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Shoftim / Justice Justice
Shoftim / Justice Justice
A Poetic Reflection On Parashah Shoftim*
A Poetic Reflection On Parashah Shoftim*
Justice Justice
you shall pursue
You shall pursue
justice below
and justice above*
In this way
you shall remain in the land
You shall not fall backward
toward Egypt
By the Torah of God
the heavens were made
HaShem spoke
A universe of worlds came into being
He commanded it
and creation stood firm
The Word of God is teaching
Creation is the student
If you are awake
you are learning
The Word of God
not only speaks
it listens
At the capstone
of all things
the Word of God is prayer*
prayer on behalf of creation
for justice
justice without compromise
and that the Judge
of all creation
might pronounce
a just mercy
in order that creation
might stand forever
Justice Justice
you shall pursue
by leaving Egypt on HaShem's wings
and never returning there
to live by Egyptian ways and means
Leave that thought and temptation
behind you
Go forward
Pursue righteousness even in your wars
If you show self-restraint and kindness
in your wars with other nations
surely you will learn the same
in your wars among yourselves
Pursue justice for Abel
Pursue justice for Cain
Justice for Joseph
is strict mercy toward his brothers
Pursue justice in community
as one Israel
with righteous judges
and officers
with leaders who cultivate responsibility
to prevent breakouts of murder
who study the Torah
of the Cities of Refuge
which are portals
to the justice above
which is heard
in the Word of the Judge of all the earth
in the Sentence that is in his mouth
the Sentence of his truly just mercy
which gives creation a continuing existence
that you may live and live again
in the land that he has given you
through his kindness
the beauty of his covenant
that you might be his witnesses
to all the heavens
of his endless goodness
and infinite benevolence
*Being a meditation on a Torah class on parashah Shoftim, delivered by Rabbi Baitelman of ChaBaD Richmond, B.C., based on the series, Torah Studies, by Rohr Jewish Learning Institute. Neither Rabbi Baitelman nor the JLI have reviewed or approved of the content of this post.
*justice below and justice above - Consulting the commentary of Ramban
*At the capstone of all things the Word of God is prayer - Consulting Likutey Moharan Part 2 Lesson #1
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