WhatsappJewish communities around the world read Parshat Shoftim in synagogues on Shabbat: The Torah’s Revolution of Justice and Israel’s Urgent Need for Reform
“Tzedek, tzedek tirdof, lemaan tichyeh…” “Justice, justice you shall pursue, so that you may live…”(Devarim 16:20)
These words ring louder than ever today, not just as a line from the Torah, but as a prophetic demand, a calling, a challenge we can no longer ignore.
The Torah doesn’t say, “Love justice,” or “Admire justice.” It says pursue it. Run after it. Chase it. Work for it, even when it’s hard. Especially when it’s hard.
But the Torah doesn’t just tell us to pursue justice, it defines what justice actually is. And that’s where the world today, including our own country, is falling apart.
The Torah Introduced Justice to the World
We take it for granted today, but the very concept of a moral, accountable legal system, of objective law applied fairly to all, was unheard of before the Torah.
In the ancient world, justice meant:
– Power decides right.
– Kings are gods.
– The poor and the weak have no voice.
The Torah shattered that.
In Parshat Shoftim, we read about a justice system that was centuries, millennia, ahead of its time:
– Impartial judges: “Do not pervert judgment, do not take bribes” (16:19)
– Accountability for leaders: even the king must write and carry a Torah (17:18–20)
– Checks and balances: with kohanim, judges, and a court of last resort (17:8–13)
– Witnesses, not rumors: “By the mouth of two witnesses” no anonymous slander or trial by media (17:6)
The Torah’s justice system was designed with one goal: To align earthly justice with heavenly truth. To be not just functional, but holy.
Justice vs. Equity: The World’s Distorted Morality
But today, we’re watching the concept of justice being hijacked. Especially in the Western world.
They call it “equity”, but it’s not equality under the law. It’s engineering outcomes based on group identity.
Not blind justice, but selective justice. Not fair treatment, but forced results based on race, gender, class, or ideology.
It’s no longer: “What’s right?” It’s: “Who’s the victim?” or “What narrative fits the agenda?”
And judges, lawyers, and law professors are championing this distortion, claiming to serve “justice” while trampling its essence.
They’ve replaced divine standards with moral relativism. And it’s spreading like wildfire, affecting academia, media, courts, even diplomacy.
Israel Is Supposed to Be Different – But the Injustice Starts at the Top
Here’s the painful irony: Israel, the one place on earth that should be guided by the Torah’s justice system, is instead being controlled by an elite, unaccountable legal class that doesn’t answer to the people, and doesn’t reflect Torah values.
In Israel today:
– Politicians are the most heavily policed group in the country, as they should be as power corrupts..
– Every move they make is scrutinized, investigated, leaked, litigated.
– Even democratically elected officials are blocked by unelected legal advisors and overruled by activist judges, and democratically allowed appointments are shot down by those same legal advisors and judges.
But who watches the watchers? Who holds the Supreme Court accountable? Who oversees the Attorney General, the State Prosecutor, the legal advisors in every ministry?
No one.
They are self-appointed, self-promoting, and self-protecting.
They hold immense power, yet face zero public oversight.
The most powerful people with no one to stop their corruption due to power.
And over time, many have weaponized the law not to enforce justice, but to protect their worldview, and prevent any challenge to their authority.
They make up rules that totally go against written laws! Like forbidding the government to fire and hire a head of intelligence services.
The World Is Thirsty for True Justice—From Zion
The Prophet Yeshayahu says:
”כִּי מִצִּיּוֹן תֵּצֵא תוֹרָה וּדְבַר ה’ מִירוּשָׁלִָם” “For from Zion shall go forth Torah, and the word of Hashem from Jerusalem.” (Isaiah 2:3)
The nations are supposed to look to Israel for guidance, for moral clarity, for justice rooted in holiness.
But right now, instead of leading the world in divine justice, our legal elites are mirroring its dysfunction.
Instead of being a light, we’ve absorbed the darkness, importing foreign legal doctrines, empowering an elite that has cut itself off from the people, and using “law” as a political club.
How can justice come from Zion when our own system is broken?
How can the Torah guide the nations when it’s been sidelined by our own legal experts, in our own courts?
Judicial Reform Is Not Politics — It’s a Torah Obligation
This is not just about coalitions or legislation. It’s about restoring justice to its proper place.
The Torah commands a judicial system that is:
– Answerable to the people
– Bound by God’s law
– Transparent, fair, and humble
We need reform not because we hate the courts, but because we love justice.
The longer we allow one unelected branch to rule without oversight, the further we drift from “Tzedek, tzedek tirdof.”
Reform is not just a necessity, it’s a return to our national mission.
More People Are Waking Up—And That’s a Sign of Hope
Yes, it’s uncomfortable to say: The most corrupt system in Israel today is the judicial system.
That’s a hard pill to swallow.
But truth matters more than comfort.
And thank God, more people are seeing it.
– Every day, new stories emerge.
– Whistleblowers come forward.
– Leaks, recordings, court transcripts—they’re exposing what’s been hidden for decades.
It’s painful. But it’s necessary. Because the only way to rebuild is to first see clearly what’s broken.
Parshat Shoftim: A Call to Courage and Clarity
This parsha is not theoretical. It is directly relevant to our generation.
It calls on us to:
– Pursue truth, even when it’s unpopular.
– Hold all power accountable, even when it wears a robe.
– Believe that Torah law is not archaic—it’s eternal, moral, and the only system that can truly uphold justice.
“Tzedek, tzedek tirdof…”
Don’t pursue slogans. Don’t pursue narratives. Pursue real justice. Even when it’s uncomfortable. Even when it shakes the system.
Final Words: Justice Begins with Us
We’re not just bystanders.
We’re a nation chosen to model righteousness. And that starts with fighting for truth, starting with ourselves, our leaders, and our courts.
May we merit to see a restored legal system in Israel, guided by humility, accountability, and Torah values.
And may we soon see the fulfillment of the prophecy:
”שׁוֹפְטַיִךְ כְּבָרִאשֹׁנָה וְיֹעֲצַיִךְ כְּבַתְּחִלָּה…” “I will restore your judges as at the beginning, and your counselors as of old…” (Isaiah 1:26)
Shabbat Shalom from our ancestral homeland.
And may justice once again come forth from Zion, pure, proud, and unstoppable.
