At the start of this week’s parshah, the Torah informs us of the rules and regulations involved in setting up a proper judicial system. The first verse of the portion writes: “Judges and officers shall you appoint in all your cities…” [Deuteronomy: 16:18] Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaqi, 1040 - 1105, famed as the author of the first comprehensive commentary on the Torah) distinguishes between “Judges” and “Officers“. “Judges” are the ones who perform the proper judgements and decide the various outcomes in court. “Officers” are the ones who enforce the law (even if physical force is necessary), ensuring that the guilty litigant fulfills the judgement that has been declared upon him. (more…)
This week’s parshah basically consists of an array of commandments. The parshah starts off with negative commandments; divine commands concerning actions we must stay away from. The bulk of these commandments relate primarily to idolatry, and to staying away from forbidden foods. The next half of the parshah then deals with positive commandments; divine commands concerning actions we must cling to in order to serve God. These include tithes, the sabbatical year etc. (more…)
Among the many deep facets of this week’s parshah, there’s an idea that is worth noting. In the Talmud (a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, customs and history) we find a discussion concerning Rosh Hashannah. An opinion in the Talmud states that Rosh Hashannah is designated as the new year for judgement; meaning, that at the beginning of the year (on Rosh Hashannah) heavenly judgement is already issued regarding what will occur in the (upcoming) year’s end. The Talmud brings a verse from the Torah to solidify its statement:
“…from the beginning of the year until the end of the year.” [Deutoronomy: 11: 12]
At the beginning of this week’s parshah, Moshe recounts before the Jewish nation how he begged Hashem (God) to allow him to enter the land of Israel (previously, God decreed that Moshe was forbidden from entering, and Moshe was trying to rescind the decree). The following verse describes how Hashem answered him:
“…Do not continue to speak to Me further about this matter. Ascend to the top of the cliff…and see [the entire land of Israel] with your eyes, for you shall not cross this Jordan [river, to enter the land]” [Deuteronomy: 3: 26-27]
If you think about it, Hashem’s reply was rather taunting. Let’s use an example to bring forth our problem: Let’s say you were fasting for a day. Your friend, who wasn’t fasting, surely knew how badly you were thirsting for food. How would you react were he to hold up a piece of pie in your face and say “Hey buddy, I know you can’t eat this right now, but I’ll let you look at it for a while”? This would certainly force your mouth to salivate and increase your desire for food greatly, and the hardest part is that you wouldn’t even be able to satisfy that craving! There couldn’t be anything more annoying and irritating than that!
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