MY DAILY LIFE TORAH COACH: PARASHAT SHOFETIM N.49

Parasha of the Week Shofetim n. 49

Moses reviews for the Israelites their system of justice, the rules of kingship, their relationship to idolatrous nations, and the rules of doing battle. Moses continues his last speech to the Israelites before he dies saying: “Judges shall be appointed to judge the people with justice. You shall not twist judgment by recognizing a face or accepting bribery, because both blind the eyes of the wise and cause the words of the righteous to falter. Justice, justice shall you pursue, so that you may live and take possession of the land which The Lord, your The Lord, is giving you. Do not make a memorial stone for The Lord, nor offer to The Lord a blemished animal for sacrifice. If you find an individual who does evil in the eyes of The Lord and transgresses The Lord’s covenant, then you shall make careful inquiry. If it turns out to be true according to the word of two or three witnesses, then that person shall die. No one shall be put to death on the basis of the word of only one witness.“