About five years ago, I began a regular series where I shared a bi-weekly d'var Torah with the Bernard Zell community. Each piece drew from the upcoming parashot—the Torah portions read annually according to a set schedule—with the goal of offering brief insights that could be meaningful in everyday life or spark conversation around the Shabbat table. Unfortunately, the series was put on hold during the pandemic and has remained paused until now. I’m thrilled to revive it and look forward to bringing you these reflections—"Mr. Weisserman's Torah and Tachlis"—which will open each issue of Ma Nishma, and I hope they prove both timely and relevant to what’s happening within our walls and throughout our community.

This week’s parsha is Shoftim ("Judges"), followed by Ki Teitzei ("When you go out"). Shoftim focuses on the justice system that the Israelites were commanded to establish, introducing the well-known phrase“tzedek, tzedek tirdof” ("justice, justice shall you pursue")—our 6th Grade Jewish value theme. Ki Teitzei, on the other hand, outlines laws governing personal relationships and introduces over 70 of the 613 mitzvot. (For “in a nutshell” summaries of the parashot, click on the links above.)

As always, there is plenty worth investigating; but this week I am struck by one specific section from Shoftim.

Shoftim in its entirety is a fascinating read, and many historians believe it provides inspiration for the West's guiding philosophies of self-governance. Among other concepts, we are introduced to the idea of separation of powers, as the Israelites were advised to purposefully divide power among the judges, the priests, the sage advisors, and the prophets, with each having their own domains of influence.

The idea of a king is mentioned only as a regrettable afterthought:

“When you enter the land the Lord your God is giving you and have taken possession of it and settled in it, and you say, “Let us set a king over us like all the nations around us,” be sure to appoint over you the king the Lord your God chooses…".

It's a peculiar passage on many levels. The people aren't advised to have a king; rather, Moshe essentially acknowledges that it's a terrible idea, but that once the Israelites have to enter the world stage, they'll probably want to have one themselves anyway. The problem, of course, is that this is contrary to the entire backstory of the Jewish people, who have been commanded throughout the Torah to set themselves apart from the other nations.

Since the Israelites should ultimately answer to the laws of God before the laws of man, and since a human sovereign is so easily corrupted, many restrictions were placed on the king, including limitations on their own wealth and power. Most notably, the king was required to carry with him a Torah, and to read from it regularly; and that on the first day of Sukkot, the people would gather in Jerusalem to hear the king read it aloud. This served as a reminder (to both the people and the king) that the laws of God take precedence over the laws of man. 

I find it fascinating that the Torah would have the forethought to acknowledge our human failings, and even to prepare for and mitigate them!

Interestingly, much later, when the people do indeed demand a king, God tells the prophet Shmuel that it is not he who the people have rejected, but God himself. Shmuel warns them:

“This is what the king who will reign over you will do: He will take your sons and make them serve with his chariots and horses, and they will run in front of his chariots...He will take your daughters to be perfumers and cooks and bakers. He will take the best of your fields and vineyards and olive groves and give them to his attendants. He will take a tenth of your grain and of your vintage and give it to his officials and attendants...and you yourselves will become his slaves. When that day comes, you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen, and the Lord will not answer you in that day.”

In sum, the king would upset the balance of power that the Israelites were commanded to employ, and they would suffer for it.

As it happens, the balance between rule of God and rule of man will remain an ongoing theme throughout the Torah, and we'll return to it in short order…

Shavua tov!