of excrement, since it is unfitting for Hashem to come to such a place. Since it is through tefillah (prayers) that we ask for siyata d'shmaya, a spade or shovel is certainly a necessity in order to be able to utilize our real weapon - davening.¹² Looking at this in a broader sense, another way of presenting this idea is that in order to create an environment of “v'haya machane'cha kadosh”¹³ – to keep the camp holy – a milieu of kavod ha'briyos (respect of creations [i.e. humans]) is needed as a prerequisite to an atmosphere worthy of kavod Hashem (honor/respect of Hashem).

Perhaps this is the underlying theme behind the hanging man, digging excrement, and listening to evil speech. All three are commandments guarding the basics of kavod ha'adom (respect of mankind). It is forbidden to say or listen to lashon harah because it is fundamentally disregarding others. Forgetting to exercise kavod ha'adom during battle has a direct positive correlation with not showing kavod Hashem. Therefore, the shechina will not fight alongside the hishtadlus of the army. The same is true when it comes to the death penalty. If the Torah demands the death of an individual, it is certainly mandatory to do so, and, as the Torah says, with showing no mercy. However, when it comes to leaving the corpse hanging for longer than necessary - a most degrading thing, Hashem says things have gone too far. As Rashi¹⁴ states, “Leaving the corpse hanging is a degradation to the King, for man is made in the likeness of His image”. Not showing proper kavod ha'adom automatically means not recognizing proper kavod Hashem.

Respect for humans is something so basic and so necessary, it is required to be rehearsed during the hardest of times, such as war, and even at times when the person being degraded is hanging due to his sins Without a basic understanding of chashivus ha'adom (greatness of man), Hashem will not come to our help in battle and, as in the case where a person is treated improperly – whether alive or dead, will feel degraded Himself – so to speak.¹⁵

Why is this so? Why is it that kavod ha'adom and kavod Hashem are so closely interconnected?

The Alter of Slabodka¹⁶ writes that the passuk¹⁷ in Bereishis tells us that Hashem created man in His image and His likeness. Hashem created man as his own miniature world.¹⁸ Just as the world has a King – Hashem, so too each of our own little worlds has a king – the neshama which Hashem breathed into us. The neshama, which connects every person with Hashem, is so precious that when man was created, the melachim (angels) wanted to sing praises.¹⁹ Within each and every person is an incredible amount of potential waiting to be tapped into. The neshama comes from a limitless place and is ready and waiting to achieve tremendous heights.²⁰ This aspect of man, which is directly connected to kavod Hashem, demands a level of kavod ha'adom.

The Gemara²¹ relates the famous story of a man who came to Hillel and asked him to teach him the whole Torah while standing on one foot. Hillel responded, “What is hateful to you, do not do to your neighbor. That is the whole Torah while the rest is commentary; go and learn it.” Hashem, and His Torah, is the source for all kavod. Yet, man resembles Hashem and therefore, kavod ha'adom and kavod Hashem overlap on many fronts. This is perhaps why the Gemara²² has a whole discussion as to which laws we would push away if they would conflict with kavod habriyos. At one point the Gemara even suggests that kavod habriyos should be docheh (supersedes [literally: push away]) a lo sa'aseh (negative commandment)! This is not because kavod habriyos is better than the Torah, rather because it is the Torah and is kavod Hashem.²³ When one honors his fellow man (for the proper reasons), he is in essence honoring Hashem. It is based on this that Rabbi Akiva taught²⁴, “v'ahavta l'rei'acha ka'mocha zeh k'lal gadol ba'torah – You shall love your fellow as yourself. This is a great rule in the Torah.”

Anything that goes contrary to the axiom of “v'ahavta l'rei'acha ka'mocha” - the basic principle of loving one's friends as one loves oneself - is by definition against the Torah. It disregards kavod ha'adom and therefore, by definition, kavod Hashem as well. This is why we cannot leave the corpse hanging, must carry a shovel into battle, and are required to stick our fingers in our ears when we are at risk of hearing lashon harah.

An even more basic element contained in v'ahavta l'rei'acha ka'mocha is that each of us has an obligation to love ourselves.²⁵ Only once we respect ourselves for being created in the image of Hashem, realizing our own potential and what we are capable of, could we be prepared to respect others. And only once we have an appreciation for others, could we be ready to fully honor Hashem.

1Devarim 21:23

2See Rashi 21:22 who writes that all those who get put to death through s'kilah (stoning) are hanged afterward. Keep in mind that getting put to death by Beis Din (Jewish courts) means that one is guilty without a shadow of a doubt. There is a whole process required in order to actually prove someone deserving of the death penalty. For example, the person has to have been warned, and the two people who witnessed him doing the action despite his warning go through a strenuous cross examination by Beis Din to verify that their stories match. The Mishna in Makkos (7a) states that because of this process, a Beis Din that killed more than one man every seventy years was known as a “bloody Beis Din”.

3For examples see: Devarim 18:22, Devarim 19:13, and Devarim 19:21,

4Devarim 23:14

5They probably had more swords, spears, and bows and arrows than guns, but that is beside the point.

6The seriousness of the commandment that each solider must carry a shovel, could be seen quite clearly because Rashi explains the passuk to mean, “Take the shovel besides the other implements you use”. The Be'er B'sadeh comments that Rashi uses the word besides instead of in addition to in order to bring out the following point: Even though the solider has other instruments with him which could perhaps be used to dig holes in the ground as well, still, do not rely on those tools because sometimes in battle the ground will be hard and one may choose not to put so much pressure on his weapons and will therefore not make a deep enough hole to fully cover his excrement. We therefore see how extreme and serious the Torah is when it comes to this mitzva.

7Kesuvos 5a-5b

8Devarim 23:14

9See also Sefer Chasidim 72. Another observation that is made is that the earlobe is soft and could be bent in to block one's hearing when in danger of hearing lashon harah.

10See Maharsha in Kesuvos 5b who writes that the limud links this passuk with the one a few passukim earlier (Devarim 23:10) which could be read as “guard yourself from any bad speech” [as if written dibbur (speech) instead of davar (thing)]

11Shulchan Aruch Ohr HaChayim Siman 79

12As we say in Tehillim 20:8 “...Some with chariots and some with horses, but we in the Name of Hashem our G-d call out.”

13Devarim 23:15

14Devarim 21:23

15See S'forno Devarim 21:23

16Ohr HaTzafun Cheilek Alef: “D'mus Ha'adom”

17Bereishis 2:26

18See commentaries on Koheles 9:14 as well as Orchos Tzadikkim: Sha'ar Yiras Shamayim

19Bereishis Rabbah 8

20See Orchos Tzadikkim Sha'ar Yiras Shamayim who suggests that this is the cause for people to want more and more. The neshama is always pushing us to go further. However, depending on the amount control we have over our guf (body) will determine which direction it pushes us in.

21Shabbos 31a

22Berachos 19b

23And even according to the end of the Gemara that kavod habriyos is only docheh a de'rabannan b'kum ve'asheh and de'oraisah only by a shev ve'al ta'aseh, we only come to that conclusion by learning it from a passuk, which the Gemara explains is coming to teach that if there would be a chilul Hashem, we do whatever we must to stop it. But this further agrees with our point. Kavod habriyos and kavod Hashem are the same. So in cases where doing kavod habriyos may cause chilul Hashem, then obviously that would not fall under the category of kavod habriyos.

24Toras Kohanim and Rashi on Vayikra 19:18

25This is obvious because how could we love others as we do ourselves, if we do not love ourselves.

Parshas Shoftim - Guard Your Gates

Parshas Shoftim

Guard Your Gates

By: Daniel Listhaus

שֹׁפְטִים וְשֹׁטְרִים תִּתֶּן לְךָ בְּכָל שְׁעָרֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר הֹ אֱלקיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ לִשְׁבָטֶיךָ וְשָׁפְטוּ אֶת הָעָם מִשְׁפַּט צֶדֶק

“Judges and officers shall you in all your gates [cities] -which Hashem, your G-d, gives you – for your tribes; and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.”

-Shoftim 16:18

Rashi¹ explains that this passuk (verse) is teaching us the necessity to have Batei Dinim (Jewish courts), as well as people to enforce the rulings of the Batei Dinim, in each and every city. Although this is certainly the meaning of the passuk on a simple level, many meforshim (commentaries) 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 them to institute a judicial system, the Torah should have said “lachem” and “she'areichem”. Why does it instead use the singular form of “you”?

The Sh'lah HaKadosh² 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 (Jewish law) and ensure that its rulings are implemented, there is a further responsibility that each person has as an individual, which is based on the following. There are seven orifices in the face³ – each one an entrance to the neshama – and through them we are effected in real 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. Similarly, we have all experienced the horrible effects of eating spoiled food, as well as the sensation of complete satisfaction after a wonderful meal. We have seen things which made us upset as well as 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 orifices also have the ability to transmit both positive and negative packages to our inner-self and effect us spiritually. Therefore, the question we must ask ourselves is: Are we as fastidious when it comes to deciding what to allow into our system which may effect our ruchniyus (spirituality), as we are when deciding not to eat spoiled food or listen to blasting off-key music?

The Ibn Ezra⁴ writes that man is a microcosm of the world – an olam katan. As the Orchos Tzadikkim⁵ points out, every aspect of the physical world is contained in one's body. The sun, the moon, fresh water, saltwater, grass, trees, rocks – all have a place on man's physical self. Moreover, as we have mentioned in the past, man is a blueprint of the Beis Hamikdash and the keilim (vessels) contained therein.⁶ Even furthermore, man represents the 613 mitzvos of the Torah.⁷ It is therefore imperative that we select carefully what enters into our private world and Beis Hamikdash, as well as what we should permit to effect the quality of the mitzvos we do. The Gemara⁸ states that just as Hashem fills the world, the neshama fills the body. Hashem breathed into Adam a neshama⁹, and in doing so made man unique and elevated above all other creations. It is our duty to keep our neshama in the pure state that it was given to us in, and therefore our responsibility to ensure that the things which pass through the gates of our body are only things conducive to helping our neshama grow. What do we allow ourselves to see, hear, or say? If the answer to these questions do not have valid answers, then we must do a better job in establishing our inner shoftim and shotrim (judges and officers). Who are these personal shoftim and shotrim we are expected to consult with? The Lev Eliyahu¹⁰ writes that our seichel (intellect) is the shofet (judge) and our degree of yiras shamayim (fear of Heaven) is the shoter (enforcing officer). We may know what our rabbeim or da'as Torah would categorize as good or bad. However, without an inner shoter of yiras shamayim, it is of no use. Only with true yiras shamayim could we trust ourselves when it comes to what we are feeding through these passages into the body.

Later on in the parsha, the Torah¹¹ discusses some of the laws regarding a Jewish king. The king cannot have too many horses, too many wives, or too much money. The Torah¹² then says that even the king himself, to whom the people have an obligation to fear and listen, is not permitted to display any haughtiness. The Ramban¹³ 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 – to be an eved Hashem.

The Orchos Tzadikkim¹⁴ writes that Hashem says about one who is haughty, “The world is not big enough for both Me and him.”¹⁵ One who feels no sense of dependency on Hashem is lacking the most basic level of yiras shamayim. Such a person essentially thinks of himself as a completely independent entity, and is comparable to one who does avodah zarah (idol worship). This is why Hashem says there is no room for this person in the world.

The Orchos Tzadikkim further describes that when a person utilizes the middah (trait) of gaivah (haughtiness) in a bad way, one instinctively uses his body to demonstrate the middah. For example, this person will begin to look at others in a debasing way, choose not to listen to the cry of others, and comment about the stench of poor people.

Following this thought, perhaps the passuk in our parsha is additionally referring to guarding oneself from gaivah. Gaivah is something which not only has an easy entry through any of the holes in the face, but also contains the strength to directly effect the neshama and the guf in a negative way. The passuk therefore obligates us to work on our middos and strengthen our yiras shamayim – providing a shofet and shoter – in order to guard the gates of the body and become a true eved Hashem.

As we begin the month of Elul preparing for Rosh Hashana, we must internalize what the “yom haras olam” (literally – the birthday of the world) is all about. The Gemara¹⁶ states that Hashem says, “On Rosh Hashana say malchiyos so that you can crown me as King over you.” Rosh Hashana is certainly a time of din (judgment), but on a deeper level it is not merely recognizing that we are being judged, but rather to realize 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.

1Devarim 16:18

2Sh'nei Luchos Habris: Parshas Shoftim

32 Eyes, 2 ears, 2 nostrils of the nose, and 1 mouth.

4Shemos 25:40

5Sha'ar Yiras Shamayim

6See my d'var Torah on Parshas Terumah (titled “Mishkan Man”) based on the Kuzari (1:99)

7Man has 248 limbs and 365 tendons corresponding to the 248 mitzvos asei (positive commandments) and 365 mitzvos lo sa'asei (negative commandments).

8Berachos 10a

9Beraishis 2:7

10R' Eliyahu Lapion, Parshas Shoftim

11Devarim 17:16

12Devarim 17:20

13Ibid.

14Sha'ar HaGaivah

15Based on Tehillim 101:5

16Rosh Hashana 16a