Shoftim
שופטיםJustice & Kingship
65 translated essays · 65 total
תרל"א(1870)
Brief Notes on Shoftim· Essay 1
אא”ז מו”ר ז”ל פ’ פ’ שופטים כו’ אשר ה”א נותן כו’. On the first pasuk of the parsha, you shall place judges and watchmen on all the gates that HaShem gives you. שידע כל אדם כי כל מה שנפתח לו מעט…
Guarding Every Inner Stirring· Essay 2
צדק צדק תרדוף. You should surely chase righteousness שאין חקר וסוף לבחי’ צדק ואמת. The double expression of the word tzedek twice teaches us that there is no end to the depth of righteousness and truth. That even when a person reaches…
Endless Pursuit of Truth· Essay 3
שמע ישראל כו’ ברש”י אפי’ אין בכם רק זכות שמע ישראל כו’. Before the nation went to war the kohen would say “Hear Yisrael you are coming to battle do not be afraid..” Rashi explains that even if the only me…
Unity Dissolving Hidden Exile· Essay 4
אא”ז מו”ר ז”ל דקדק עמ”ש הירא מעבירות שבידו. On the pasuk that discusses going out to war. “One who is scared…” would not go out to battle, for he could make others scared. Rashi explains that the fear tha…
Teshuvah That Erases Sin· Essay 5
בכל מקום שאומרים שהוא עת רצון כמו באלול ובס”ג בשבת. Whenever we have a time that is considered a time of closeness to HaShem, for example during the month of Elul or during seudas shlishis (on a national level, and it also applies on …
Eis Ratzon Within Man· Essay 6
Wherever we speak of a time being an eis ratzon, a time of favor — such as during Elul, or based on the sod (the deeper mystical teaching) regarding Shabbos — The Sfas Emes opens by noting that Torah sources speak of certain times — like El…
תרל"ב(1871)
Nullifying Intellect Before Divine Will· Essay 1
שופטים ושוטרים תתן כו’. You shall put judges and watchmen at all your gates. (This is also referring to one’s personal growth, one need to constantly be aware what enters and leaves one’s self) כמ”ש כבר להיות נשקל כל…
Pursuing Hidden Righteousness Within· Essay 2
"And they shall judge the people with righteous judgment" (Devarim 16:18) — this can be explained based on what is written in the sefer Noam Elimelech, that an am ha'aretz (an unlearned person) is related to the expression of "smoldering co…
תרל"ג(1872)
Gates Opened Through Humility· Essay 1
My grandfather, my master and teacher, of blessed memory, taught on the verse "Judges and officers shall you appoint for yourself in all your gates which Hashem your God gives you" (Devarim 16:18). The Sfas Emes opens by citing his grandfat…
Inner Judgment Sustains Creation· Essay 2
In the Midrash it is taught: If you pervert justice, know that you cause the world to tremble, for justice is one of its legs, and so on. The Sfas Emes opens with a Midrash teaching that perverting justice shakes the world, since justice is…
תרל"ד(1873)
Judging the Heart's Gates· Essay 1
"Judges... in all your gates" (Devarim 16:18). The piece opens with the verse commanding the appointment of judges in all your gates, taken as the springboard for the whole teaching. My grandfather and teacher, may his memory be a blessing,…
Justice Shaking the Pillars of Creation· Essay 2
כי תצא כו’ סוס ורכב ע”ר ממך כו’. פי’ ז”ל על מלחמת היצר. ובאוה”ח כ’ ממך שכל הכחות של הסט”א הוא מהאדם עצמו כו’. אעפ”כ ה”א עמך המעלך כו’. כי יצ”מ הי’ הכנה לכל …
Strength Within Spiritual Battle· Essay 3
"When you go out (to war against your enemies and you see) horse and chariot, a people more numerous than you (do not fear them, for Hashem your God is with you, the One who brought you up out of the land of Egypt)" (Devarim 20:1). The pasu…
תרל"ה(1874)
Judge And Officer Within· Essay 1
"Shoftim v'shotrim — Judges and officers shall you appoint for yourself" (Devarim 16:18). "Shoftim," judges, refers to weighing all of one's deeds according to wisdom and understanding, in accordance with the Torah. The Sfas Emes opens with…
Bribery Blinds Inner Vision· Essay 2
Rashi explains that the Torah's negative commandment, 'You shall not take a bribe' (Devarim 16:19), applies even to bribing a judge in order that he render a just verdict, for it is impossible that the judge will not be swayed to favor the …
Never Ceasing Pursuit Of Truth· Essay 3
"Tzedek, tzedek tirdof" — "Justice, justice shall you pursue" (Devarim 16:20). The pasuk's doubling of the word "justice" hints that pursuing tzedek is not a one-time act but a continuous demand. The explanation is that once a person merits…
Divine Conduct Through Deeds· Essay 4
"You shall be wholehearted [with Hashem your God]... For these nations [that you are to dispossess listen to soothsayers and diviners]... but as for you, Hashem your God has not given you such... A prophet from among you, from your brethren…
תרל"ו(1875)
Inner Gates Of Understanding· Essay 1
"Judges and officers shall you appoint for yourself in all your gates" (Devarim 16:18), and so on. The Sfas Emes opens with the pasuk commanding that judges and officers be appointed in all the gates, which he will read as a teaching about …
Inner Battle Rectifies Sin· Essay 2
"When you go out to war... a people more numerous than you..." (Devarim 20:1). The piece opens with the verse describing Bnei Yisrael going out to war against an enemy that seems larger and stronger than they are. In the Ohr HaChaim it is e…
Wholehearted Surrender To Hashem· Essay 3
"You shall be wholehearted [with Hashem your God]... For [these nations that you are to dispossess listen to soothsayers and diviners], but as for you, Hashem your God has not given you so... according to all that you asked [of Hashem your …
תרל"ז(1876)
Inner Will And Deed· Essay 1
"Shoftim v'shotrim — Judges and officers shall you appoint" (Devarim 16:18), and so on, the Torah teaches. The Sfas Emes opens with the verse commanding the appointment of judges and officers, which he will read as a hint to two inner facul…
Prophecy From Collective Wholeness· Essay 2
On the verse, "You shall be wholehearted (tamim) with Hashem your God... for these nations... a prophet from your midst... like myself... according to all that you asked" (Devarim 18:13-16). The Sfas Emes opens with the Torah's command to b…
תרל"ח(1877)
Bittul Reveals Inner Emes· Essay 1
"Judges and officers, etc." (Devarim 16:18). The Sfas Emes opens with the parsha's opening words about appointing judges and officers, which he will read as a hint about the avodah of Elul. We can explain this based on what my grandfather, …
Earning Prophecy Through Wholeheartedness· Essay 2
On the verse "You shall be wholehearted [tamim] with Hashem your God ... for these nations ... a prophet from your midst [Hashem will raise up for you]" (Devarim 18:13-15) — the meaning is that a person of Bnei Yisrael must attain everythin…
תרל"ט(1878)
Pursuing Truth Forever· Essay 1
"Shoftim v'shotrim titen lecha" — "Judges and officers you shall appoint for yourself" — is also a promise, that it lies within the power of every Jewish person to appoint over himself a judge and an officer. The verse commanding us to appo…
Redemption Renewed In Battle· Essay 2
The passuk says, "When you go out to war... Hashem your God... who brought you up from the land of Mitzrayim..." (Devarim 20:1). The Torah introduces the laws of going out to war by invoking Hashem as the One who took Bnei Yisrael out of Mi…
תר"מ(1879)
Judges As National Mind· Essay 1
On the pasuk, "Judges and officers... and they shall judge the people..." (Devarim 16:18). The Sfas Emes opens with the Torah's command to appoint judges and officers who will judge the people. The explanation is that Bnei Yisrael are drawn…
Bittul Opens Divine Hearing· Essay 2
On the pasuk, "For these nations... heed those who practice divination... but as for you, Hashem your G-d has not given you so... a navi from your midst..." (Devarim 18:14-15). The Sfas Emes opens with the Torah's contrast between the natio…
תרמ"א(1880)
תרמ"ב(1881)
Pursuing Justice Opens Eyes· Essay 1
On the verse, "And you shall not take a bribe, for the bribe blinds the eyes of the wise" (Devarim 16:19), etc. The Sfas Emes opens with the Torah's warning that a bribe blinds even a wise man's eyes, since a personal stake distorts one's c…
Making Peace With Yetzer Hara· Essay 2
Regarding the pasuk, "When you draw near to a city to wage war against it, you shall call out to it for peace" (Devarim 20:10), The Sfas Emes opens with the pasuk in our parsha that commands offering peace to a city before besieging it in w…
תרמ"ג(1882)
Drawing Near to Battle· Essay 1
On the verse, "And it shall be, when you draw near to the battle... the Kohen shall approach..." (Devarim 20:2). The Sfas Emes opens with the Torah's verse describing the Kohen who addresses the soldiers before they go out to battle. And Ch…
Nullifying Wisdom For Dveikus· Essay 2
On the pasuk "You shall be wholehearted [with Hashem your God]... for these nations [that you are about to dispossess heed soothsayers and diviners]... but as for you, Hashem your God has not given you so" (Devarim 18:13-14). The Sfas Emes …
תרמ"ד(1883)
תרמ"ה(1884)
Justice As Divine Gift· Essay 1
In the Midrash: "I am Hashem, Who loves justice" (Yeshayahu 61:8) — this is compared to a king who had an orchard that he loved, and he gave it to his son whom he loved; see there. The Sfas Emes opens with a Midrash that likens Hashem's lov…
Wars Sent For Good· Essay 2
On the pasuk, "When you go out to war... do not be afraid of them... for Hashem your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Mitzrayim... Hashem your God who goes [with you]" (Devarim 20:1-4). The Sfas Emes opens with the parsh…
Bnei Yisrael Mastering Peace· Essay 3
On the pasuk, "When you draw near to a city to wage war against it, you shall call out to it for peace" (Devarim 20:10), and the Midrash brings the verse, "You will decree a matter and it will be fulfilled" (Iyov 22:28). The Sfas Emes opens…
תרמ"ז - תרמ"ח - תרמ"ט(1886)
Inner Judge And Officer· Essay 1
"Appoint judges and officers" (Devarim 16:18) — may it teach us as follows. The Sfas Emes opens with the verse commanding judges and officers and signals that he will draw a lesson from it. In another place I have written that every person …
Creative Speech of Yisrael· Essay 2
On the pasuk, "Be wholehearted [with Hashem your God]... for these nations... [hearken] to soothsayers..." (Devarim 18:13-14). The Sfas Emes opens with the pesukim that warn Bnei Yisrael to be wholehearted with Hashem and not to follow the …
Inner War Before Battle· Essay 3
On the verse "the man who is fearful and fainthearted" (Devarim 20:8), Chazal expounded that this refers to one who is afraid because of the aveiros in his hand. The Sfas Emes cites the teaching of Chazal that the soldier sent home out of f…
Justice Revealing Divine Presence· Essay 4
The Midrash on Shoftim expounds the verse "Hashem loves justice" (Tehillim 99:4). The Midrash opens by linking Hashem's love of justice to His love of Yaakov, setting the theme of the piece. "And He loves Yaakov" (continuing the theme of th…
Wholeness Through Divine Word· Essay 5
In the Midrash Tanchuma: "You shall be wholehearted [tamim]..." (Devarim 18:13), "for these nations [that you are dispossessing listen to soothsayers and diviners]..." (Devarim 18:14), "but as for you, Hashem your Elokim has not given you s…
Wholehearted Faith Above Wisdom· Essay 6
My grandfather, my teacher and master, of blessed memory, said that a Jew must be wholehearted (tamim). The Sfas Emes opens with his grandfather's teaching that a Jew's essential trait must be wholeheartedness, simple and complete faith in …
תר"נ(1889)
Brotherhood Draws Down Prophecy· Essay 1
On the verse, "Hashem your God will raise up for you a prophet from your midst, from your brethren" (Devarim 18:15), and so forth. The Sfas Emes opens with the verse in which Hashem promises that He will establish a prophet for Bnei Yisrael…
Hashem Directs Every War· Essay 2
On the verse, "When you go out to war against your enemies, and you see horse and chariot, a people more numerous than you, do not fear them, for Hashem your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Mitzrayim" (Devarim 20:1), an…
תרנ"א(1890)
Wholeness Through Nullification To Hashem· Essay 1
"You shall be wholehearted with Hashem your God" (Devarim 18:13), etc. The Sfas Emes opens with the pasuk commanding that one be wholehearted and complete with Hashem, which will be the theme of the piece. For the Holy One, Blessed is He, i…
Binding Deeds to Torah· Essay 2
Regarding the verse, "And the Kohen shall approach... and say, 'Hear, O Yisrael'" (Devarim 20:2-3). The piece opens with the verse describing the Kohen who addresses Bnei Yisrael before they go out to war, beginning with the words "Hear, O …
תרנ"ב(1891)
Torah Above Natural Wisdom· Essay 1
Regarding the pasuk, "Be wholehearted (with Hashem your God)... (do not learn to act like the abominations of) the nations" (Devarim 18:13-14). The Sfas Emes opens with the Torah's charge to be wholehearted with Hashem, set against its warn…
War for the Sake of Peace· Essay 2
Regarding the war of "When you go out" (Devarim 20), "do not be afraid of them," for "Hashem your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt." The parsha of going out to war assures Bnei Yisrael not to fear the enemy, beca…
תרנ"ג(1892)
Truthful Judgment Sustaining Creation· Essay 1
There is a negative commandment, "Do not take a bribe," and so forth, and "Justice, justice shall you pursue" (Devarim 16:20). The Torah commands a judge not to take a bribe and to relentlessly pursue justice. And in the Midrash: "Do not pe…
Three Pillars Sustaining The World· Essay 2
This parsha was placed adjacent to the three Regalim (festivals) mentioned at the end of the preceding parsha. The Torah positioned this parsha right after the section on the three festivals to hint at a connection between them. For just as…
Nullifying The Body In War· Essay 3
Regarding the verse, "When you go out to war against your enemy and you see horse and chariot, a people more numerous than you, do not fear them, for Hashem your God is with you, who brought you up from the land of Egypt" (Devarim 20:1). Th…
תרנ"ד(1893)
Rising Above Nature· Essay 1
On the pasuk, "Be wholehearted [tamim] with Hashem your God" (Devarim 18:13). The Sfas Emes opens with the Torah's command to be tamim, wholehearted, with Hashem. It is written in the parsha of milah, which was given to our father Avraham, …
Justice Reveals Divine Mercy· Essay 2
Indeed, it seems we can offer a further explanation for the juxtaposition of the parshiyos based on what is stated in the Midrash: "To do tzedakah and mishpat is more desirable to Hashem than a sacrifice" (Mishlei 21:3) — animal offerings c…
Body And Neshamah In War· Essay 3
On the pasuk, "When you go out to war... a horse and a chariot..." (Devarim 20:1), the Torah adds, "...for Hashem your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Mitzrayim." The Torah's command to go out to war is immediately ti…
Prevailing Through Hearing· Essay 4
Chazal said regarding "Shema Yisrael": The Sfas Emes opens by citing a teaching of Chazal on the words "Shema Yisrael." Even if you possess nothing but the merit of Krias Shema, and so on, He brings the statement that even the lone merit of…
תרנ"ו(1895)
Judges Within Every Soul· Essay 1
This parsha of the appointment of judges is placed adjacent to the section dealing with the three Regalim. The Torah places the mitzvah of appointing judges right next to the festivals to teach that the two are connected. For just as the Sa…
Cleaving Above Nature· Essay 2
The pasuk states, "You shall be wholehearted with Hashem your God, for these nations [that you are about to dispossess listen to soothsayers and diviners]" (Devarim 18:13-14). The Sfas Emes opens with the pasuk commanding Bnei Yisrael to be…
תרנ"ז(1896)
תר"ס(1899)
Aligning Deeds Below Above· Essay 1
"When you come (into the land) ... you shall not learn to do according to the abominations of those nations ... and because of these abominations Hashem your God drives them out from before you ... You shall be wholehearted (tamim) with Has…
From Servant To Son· Essay 2
In the parsha of war, "When you go out to war against your enemies, and you see [horses and chariots,] a people more numerous [than you, do not fear] them, [for] Hashem your God is with you, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt" (Dev…
תרס"א(1900)
תרס"ב(1901)
Eretz Yisrael Withstands Din· Essay 1
The pasuk states, "Judges and officers you shall appoint... in all your gates" (Devarim 16:18), and it then says "that Hashem is giving you, for your tribes," while elsewhere it is written, "Truth and the judgment of peace shall you judge i…
Elevating Body Through Neshamah· Essay 2
Regarding the verse "You shall be wholehearted (tamim) with Hashem your God, etc." — "for these nations, etc." listen to those who divine times and to soothsayers, "but as for you, Hashem your God has not given you such, etc." (Devarim 18:1…