פּרשׁת שׁוֹפטים:
The Sages Say:
‘But if
there will be a man who hates his fellow, and he ambushes him, and he rises
against him and strikes him mortally and he dies, and he flees to one of these
cities. And the elders of his city shall send and take him from there,
and they shall give him in the hand of the redeemer of the blood, and he will
die.’ (Devarim 19:11-12)
Because of his hate for him, he comes to ‘and ambushes him’.
From here they [the Sages] said that one who transgresses a “light”
Commandment, his end [if he is not careful] will be to transgress a severe
Commandment.
Because he [this killer] transgressed ‘You shall not hate [your
brother in your heart’], [and he did not mend his ways] his end was to come
to a situation of shedding blood.
Therefore it says: ‘But if there will be a man who hates his
fellow, etc.’... (Rashi HaKadosh from Sifri and Midrash Tannaim).
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A “Lamdanishe” Insight:
‘Judges
and officers you shall appoint for yourselves in all your gates that Hashem
your G-d gives to you…’ (Devarim 16:19)
The word in this verse used for ‘judges’ is שׁוֹפטים. But another one of the words for that is אל-הים -- the
same word as one of Hashem’s Names!
The Maharal of Prague (HaRav Yehuda ben Betzalel zt”l)
explains that judges are called by one of Hashem’s Names is because Hashem is
the Absolute and True Judge, and He administers justice in the proper time and
proper place. So too, our human judges are exhorted to follow the example
of Hashem and try to adjudicate each case fairly and honestly. (Quoted in Sparks of Torah).
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Mussar Message:
‘And you
shall not establish for yourself a pillar that Hashem your G-d hates.’ (Devarim 16:22)
A person needs, says HaRav Moshe Feinstein zt”l, to go
level to level in Torah and Mitzvos -- even if someone has already lived 70
years and they are a Tzaddik, and they would think that they have so many good
deeds that even if in the years afterward they don’t occupy themselves in Torah
and don’t do good deeds, and more yet, they sin; their good deeds would be
enough to claim that they are already a Tzaddik who has enough merit for reward
in the World to Come.
This is the prohibition of a pillar, says Reb Moshe zt”l, which is
from one stone that stands and does not add at all any merits, (i.e. does not
move forward). (Darash Moshe).
*******
Chassidishe Vort:
‘Righteousness,
righteousness you shall pursue…’
(Devarim 16:20)
Says Rebbe Simcha Bunim of Peshischa זצ"ל: You should
pursue righteousness with righteousness.
We cannot seek good things using the wrong means. Both what
you are seeking and how you seek it should be righteous.
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Chazak V’ematz:
‘Righteousness,
righteousness you shall pursue…’
(Devarim 16:20)
Although we cannot give the reason for why the wording is
this way, the fact that the Torah says ‘righteousness’ twice teaches us
a valuable lesson: So many of us strive for righteousness. But what
if when we try, things get in the way (may Hashem help us)? Or perhaps it
feels very far away from us? What should we do?
The verse tells us: ‘Righteousness, righteousness’ --
righteousness and holiness may not come right away, but keep trying.
Twice, thrice, and many more times.
Parshas Shoftim always falls out in the month of Elul: A
person might, Chas V’Shalom think that since they have gone through so many
Eluls and have tried to change, but haven’t as they would have wanted to -- how
are they going to become better? Will now be any different?
But we must take to heart the above message and keep trying to be
better. Because, as we are taught, if the Torah says it, you can do it. So we can
all be Tzaddikim. (Tal U’Matar).
*******
Maaseh B’Rabbi…
In his old age, HaRav Chaim Kapusi זצ"ל’s eyesight began to
fail him until he became totally blind.
When this became known, some people began talking behind his back.
They accused him of having taken bribes when he served as judge, for the
Torah says that bribery blinds the eyes of the wise.
Rav Chaim saw that he must put an end to it all and he summoned
the entire congregation to the Shul one Shabbos. When he reached the end
of his Drosha, he addressed the insinuations against him, and beseeched Hashem
that if they were true, his bones should dry up so that he would fall down
before the congregation. “However, if I am innocent,” he pleaded, “Let it be
the Divine Will that my eyes be opened once more, so that I can again behold
the sun. And may this entire congregation see that there is a Judge of
Truth and of Justice!”
The moment Rav Chaim finished his words, a great miracle occurred:
He was suddenly able to see again! Hashem had answered his prayers
and proved to all that he was innocent of all charges against him.
The Chida (HaRav Chaim Yosef Dovid Azulai זצ"ל), in his work Shem HaGedolim, testifies that he saw Rav Kapusi’s
signature when he was blind and it was hardly legible; but he saw another one
after the great miracle and it was firm and clear! (Tales of Tzaddikim; Shemos).
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A Gut Shabbos to all!
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