~ Thoughts on the Parsha ~
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
Rashi[1] explains that this passuk (verse) is
teaching us the necessity to have Batei Dinim (Jewish courts), as well
as officers 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 used the plural forms, “lachem” and “she'areichem”.
Why does it instead use the singular form of “you”?
The
Sh'lah HaKadosh[2] 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. There are seven orifices in the face[3] – each one an entrance to the control center of
the body. Thus, what passes through these entrances has the power to affect us
in very 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. 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 orifices also have the ability to transmit both positive and
negative packages to our inner-self and affect 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
more a person attached himself to the physical world, the more he feels its
effect. Similarly the more in-tuned one is to the spiritual world, the more one
will feel its effects. Unfortunately, we are so steeped in the physical world
to the point where we are extremely sensitive to even the slightest
discomforts. It is impossible for us to imagine what it would mean to survive a
winter without heat or a summer without air-conditioning. We have accustomed
our bodies to require the best of the best and when we do not get what we
expect, we complain and experience a miserable time.
However,
the point which we are supposed to strive towards or at least think about is the
fact that every person has the capacity to achieve that same level of
connection the world of ruchniyus. There are countless stories of our gedolim
(great Torah leaders) which paint the picture of individuals who were much
more in-tuned to the spiritual world than the physical one. Whether it be the
ability to feel a brewing “ra” (evil) in the air in certain places, or
not feeling pain of a surgery because of one's involvement in learning Torah, the
stories clearly illustrate that it is achievable to be so connected to the
world of ruchniyus that levels of tahara (purity) and tumah (impurity)
could be felt, or that the pain of not learning and the enjoyment of
learning far surpasses the pain of a physical surgery.
Although
there is no doubt that most of us are not on such a level, that does not mean
that we cannot take the first basic steps to at least step forward in the right
direction. If we work on training ourselves to pay attention to what distracts
us from growing spiritually then we will have a shot at preventing those things
which, although perhaps intangible, are destructive to the world and
inconducive to personal growth.
If
one reads the FCC's guidelines to what could be played on radio and television,
one will find the following current documentation: “It is a violation of
federal law to air obscene programming at any time. It is also a violation of
federal law to air indecent programming or profane language during certain hours. Congress has given
the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) the responsibility for
administratively enforcing these laws. The FCC may revoke a station license,
impose a monetary forfeiture or issue a warning if a station airs obscene,
indecent or profane material.”
It
is unfortunately amusingly hypocritical that indeed this is the current
statute. It does not take a religious person or dictionary writer to realize
that plenty of what is broadcast could be categorized as obscene, indecent, and
profane. Yet it is shown, and there is nothing illegal about it and no
violations are committed. This is because the definitions changed based on the
standards of the population. This was not a change that occurred over night.
Rather, small indecent breaches were made here and minor profanities added
there, and they went under the FCC's radar. Eventually, with everyone seeing
and hearing the same shows, people were not embarrassed to talk about the
things they all saw or heard publicly broadcast. This continued to snowball to
include more and more things which would have previously been viewed as disgusting,
abominable, and unacceptable. The rules stayed the same, but with these small
steps downhill, the definitions changed with the new norm and standard. Now,
society has sunk to such a level where cursing, improper comments, lashon
harrah (evil speech), looking at bad things and listening to such things is
so normal and common that it is not surprising when even the most prestigious
and prominent people do it. Take a step
back for a moment and review your day in fast play. How many curses did you
hear? How many did you think or say? What did you see? What did you talk about?
What did you listen to? Was it all really necessary? Was it conducive to growth
or serve any purpose whatsoever, or did it just sink you lower to society's
standards and adopted normalcies? Perhaps we did not feel negatively affected
in the least but if we stop to think honestly to ourselves, without worrying of
anyone else hearing, do we still not feel negatively affected? And even if we honestly
still do not, could it perhaps be because of how out-of-touch we are with our
spiritual wants and needs?
The
Ibn Ezra[4] writes that man is a microcosm of the world – an olam
katan. As the Orchos Tzadikkim[5] 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] Indeed the physical world has the power built in
to attach itself to spirituality, but that system simultaneously challenges us
to not allow our spiritual selves to gravitate to the mundaneness of the
physical world. 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 Gemara[8] states that just as Hashem fills the world,
the neshama fills the body. Hashem breathed into Adam a neshama[9], and in doing so made man unique and elevated
above all other creations. It is our duty to keep our neshamos 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 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 Eliyahu[10] writes that our seichel (intellect) is the shofet
(judge) and our degree of yiras shamayim (fear of Heaven) is the shoter
(enforcing officer). Relying on the FCC to administer and enforce such
important deliveries to such essential gates to our standards is not enough.
Even simply knowing what our rabbeim or da'as Torah would
categorize as good or bad is not enough. Rather, one must think about it and
implement it according to what he could do at first and then create a game plan
for continued growth through re-securing the openings to the body's control
panel. In order to accomplish this we must work on our yiras shamayim,
because without that inner shoter, there is no hope. Only with true yiras
shamayim could we trust ourselves when it comes to what we are feeding
through these passages into the body.
Later
in the parsha, the Torah[11] discusses some of the laws regarding a Jewish
king. The king cannot have too many horses, too many wives, or too much money.
The Torah[12] 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 Ramban[13] 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 Tzadikkim[14] writes that Hashem says about one who is haughty,
“The world is not big enough for both Me and him.”[15] After all, one who feels no sense of dependency on
Hashem is lacking the most basic level of yiras shamayim (literally: fear
of Heaven). Such a person essentially thinks of himself as a completely
independent entity, and is therefore comparable to one who worships 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.
Ironically,
despite Gaivah being a middah (trait) which tries to lift
us haughtily over others, it is really like gravity to our 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 (humility) on the
other hand is the recognition of Hashem’s involvement in the world and our role
as avdei Hashem and 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” (the birthday of the world) is all
about. The Gemara[16] states that Hashem says, “On Rosh Hashanah
say malchiyos[17] so that you can crown me as King over you.”
Rosh Hashanah 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.
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.
[1] Devarim 16:18
[2]
Sh'nei Luchos Habris: Parshas Shoftim: Derech Chaim Tochachos Mussar
[3]
2 Eyes, 2 ears, 2 nostrils of the nose, and 1 mouth.
[4]
Shemos 25:40
[5]
Sha'ar Yiras Shamayim
[6]
See my d'var Torah on Parshas Terumah (titled “Mishkan Man”)
based on the Kuzari (1:99)
[7]
Man has 248 limbs and 365 tendons corresponding to the 248 mitzvos asei (positive
commandments) and 365 mitzvos lo sa'asei (negative commandments).
[8]
Berachos 10a
[9]
Beraishis 2:7
[10]
R' Eliyahu Lapion, Parshas Shoftim
[11]
Devarim 17:16
[12]
Devarim 17:20
[13]
Ibid.
[14]
Sha'ar HaGaivah
[15]
Based on Tehillim 101:5
[16]
Rosh Hashanah 16a
[17]
A section in the Shemoneh Esreh which declares Hashem’s Kingship
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