D'var Torah

The Torah portion for this Shabbat epitomizes what it means to be a good person. The portion is Shoftim, from Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9. This portion about justice includes the famous quote: “Tzedek, tzedek tirdof: Justice, justice shall you pursue.” The Torah doesn’t repeat words often. Each word of Torah is important to the meaning. So, when we see a word repeated it is usually for emphasis — the Torah’s version of using boldface type in a book. In this way, we may read Tzedek, tzedek tirdof as “the pursuit of justice is among the most important things a person can do.” Some translators say the repeated word allows you to read the sentence this way: “Surely you will pursue justice.” Others translate it this way: “Justice, and justice alone.” (New English Bible); or “Justice under any circumstance.” (Rav Bachya ben Asher); I like Rabbi David Saperstein’s take on the doubling of the word saying this teaches us that “we must be just in the way we go about pursuing justice.”

When we give tzedakah we are being “just.” You see “Tzedek” in that word right? When someone translates the word tzedakah, they sometimes say it means “charity.” Now that you know it comes from the word “justice” it may open your eyes to the importance of making tzedakah part of your life. It’s more than charity. Charity to me is doing something out of the goodness of your heart. But tzedakah is a commandment – a mitzvah – that obligates us to make our world more just. 

To me, being “just” is one of the most important traits a person can have. When we are “just” we behave according to what is morally right. We treat people fairly. We see a human being made in God’s image no matter their religion, color, ethnicity, gender, or political persuasion. Of course, if we are not “just” and have lost our sense of morality, have lost our sense of right and wrong, and instead lie, cheat, or take advantage of others, we are unjust and we haven’t lived up to this divine principle. This is what is wrong with what I see on the news these days. So many people are not following this commandment and have lost a sense of what it means to pursue justice. Or, they are misguided in what they believe is right and wrong. Perhaps this Torah portion needs to be required reading for each individual.

May this Shabbat, the last Shabbat of the summer, lead us to emphasize justice in all of our endeavors, and may we do it in a just way!