This week's Parasha is Parasha Shoftim. Shoftim means Judges, and the Parasha begins in Dvarim (Deuteronomy) 16:18 with the command from HaShem to appoint judges. If you have read the parsha this week, you will see some interesting things within it that will bless and give us all understanding and direction. In verse 18, G-D tells them to appoint the judges. Then in verse 19, G-D tells the people that are to choose the judges some things. If you read this too fast, you will think these words are spoken to the judges, but they are not. They are spoken to those that will choose the judges. The verse says, "You shall not pervert judgment. You shall not respect someone's presence; you shall not accept bribes." Then it says, "for the bribe will blind the eyes and make just words crooked."

I have watched people for many years as different groups chose leaders. When I was in school the most popular was chosen. In other areas the most athletic or best looking or person with the most money or position.

These things are spoken by G-D to those that are going to choose these judges. The first word of advice from G-D is for us not to pervert judgment don't for any reason pervert judgment: not for money, power, greed, jealousy, envy, strife or any other.

When I was reading this Parasha I thought about the two brothers in the B'rit Chadasha fighting over who was going to be greatest in the kingdom. If you read the next few passages it is the time when the person possessed by hasatan came to them and wanted deliverance and they could not help. Y'shua then said, "This kind comes out only by prayer and fasting." It was not the demon that needed prayer and fasting but those so caught up with themselves and their own importance. This is perverted judgment when we judge ourselves to be more important than we are and when we become legends in our own minds. The only way our judgment can remain unperverted is to keep G-D as the only plumb line by which to judge ourselves. G-D and His Word are given so that we would have a way to know what is just and righteous so that we would not pervert our judgment.

We are also told to not respect someone's presence. This doesn't mean not to respect people of authority or not to respect our parents' presence in our homes and their homes. This means not to let the presence of powerful or influential people change our righteous judgment.

A short time ago I listened to people say that the leader of the USA could do anything he wanted in his personal life and that didn't matter as long as the economy was good that:

(1) morality doesn't matter, and that

(2) it is ok for any leader to lie because it really doesn't affect the job he or she was doing. That is an example or respecting a person's presence.

Verse 20 begins with the Hebrew word "Tzedek," which means righteousness. As a matter of fact it is use twice, "Tzedek Tzedek," righteousness righteousness you shall pursue. I thought about this verse a lot today. This scripture says we are to chase after righteousness. Pursuing something takes work effort, time and dedication.

When a Hebrew word such as this is double in text like it was, it adds emphasis to the word. For instance "Shalom Shalom" means perfect peace. "Adom adom" means deep red. "Tzedek tzedek" would then not just mean righteousness but a very deep very powerful even a perfect righteousness. That has to be pursued; it doesn't come easy. It is a something we have to work and chase every day in all that we do from how we treat G-D to how we treat those that cut us off on the highway. It extends from how we treat those we like to those we should like. It extends from those that mistreat us to those that bless us. Each must be treated with righteousness. Pray for them that despitefully use you not just those that bless you but those that don't bless you.

Verse 20 ends with the reason for this pursuit..."so that you will live and possess the land that HaShem your G-D gives you." Please turn in your Scriptures to chapter 19 verse 8. This is the section of the parsha dealing with cities of refuge, places of safety for those that killed by accident. In verse 8 it tells us that at some time G-D will expand our borders and give us all of the Land promised to our fathers. If you read this section it says when this time comes to add three more cities of refuge. It seems interesting that this promise of giving the complete land to the children of G-D is tied in to the section talking about the cities of refuge, places G-D gave to Israel in case someone killed by accident. We are told that when...sometime in the future... G-D gives the complete Israel has not, since the promise of the land, controlled all of it never. But it will happen some time in the future. When it does, just in case someone anyone needs a place to run to, we will have to set up these cities. Righteous judgment isn't about our being right it is about G-D being Right and us agreeing with Him even when it doesn't seem to make sense to us. We must seek not just tzedek but "tzedek tzedek," G-Ds righteousness: pure righteousness. We are not just to seek after it but chase, pursue, and run after it.

Rabbi Eric Tokajer is the spiritual leader of three Messianic congregations in the Pensacola, Florida area. He holds Parasha studies normally at 9pm central time on Wednesdays in at the following address: http://mercury.beseen.com/chat/rooms/g/5252/Login.html. Please feel free to come and learn and ask questions. You can also send him an email at: rabbi.etokajer@mjaa.org.

Copyright 2002