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…)
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.
The rest of the parshah deals with a lot of different laws and cases, which seem to fit in with the appointing of judges and how they are to rule in different cases. But the parshah barely returns to the duty of the officers. Only near the end of the parshah do we again read about the officers, but in a seemingly strange way.
