Justice Revealing Divine Presence
במדרש שופטים כו' ה' אוהב משפט
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.
ואוהב את יעקב
"And He loves Yaakov" (continuing the theme of the verse).
The same verse continues that Hashem loves Yaakov, tying Bnei Yisrael to the attribute of justice.
ומסר להם הפרדס ע"ש
And He handed over to them the orchard — see there.
Hashem entrusted Bnei Yisrael with His 'orchard' — a metaphor for the Torah and its system of law.
דכתי' המשפט לאלקים הוא א"כ כשנמסר המשפטים לבנ"י אינו בכח אנושי
For it is written, "The judgment belongs to Elokim" (Devarim 1:17); if so, when the laws of judgment were handed over to Bnei Yisrael, it is not within human power.
Since judgment intrinsically belongs to Hashem, when Bnei Yisrael judge they are not exercising mere human authority but a Divine one.
וכמ"ש חז"ל בפסוק ה' נצב בעדת אל
And as Chazal expounded on the verse "Hashem stands in the assembly of God" (Tehillim 82:1).
Chazal teach that Hashem Himself stands within the assembly of judges as they rule.
ואלקותו ית' נתגלה לסנהדרין
And His Godliness, may He be blessed, was revealed to the Sanhedrin.
Hashem's own Godliness rested upon and was revealed through the Sanhedrin.
ולכן איתא במד' לא תטה משפט שהעולם עומד על ג' דברים שאתה מזדעזע א' מרגליו ע"ש
Therefore it is brought in the Midrash on "You shall not pervert justice" (Devarim 16:19), that the world stands upon three things, and when you tilt one of them, you cause the world to tremble upon its foundations — see there.
Because justice is one of the three pillars holding up the world, perverting it shakes the very foundations of creation.
וכתי' משפט וצדקה ביעקב אתה עשית
And it is written, "Justice and righteousness in Yaakov You have wrought" (Tehillim 99:4).
The verse credits Hashem Himself with establishing justice and righteousness within Yaakov.
אתה ממש
"You" — literally You Yourself.
The Sfas Emes stresses the word 'You' — it is Hashem literally, not merely an agent, who works justice through Bnei Yisrael.
כשהקב"ה ברא העולם נתן בהם אלקות
When the Holy One, Blessed is He, created the world, He placed Godliness within it.
At creation, Hashem invested the world with Godliness — a hidden Divine life-force within all that exists.
ויש בעולם שנה נפש פרטים שמתגלה בהם אמתיות החיות והאלקות
And there are in the world the dimensions of "olam" (space), "shanah" (time), and "nefesh" (soul), and within each there are particular points where the truth of the life-force and the Godliness is revealed.
This Godliness has focal points of revelation across the three dimensions of olam (space), shanah (time), and nefesh (soul).
בעולם הוא א"י ובהמ"ק ששם התגלות אלקות וכתי' צדק ילין בה
In the dimension of space (olam) it is Eretz Yisrael and the Beis HaMikdash, for there is the revelation of Godliness, and it is written, "Righteousness shall lodge in it" (Yeshayahu 1:21).
In the dimension of space, the revelation is concentrated in Eretz Yisrael and the Beis HaMikdash, where righteousness dwells.
ובבהמ"ק הי' לשכת הגזית
And in the Beis HaMikdash there was the Lishkas HaGazis (the Chamber of Hewn Stone, where the Sanhedrin sat).
Within the Beis HaMikdash itself, the Lishkas HaGazis housed the Sanhedrin, the seat of judgment.
ובשנה הם המועדות שבהם נידון העולם לכן סמך פ' שופטים לג' רגלים
And in the dimension of time (shanah) these are the Moadim, the appointed festivals, on which the world is judged; therefore Parashas Shoftim is placed adjacent to the three Regalim (the festivals at the end of Parashas Re'eh).
In the dimension of time, the focal points are the Moadim, when the world is judged — which is why Parashas Shoftim follows the festivals.
ובנפש הוא בישראל שניתן להם המשפט
And in the dimension of soul (nefesh) it is Bnei Yisrael, to whom the system of judgment was given.
In the dimension of soul, the focal point is Bnei Yisrael, the bearers of the Divine system of justice.
וכפי שהם שופטים כך מתקיים בעולם
And according to how they render judgment, so is it sustained in the world.
The very sustaining of the world depends on the integrity of how Bnei Yisrael render judgment.
לכן אחז"ל המעמיד דיין שאינו הגון כאילו נוטע אשרה אצל המזבח שהכל ענין א' כנ"ל:
Therefore Chazal said that one who appoints an unfit judge is as though he plants an asheirah (an idolatrous tree) beside the Mizbeach — for it is all one matter, as explained above.
Appointing a corrupt judge is equated with planting idolatry beside the Mizbeach, because just judgment and the revelation of Godliness are one and the same matter.
Summary: The Sfas Emes teaches that justice belongs intrinsically to Hashem, so when Bnei Yisrael are entrusted to judge, His own Godliness is revealed through them, as in the Sanhedrin. He explains that at creation Hashem placed a hidden Divine life-force within the world, which has focal points of revelation across the three dimensions of olam (space), shanah (time), and nefesh (soul): Eretz Yisrael and the Beis HaMikdash in space, the Moadim in time, and Bnei Yisrael in soul. This is why Parashas Shoftim, dealing with judges and judgment, is placed adjacent to the festivals. Because true judgment is itself a revelation of Hashem's presence, the integrity of how Bnei Yisrael judge sustains the entire world. Consequently, appointing an unfit judge is likened to planting an asheirah beside the Mizbeach, for corrupting justice corrupts the very revelation of Godliness.