Shoftin

This Torah Portion of Shoftim begins with the word: “Appoint judges and officers within all your gates, which יהוה your Elohim is giving you, according to your tribes. And they shall judge the people with righteous right (mishpat tzedek).”  The word tzedek, translated literally, “Just”.

The ultimate purpose of our spiritual life is to diminish the effect of darkness and awaken the Light of Messiyah in this world. We accomplish this when we act with mercy, when we  judge other in a merciful way, we open the gate of Light in the area of our influence.

 It is important to our understanding to know just how essential this is to us, especially as we come into the sixth month of Elul, the end of the summer when the final harvest is about to be harvest, the month when the seed of the judgements we have created through previous actions produces its fruits.

To those who have proactively judge others in a positive way, will have open to them the Gate of Mercy. The opposite hold true also, every time we judge others negatively, we open the Gate of negative Judgement and we bring darkness and death to our lives. All the judgement that we experience in our lives is due to our thinking.

An intresting fact about the Ant, an Ant live about six month, and in that time it eats about 1.5 grams of food. Yet that same Ant spend most of its time gathering a vast supply of food. Why? The reason simple the Ant gathers more food than it could ever eat in its life time, is because it knows that one day there will be no harvest, and when that day comes the ant will have enough food in reserve. King Solomon tells us that the Ant has more wisdom than we do.

When we learn to choose to see the positive in others we awaken the immortality of the spirit of the Ants, which is one of the gifts of the Sabbath of Shoftim.  By making that choice, or any other choice, whether positive or negative, affects what comes next in our lives.

In this chapter we have, 

I.                   A repetition of the laws concerning the three yearly feasts; And the general law concerning the people’s attendance on them verse 16, 17. 

II.          The institution of an inferior magistracy, and general rules of justice given to those that were called into office verse 18–20.

III. A caveat against groves and images verse. 21, 22.

Deu 16:17 but each one with the gift of his hand, according to the blessing of יהוה your Elohim which He has given you. – Every man must bring his gift, he cannot send it, he must bring it personally.

Deu 16:18 “Appoint judges and officers within all your gates, which יהוה your Elohim is giving you, according to your tribes. And they shall judge the people with righteous right-ruling. – This verse stress the point that care must be taken for the deu administration of justice among us, that controversies might be determined, matters in variance adjusted, the injured redressed, and the injurious punished.

While they were encamped in the wilderness, they had judges and officers according to their numbers, rulers of thousands and hundreds, Ex. 17:25. When they entered into Canaan, they must have them according to their towns and cities, in all their gates; for the courts of judgment sat in the gates.

Here is a commission given to these lesser magistrates: "Judges try and pass sentence, and officers to execute their sentences, shall thou make thee.’’

However, the persons were chosen to that office, whether by the nomination of their sovereign or by the election of the people, the power were ordained of ABBA YAHVEH,  Rom. 13:1.

It was a great benifit to the people to have justice brought to their doors, that it might be more expeditious and less expensive, a blessing which we of this nation ought to be very thankful for. Pursuant to this law, that sat at the sanctuary, consisting of seventy elders and a president, there was in the larger cities, such as had in them above 120 families, a court of twenty-three judges, in the smaller cities a court of three judges. See this law revived by Jehoshaphat, 2 Chr. 19:5, 8. 2.

Deu 16:19 “Do not distort right-ruling. Do not show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous. - Here is a command given to the magistrates to do justice in the execution of the trust reposed in them. Better not to judge at all, than not to judge with unjust judgment, according to the direction of the law and the evidence of the fact. The judges are cautioned not to do injustice to any, nor to take any gifts, which would tempt them to do injusice.