Few words are needed to explain the potent relevance of this week’s Torah portion to the events of today. In a time when our democratic institutions are in turmoil and under threat, Parshat Shoftim, or judges, speaks for itself.
Shoftim contains the famous verse, “Justice, justice, shall you pursue,” and the portion as a whole is obsessed with the institutions of a just society. It begins with courts that must administer justice fairly, saying, “You shall appoint judges and officers for your tribes, in all the gates that Adonai your God is giving you, and they shall govern the people with due justice. You shall not distort justice; you shall not show partiality…”
It then turns to the most powerful person in that society and insists that even he is subject to law. The king is warned not to accumulate unlimited horses, wives or wealth. He is instructed to keep the Torah beside him, “so that his heart does not rise above his brothers.”
In Shoftim, the Torah is not telling us which side is right in any debate about policy. Indeed, its emphasis on impartiality requires us to judge competing claims fairly, rather than simply favoring our own side. But it does have unmistakable lessons for us about ensuring the process of governing preserves integrity, prioritizes the needs of the governed and allows everyone an equal voice.
Most importantly, Torah understands that justice doesn’t sustain itself. Institutions have to protect it, leaders have to submit to it, and citizens have to pursue it.
On the morning of Friday, August 28, the Reform Movement has called on us to join with many other groups at a March on Washington: Defend the Vote. If you are looking for an opportunity to pursue justice alongside others and make your voice heard, we hope you will join us.
Wishing you a Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Jeffrey Saxe
