"Judges and officers shall you appoint...and they shall judge the people with righteous judgement. You shall not pervert judgement, you shall not take notice of (someone's) presence, and you shall not take a bribe...Righteousness, righteousness shall you persue..."
This weeks parasha discusses the appointment of judges over the cities. However, I would like to take a deeper look into the parasha and the message it still carries for us today...
Firstly, we are told to appoint judges to will judge with "righteous judgement." In other words, judges who will hold us to a higher standard - not let us off easily. While today, most of us are not responsible for appointing judges (except on election day), in actuality we appoint judges for ourselves every day! When we choose our friends, our mentors and our rabbis - we are choosing the people whose judgments we will follow. It is important, when doing so, to remember the commandment above - to choose judges who will judge us righteously. We must associate ourselves with people who will build us up, not bring us down!
Next, we are told not to pervert judgment. Most, if not all, of us know the difference between right and wrong. We know what it is that we are supposed to do. And yet, when placed in a tough situation we will try to manipulate it to our benefit. The pasuk says we cannot do so! We can't twist and turn the situation until it fits. We must accept it as is and do what is right.
Third, we are commanded not to "take notice of (someone's) presence." Rashi explains this to mean that we should be overly kind to one party (perhaps because we know or like them) and cruel to the other. There is a profound message within this! If a judge, whose job it is to judge fairly is capable of judging unfairly because they are fond of one of the parties involved, how much more are we - the "simple" folk - susceptible to falling guilty to this. We must be sure not to place ourselves in a situation where we can potentially do something wrong because of how favorable we find the other person involved to be.
Fourth, the Torah tells us not to except a bribe. Again, Rashi comments that a bribe will blind a person, making it impossible for him to do the right thing. Everybody likes receiving gifts, compliments or being treated to a meal. However, we must be careful to take each of these things with a grain of salt as they can, potentially, come back to haunt us! We must remember that, at the end of the day, it is most important to do the right thing and we cannot allow that thing to be "blinded" by the gift someone is giving us.
Finally, all of this culminates to a very powerful commandment that, I fear, many people don't realize we have - to persue righteousness! We commanded by the Torah to be the best that we can be!! It's so easy in life to take the easy way out. So often I'm approached by students asking for a heter (permission) to do things because it would be easier than to keep the halacha. However, in this weeks parasha Hashem tells us that is not what he wants! He doesn't want us to find the loophole, he wants us to persue greatness.
I recently had an encounter with a student in which he did persue greatness, and I was so very proud:
I received a text message the other week (as I often do) regarding the kashrut of a particular bakery that I was not familiar with. Not only was I not familiar with the bakery, I hadn't heard of this hashgacha either. I then called a colleague of mine who is more familiar with the "out of town" hashgachas who suggested that the student would be better suited visiting a different bakery, though he didn't outlaw the one in question . My response to the student was a rather cryptic one "I'm told it's not so reliable" - in which case I did leave him the option to still visit the bakery he inquired about. His response, "Okay, then better not to eat it."
What a perfect answer!! The student fulfilled the commandment in this weeks parasha to the fullest! He had an opportunity to take the loophole, but instead he persued greatness! Chazak u'Baruch to him!!
In today's day and age, it can sometimes be difficult to do the right thing and easier to pervert judgement and do what is wrong instead. Throughout Tanach we are referred to as a "great nation" and, in order to maintain that title, we must always make sure to hold ourselves to a standard of greatness.
May Hashem grant all of us the ability and strength to always aim higher. May we set goals for ourselves we never thought we could reach and then blow them out of the park! In doing so, may we merit to see the coming of Mashiach speedily in our days...
Shabbat Shalom!
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