Parashat Shoftim, which translates into judges, outlines the rules for setting up a just society in the Promised Land. This section of the Torah outlines the rules for appointing judges, kings, and also prophets. All three of those have special guidelines according to the Torah that the public must follow when appointing them.
How to appoint judges and officers
The parashah states that judges and officers are to be appointed in every city. The judges are instructed to administer justice impartially. That means that every person in front of the judge should be treated equally and fairly. The Torah explicitly instructs judges not to accept bribes or show favoritism to anyone.
The judges were to be appointed to every walled city throughout the land. They were to operate hand in hand with the police to ensure that the public was safe at all times. This meant that every town in Israel would have its own judges, police, and justice system that would bring law and order to the people.
Judges had surprising roles
You might be surprised to learn that judges were to settle domestic, civil, and even religious controversies. Yes, if someone had a religious issue, they could take it up with the judge, and they were to find a remedy for it.
The judges were expected to act impartial and treat everyone fairly. They worked with local police to ensure that the public was safe. Ideally, the judges and officers would work in tandem, but probably like today, there were probably some turf wars of each stepping on the other’s toes.
Rules for establishing a monarchy
There were rules for everything, even for establishing a monarchy. Moses was able to see that the Israelites needed these rules, and so they came about. Hold onto your hats because these rules are pretty far out there according to today’s standards.
A king had to be an Israelite chosen by God. He couldn’t have too many horses, his harem couldn’t be huge, and he couldn’t have a massive amount of money. Harem size mattered back in those days, and a king couldn’t ascend to the throne with too many wives.
The rules of being a prophet
Moses foresaw the rise of false prophets long before they walked barefoot around San Fransico. Moses spoke of a prophet who would rise like him and whom the people should respect. This prophecy is often considered to mention the coming of the Messiah.
This logic would make you believe that there has been no profits since Moses. However, some scholars may disagree with that statement. What they wouldn’t disagree with is that there have been many false prophets, and every generation has their fair share. These days, most of the false prophets are found online, whereas back in the day, they were probably shouting from a street corner to a crowd of suspicious people.
The balanace of morality
The one thing that should be taken away from all of this is that the powers to create all of these highly regarded positions in society come from God. If God and his laws are the basis for the laws, the will bring righteousness to the people. If people choose to follow false profits or seek fast gains through bribery, the result will be a fractured and dysfunctional society.
Wishing you a wonderful and blessed day!
See you in the next post,
Tohar Liani