Parashas Shoftim

This Shabbos, we read Parashas Shoftim. In last week's Parsha Re'eh , we completed the Sedra with the Festivals and Coming to Yerushalaim with Offerings. Now in this Parsha, HaShem Instructs that we are to appoint "Shoftim Ve Shotrim,' - "Judges and Officers," in all our cities, to enforce the Law and Judge it. This comes just after the Laws for Festivals, where Officers saw to it that the right things were set aside so as to bring it to Yerushaim and to make sure Tithes were done right , visiting people in their lands and in market places to ensure Law and Right was upheld.
HaShem then Tells us not to plant an idolatrous tree or any tree near the Temple nor put up a pillar - a single stone to worship on, like idol-worshipers do.
HaShem then warns us not to Shecht a blemished animal for HaShem and Offerings and then HaShem Discusses Idol Worshipers who worship false deities,or worship, the sun or moon or stars, and those that do promote such things are to be put to death,firstly by the hand of the witnesses who saw what they did.
HaShem's Torah then next discusses how a Judge is to be obeyed.
HaShem then teaches the Law of having a King , that we will ask for in the future as we did in Samuel's time , though HaShem Is our King .
HaShem Asks us not to take a foreign person as a king, but only one of our own Jews . HaShem Tells us that this King must not have too many horses , for in those days, high bred horses came from Egypt and HaShem didn't want us to return to that place or way again, for a return to there, is a return to lower levels of physicality and negativity . HaShem also instructs that the Jewish King cannot have many foreign wives, so his heart will not stray from HaShem's Path. The Jewish King is also not meant to have lots in silver and gold A Jewish King is to write himself two copies of the Torah , and one is to be with him all the time , as Dovid Ha Melech carried with him all the time wherever he went .A Jewish King is not to become arrogant in any way over his brothers. Thus there were three main prohibitions for a King who sits on a Throne . Our Rabbis , tell us that in Hebrew, the word Throne is ' Kisei,' , which includes the three Hebrew Letters ' Khaf, Samech and Alef. These three letters of the Hebrew Word 'Throne - ' Kisei , ' each spell one of the things forbidden to a King who sits on a 'Throne - Kisei,' where the 'Khaf,' represents 'Kesef- Silver ,' that is forbidden to a King en masse,the next letter 'Samech,' which is the first letter of the word 'Sus,' meaning 'Horse,' in Hebrew, for a Jewish King was not to amass too many Horses and the last letter of the Hebrew Word 'Kisei- Throne' is the letter 'Alef,' which is also the first letter of the word 'Ishah' for 'Wife,' for a Jewish King is not posses too many wives. A Jewish King that sits on the Throne of Israel must be as if he sits next to HaShem Who 'Sits ' on His Throne of Glory - ' The Kisey Ha Kavod ' Created at the beginning of Creation , and thus a Jewish King must be a Gleaming example of Holiness inside and out .
Thus the three injunctions for a Jewish King are all within the word ' Kisei,' for King's 'Throne.'
Torah then mentions the Priestly Gifts . HaShem in His Torah then strictly warns us against following the ways of the other nations. HaShem Warns us strictly not to let our children pass through the fire to molech or other such despicable idols , for other idol worshipers do despicable blasphemous things .The Torah forbids the practice divination - ( for G-D is our only True Source ) , or astrology, reading omen or sorcery. HaShem Tells us that we must be 'Tamim,' - ' Wholehearted ' with Him . This means not following HaShem with half measures, but following HaShem with our whole being fully and Loving G-D and Doing all He Asks of us, without question , with full faith with all our heart, wholeheartedly .
HaShem told Avraham, that he and his descendants , us Jews ,and our Jewish pathways , are above the Stars , as HaShem told Avraham in Bereishis to lift himself up above the Stars for our Jewish Destiny is directly under HaShem Himself and not by the stars or astrology, for we are directly under HaShem . Only HaShem Is G-D and only His Prophets are true Prophets that get their Prophecy from HaShem directly , to give to us . HaShem Instructs us to listen to the Words of His Prophets, of whom , there will be a number of Prophets from HaShem. HaShem Warns us though that should a pretended prophet come and speak the words , not said or commanded by G-D, even though he purports to be a prophet, yet leads others astray and in ways , not Instructed before, by HaShem , or who speaks in G-D's Name , Words G-D Has Not Spoken and also words that G-D Never Said , or speaks in the words of false deities,we know that prophet is false and not a prophet at all . HaShem Tells us that we can test such a prophet by having that person make a prediction and if it doesn't come to pass and that Prophet tries to change a single Law of G-D , we know that prophet is false and was not following G-D .
Torah then again discusses Cities of Refuge and the Laws of the Unintentional Murderer who can flee there.
An Intentional Murderer , HaShem Commands , is to be put to death and it needs two witnesses . Should a witness lie , as they conspired to their fellow, so shall be done to them .
HaShem Then Speaks of what the Kohanim are to do when we go to war. And under what instances a soldier is to return home and not partake; if a man built a new house and hasn't inaugurated it yet,a man who planted a vineyard and not redeemed it and a man who has just gotten betrothed, all these must return home and not fight in the battle.Also a man who fears to battle, must also return home. HaShem Warns us not to be afraid of the enemy or the trumpets, calls or shouts they may make or the noise of their horses, for HaShem HaKadosh Baruch Hu , HaShem The Holy One Blessed Be He , Fights at our side .
HaShem then Instructs in this Parsha, of how to wage war and besiege an enemy and to first offer it overtures of peace and to be under HaShem .
But to the nations in Canaan, they are not to be left. HaShem Tells us , when waging war ,not to cut down the fruit trees.
The Parsha ends with the Laws of the Egla Arufa , where a corpse is found , fallen in the field, and it isn't known who slay him, then the cities around are measured and the closest one , performs a ritual for this , as they , being the closest , should have ensured safe passage and accompaniment through their territory and city to strangers.
The Haftorah for this Sedra is in Isaiah 51:12 - 52:12 and speaks of G-D being in control and that His Mercies abound and we can at any moment be redeemed and that we are to remember that it is to G-D we must be faithful to and not idols as HaShem Warned in the Sedra.
Our Parsha as mentioned, is Parashas Shoftim . It begins, " Shoftim Ve Shotrim Titen Lecha Bechol Sh' Arecha Asher HaShem Elokeicha Notein Lecha Lishvatecha Ve Shaftu Et Ha' Am Mishpat Tzeddek ," - " Judges and Officers shall you appoint in your cities - which HaShem your G-D Gives you - for your tribes ; and they shall judge the people with Righteous Judgement . "
Thus HaShem Instructs us to appoint " Shoftim " - " Judges " of Moral and Holy Righteous character , who will judge fairly and won't look at the status of the person to be judged, but Judge fairly , without taking a bribe or favor of any kind from the litigants , or even a kind action from them , which might sway their opinion toward one side or the other. These Judges are to be Torah Observant and Wholeheartedly following the Mitzvos of HaShem and His Torah . HaShem also instructs that " Shotrim " be chosen to enforce the Law and keep the Peace . Each tribe and territory is to have its own Court and a City of over 120 , is to have at least a Beis Din of Twenty Three and under 120 , was to have a Beis DIn of at least 3 members who were to be learned Torah Shoftim and also a number of Shotrim to enforce the Law . There is to be one main Beis Din of 71 Judges to represent the 70 Elders that were chosen to help Moshe Judge as well as Moshe which makes 71 . Towns of over 120 ,that were to have a Beis Din of 23 Judges , the Number chosen here referred to verses that talk of " Then the Assembly " Eidah shall Judge... the Assembly shall rescue "( Numbers 35 ) where the word "Assembly " was linked to the 10 Spies that HaShem called an assembly in Numbers 14:26 and seeing there were two more , being Yehoshua and Kaleiv , putting this with the double mention of the word 'Assembly, in Numbers 35 , we get '10 + 10 ( for the double mention of the word 'Assembly (in Numbers 35 ) which makes 20 and adding two to the number for Yehoshuah and Kaleiv , we get 22 and seeing as there should always be a majority , we add one to make it an uneven number of Judges to prevent an even amount of a tie amount to bring us to the number 23 . The Looking out for the upholding of the Law was to be done by " Shotrim " " Officers ."
HaShem Instructs that the Judges Judge with Righteous Judgement , showing that they must adhere to the Law of HaShem , and put their own feelings aside, so as to let HaShem Judge through them , through sublime Righteousness. 
There was a Rabbi who would Judge cases only , while he covered his eyes so he would not see the litigants and thus could not be bias either way . He would only first see them after the Judgement . Thus , the Judges were to Judge with total selflessness and not a sway in anyway of opinion to whom he may physically think is right, if he would not be able to rise over his own Yetzer Horah , so a Judge was to be completely selfless, and this is true Righteousness .
There is also a deeper meaning . HaShem Tells us every day , as we walk around on this Earth , to appoint within ourselves, " Shoftim Ve Shotrim " - " Judges and Officers ," in other words, to be a Judge and Officer to ourself, fighting our own Yetzer Horahs and ensuring , like a Judge and Officer, that we keep ourselves in line with the Mitzvos . HaShem Has given us the power in one area , and that is in the choosing of doing Good or Bad . We have thus been given the ability to be the Judge and Officer of our own actions and thus it is important to take stock each night , of how we did during the previous day and to correct , like a Judge and Officer , any wrongs we keep doing. This is the Power of Choice and the resultant power to climb higher , if we would only so choose .
The verses continue to say ,"Tzeddek Tzeddek Tirdof ," - " Righteousness Righteousness shall you pursue." This sounds obvious , so why the need to reiterate the word " Tzeddek, " - " Righteousness ," twice . Everything in Torah has a reason , even if it is a word repeated .Our Rabbis suggest that the double mention of the word ' Tzeddek,' teaches that we are to pursue Righteous ways always , but to use Righteous acts to do it. Never to do something wrong to make something right. In other words, the end doesn't justify the means of Righteousness, if we have to do something wrong to ensure a Right in the end . Thus " Tzeddek Tzeddek Tordof ," - " Righteousness Righteousness shall we pursue, " by fixing wrongs, only with Righteous means and ways . The use of the word ' Tirdof,' suggests a forcefulness, where the root ' Radaf ,' means ' to Pursue with force,' which suggests , not stopping to consider fears or things that will hold us back, like giving the Yetzer Horah an opportunity to persuade us otherwise, from doing the right thing, but acting immediately to do the right thing, without milling on reasons not to. Also like doing a Mitzvah as soon as it comes up to do and as soon as possible . We are to forcefully act without hesitation, in doing the right thing, that which HaShem Wants us to do at that moment and always , before the Yetzer Horah has an opportunity , Chas Ve Shalom , to persuade us otherwise Chas Ve Shalom .
The word "Tzeddek," also refers to doing 'Tzeddakah,' - ' Charity,' for when we are given the opportunity to do Charity, in reality, HaShem is giving us the opportunity to receive , for when we give, we actually receive from HaShem , thus it is like a double 'Tzeddek,' for in pursuing to do Righteousness, HaShem responds with Righteousness in return given to us .
If we live a life of not just giving because we have to , but repeatedly looking and pursuing opportunities to do Righteousness, then we will be Emulating HaShem , Who does for us, without doing for the reasons of getting anything back in return . That is True Tzeddek . 
Thus we have to be " Shoftim Ve Shotrim ," - " Judges and Officers " for ourselves and fix ourselves before we look out to the World, for it starts within us . The errors we see in others, are actually the errors we possess ourselves, so the way to fix the World is to fix ourselves . 
" Righteousness Righteousness Shall we pursue " shows how we must go out of our way to pursue Goodness and Pursue HaShem's Torah and not wait for it to come to us . We are to go to HaShem . The double meaning is a double choice, for to be Righteous is not only to pursue the Good, but to outwardly and inwardly refute and fight the Bad . This is the Path of Pursuing Righteousness . To Pursue HaShem in All things - to make this World Righteous and to bring Heaven down to Earth and make them one and so , live within the Love of HaShem. 
We are to serve HaShem with all our faculties and so, when we Daven, we are to not just say the words in our mind, but to voice them softly aloud, so that we can also be serving HaShem with our mouths and thus serve HaShem with all of us , Wholeheartedly . And this is the true action of a 'Shofet and Shoter,' - ' Judge and Officer,' for the true Righteous task and reason they are " Shoftim and Shotrim, " - " Judges and Officers ," is to give and serve HaShem and those around us . Thus all we do must be for HaShem , though HaShem is our True Judge and Officer, let us prove to HaShem , that we can love HaShem so much that we can correct ourselves and follow His Torah and make our selves Righteous and do what is right, not just according to our own morals, but according to HaShem.
With Love to HaShem I wish HaShem with Love , a Very Sweet and Happy Blessed Shabbos Kodesh with Love and to all my fellow Yidden, a very Sweet and Blessed Shabbos Kodesh with love .