Parshat Shoftim 5777
Rabbi Jablinowitz
This week's parsha begins with the words Shoftim V'Shotrim Titen Lecha Bechol She'arecha. You shall place Shoftim, judges, and Shotrim, those who enforce the judgment, in all your gates. Rashi explains Bechol She'arecha to mean in each and every city.
The Sfas Emes teaches that there is significance between the beginning of our parsha and the end of last week's parsha. Parshat Re'eh ended with the mitzvah of going up to Yerushalayim during the three festivals of Pesach, Shavuos, and Succos. Our parsha begins with the mitzvah of appointing judges and enforcers. Shoftim and Shotrim represent Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. And if the three festivals included a pilgrimage to Yerushalayim, the days of judgment and repentance are not dependant on Yerushalayim or the Beis Hamikdash. Hence, Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, Shoftim and Shotrim, are Bechol She'arecha, are applicable everywhere.
What is the connection between Shoftim V'Shotrim and the days of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur?
As we mentioned above, Shoftim are the ones who judge and decide what the proper judgment is. The Shoftim represent the intellectual process of adjudicating the law. The Shotrim are the enforcers; they will even use physical force if necessary. The Sfas Emes teaches that this distinction correlates to all aspects of man, particularly in his performance of mitzvos. First one must act as a shofet for himself and make his choices for how he would like to lead his life. Then he must be a shoter and enforce his decisions. As Chazal teach in Brachos 13A first one must accept Ohl Malchus Shamayim; the first step is to decide to accept the yolk of heaven. Afterwards, one must carry this out by accepting Ohl Mitzvos, the yolk of performing the mitzvos.
This dual process is carried out on a weekly basis. Every week we have Shabbos which is a day of introspection and reflection. It is a day during which we decide what type of a life we would like to live. And during the week, the "Sheshes Yemei Ha'Ma'aseh", we work on carrying out these decisions. We attempt to ensure that our actions are consistent with our thought process. It is not enough for us to make our personal decisions and judgments; we need our inner shotrim to force ourselves to carry out and enforce our decisions.
Perhaps this is the connection between Shoftim V'Shotrim and Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, albeit in reverse order. Rosh Hashanah is Yom HaDin, it is the day of judgment in which we are accountable for our misdeeds. We might have made good, solid decisions, but we might not have been successful in carrying them out. Rosh Hashanah focuses on our physical acts, and in that regard more represents facing up to the shotrim within us.
Yom Kippur, though, is the culmination of the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah. It is a day of intense introspection and decision making about how we want to lead our life. Yom Kippur is called Shabbos Shabbason; if Shabbos is a day of rest and introspection, then Yom Kippur is the ultimate day of introspection where we must judge ourselves and see where we are holding and what we need to change.
Even though on a simple level one might connect Rosh Hashanah with Shoftim, since it is a day of judgment, and Yom Kippur with Shotrim since the judgment is sealed, this is in regard to Hashem. But in regards to us, it is in reverse. On Rosh Hashanah we are held accountable for our actions; did we properly fulfill Ohl Mitzvos. And on Yom Kippur we judge ourselves and decide whether we need to rededicate ourselves to a more comprehensive Ohl Malchus Shamayim.
Good Shabbos
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