Chapter Previewהַקְדָּמָה
In this first aliyah of Parshas Shoftim, Hashem commands us to set up a proper system of batei din, appointing shoftim and shotrim in all our gates to ensure true justice. The Torah warns the judges against bending the law, showing favoritism, or taking bribes, and commands every Yid to actively pursue justice. We are also warned against planting an asherah tree near the Mizbe'ach, erecting a monument for avodah zarah, and bringing a blemished animal as a korban.
The aliyah then transitions to the severe halachos of avodah zarah, outlining the process of investigating anyone suspected of serving the sun, moon, or stars. We learn the fundamental halachah that a person can only be punished based on the testimony of at least two witnesses, and that the witnesses themselves must be the first to carry out the capital punishment. Finally, the Torah addresses a situation where a local court is faced with a difficult case in civil law, capital law, or nega'im, instructing them to go up to the Beis HaMikdash to seek a ruling from the Sanhedrin.
All introductions, summaries, and contextual notes are the editor's commentary and are not part of the original text.אַלע הַקְדָּמוֹת, סִכּוּמִים, און הערות זענען דעם רעדאַקטאָר'ס באַמערקונגען און זענען נישט קיין טייל פונעם אָריגינעלן טעקסט.
פָּסוּק א
Pasuk 1
שֹׁפְטִיםJudgesוְשֹׁטְרִיםand officersתִּתֶּןyou shall appointלְךָfor yourselfבְּכָלin allשְׁעָרֶיךָyour gatesאֲשֶׁרwhichיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour Godנֹתֵןis givingלְךָto youלִשְׁבָטֶיךָfor your tribesוְשָׁפְטוּand they shall judgeאֶת—הָעָםthe peopleמִשְׁפַּטa judgment ofצֶדֶק׃righteousness
פָּסוּק ב
Pasuk 2
לֹאYou shall notתַטֶּהpervertמִשְׁפָּטjudgmentלֹאyou shall notתַכִּירrespectפָּנִיםfacesוְלֹאand you shall notתִקַּחtakeשֹׁחַדa bribeכִּיforהַשֹּׁחַדthe bribeיְעַוֵּרblindsעֵינֵיthe eyes ofחֲכָמִיםwise menוִיסַלֵּףand pervertsדִּבְרֵיthe words ofצַדִּיקִם׃righteous men
פָּסוּק ג
Pasuk 3
צֶדֶקJusticeצֶדֶקjusticeתִּרְדֹּףyou shall pursueלְמַעַןso thatתִּחְיֶהyou will liveוְיָרַשְׁתָּand you will inheritאֶת—הָאָרֶץthe landאֲשֶׁרthatיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour Godנֹתֵןis givingלָךְ׃to you
פָּסוּק ד
Pasuk 4
לֹאYou shall notתִטַּעplantלְךָfor yourselfאֲשֵׁרָהan Asherahכָּלanyעֵץtreeאֵצֶלbesideמִזְבַּחthe altar ofיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour Godאֲשֶׁרwhichתַּעֲשֶׂהyou shall makeלָּךְ׃for yourself
פָּסוּק ה
Pasuk 5
וְלֹאAnd you shall notתָקִיםerectלְךָfor yourselfמַצֵּבָהa pillarאֲשֶׁרwhichשָׂנֵאhatesיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָ׃your God
פָּסוּק ו
Pasuk 6
לֹאYou shall notתִזְבַּחslaughterלַיהוָהto Hashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour Godשׁוֹרan oxוָשֶׂהor a sheepאֲשֶׁרwhichיִהְיֶהthere will beבוֹin itמוּםa blemishכֹּלanyדָּבָרthingרָעbadכִּיforתוֹעֲבַתan abomination ofיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour Godהוּא׃it is
פָּסוּק ז
Pasuk 7
כִּיIfיִמָּצֵאthere is foundבְקִרְבְּךָamong youבְּאַחַדin one ofשְׁעָרֶיךָyour gatesאֲשֶׁרthatיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour Godנֹתֵןis givingלָךְto youאִישׁa manאוֹorאִשָּׁהa womanאֲשֶׁרwhoיַעֲשֶׂהwill doאֶת—הָרַעthe evilבְּעֵינֵיin the eyes ofיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour Godלַעֲבֹרto transgressבְּרִיתוֹ׃His covenant
פָּסוּק ח
Pasuk 8
וַיֵּלֶךְand he wentוַיַּעֲבֹדand he servedאֱלֹהִיםgodsאֲחֵרִיםotherוַיִּשְׁתַּחוּand he prostratedלָהֶםto themוְלַשֶּׁמֶשׁor to the sunאוֹorלַיָּרֵחַto the moonאוֹorלְכָלto allצְבָאthe host ofהַשָּׁמַיִםthe heavensאֲשֶׁרwhichלֹאnotצִוִּיתִי׃I commanded
פָּסוּק ט
Pasuk 9
וְהֻגַּדand it is toldלְךָto youוְשָׁמָעְתָּand you hearוְדָרַשְׁתָּand you inquireהֵיטֵבwellוְהִנֵּהand beholdאֱמֶתtruthנָכוֹןestablishedהַדָּבָרthe matterנֶעֶשְׂתָהwas doneהַתּוֹעֵבָהthe abominationהַזֹּאתthisבְּיִשְׂרָאֵל׃in Yisrael
פָּסוּק י
Pasuk 10
וְהוֹצֵאתָand you shall bring outאֶת—הָאִישׁthe manהַהוּאthatאוֹorאֶת—הָאִשָּׁהthe womanהַהִואthatאֲשֶׁרwhoעָשׂוּthey didאֶת—הַדָּבָרthe matterהָרָעevilהַזֶּהthisאֶלtoשְׁעָרֶיךָyour gatesאֶת—הָאִישׁthe manאוֹorאֶת—הָאִשָּׁהthe womanוּסְקַלְתָּםand you shall stone themבָּאֲבָנִיםwith stonesוָמֵתוּ׃and they shall die
פָּסוּק יא
Pasuk 11
עַלbyפִּיthe mouth ofשְׁנַיִםtwoעֵדִיםwitnessesאוֹorשְׁלֹשָׁהthreeעֵדִיםwitnessesיוּמַתshall be put to deathהַמֵּתthe one who is to dieלֹאhe shall notיוּמַתbe put to deathעַלbyפִּיthe mouth ofעֵדwitnessאֶחָד׃one
פָּסוּק יב
Pasuk 12
יַדThe hand ofהָעֵדִיםthe witnessesתִּהְיֶהshall beבּוֹagainst himבָרִאשֹׁנָהfirstלַהֲמִיתוֹto put him to deathוְיַדand the hand ofכָּלallהָעָםthe peopleבָּאַחֲרֹנָהafterwardוּבִעַרְתָּand you shall banishהָרָעthe evilמִקִּרְבֶּךָ׃from your midst
פָּסוּק יג
Pasuk 13
כִּיIfיִפָּלֵאit is hiddenמִמְּךָfrom youדָבָרa matterלַמִּשְׁפָּטfor judgmentבֵּיןbetweenדָּםbloodלְדָםand bloodבֵּיןbetweenדִּיןverdictלְדִיןand verdictוּבֵיןand betweenנֶגַעplagueלָנֶגַעand plagueדִּבְרֵיmatters ofרִיבֹתdisputesבִּשְׁעָרֶיךָin your gatesוְקַמְתָּthen you shall ariseוְעָלִיתָand you shall go upאֶלtoהַמָּקוֹםthe placeאֲשֶׁרwhichיִבְחַרwill chooseיְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour Godבּוֹ׃it
פָּסוּק יד
Pasuk 14
וּבָאתָand you shall comeאֶלtoהַכֹּהֲנִיםthe Kohanimהַלְוִיִּםthe Leviimוְאֶלand toהַשֹּׁפֵטthe judgeאֲשֶׁרwhoיִהְיֶהwill beבַּיָּמִיםin the daysהָהֵםthoseוְדָרַשְׁתָּand you shall inquireוְהִגִּידוּand they shall tellלְךָto youאֵת—דְּבַרthe matter ofהַמִּשְׁפָּט׃the judgment
פָּסוּק טו
Pasuk 15
וְעָשִׂיתָand you shall doעַלaccording toפִּיthe word ofהַדָּבָרthe matterאֲשֶׁרthatיַגִּידוּthey will tellלְךָto youמִןfromהַמָּקוֹםthe placeהַהוּאthatאֲשֶׁרwhichיִבְחַרHe will chooseיְהוָהHashemוְשָׁמַרְתָּand you shall keepלַעֲשׂוֹתto doכְּכֹלaccording to allאֲשֶׁרthatיוֹרוּךָ׃they instruct you
פָּסוּק טז
Pasuk 16
עַלAccording toפִּיthe mouth ofהַתּוֹרָהthe Torahאֲשֶׁרwhichיוֹרוּךָthey will teach youוְעַלand according toהַמִּשְׁפָּטthe judgmentאֲשֶׁרwhichיֹאמְרוּthey will sayלְךָto youתַּעֲשֶׂהyou shall doלֹאyou shall notתָסוּרdeviateמִןfromהַדָּבָרthe wordאֲשֶׁרwhichיַגִּידוּthey will tellלְךָyouיָמִיןrightוּשְׂמֹאל׃and left
פָּסוּק יז
Pasuk 17
וְהָאִישׁAnd the manאֲשֶׁרwhoיַעֲשֶׂהwill actבְזָדוֹןwith presumptionלְבִלְתִּיto notשְׁמֹעַlistenאֶלtoהַכֹּהֵןthe Kohenהָעֹמֵדwho standsלְשָׁרֶתto ministerשָׁםthereאֶת—יְהוָהHashemאֱלֹהֶיךָyour Godאוֹorאֶלtoהַשֹּׁפֵטthe judgeוּמֵתand shall dieהָאִישׁthe manהַהוּאthatוּבִעַרְתָּand you shall banishהָרָעthe evilמִיִּשְׂרָאֵל׃from Yisrael
פָּסוּק יח
Pasuk 18
וְכָלAnd allהָעָםthe peopleיִשְׁמְעוּwill hearוְיִרָאוּand will fearוְלֹאand notיְזִידוּןwill they act presumptuouslyעוֹד׃again
Chapter Summaryסִכּוּם
This aliyah establishes the foundation of the Torah's judicial system, beginning with the mitzvah to appoint righteous judges and officers, and the strict prohibitions against judicial corruption such as bribery and partiality. After warning against pagan practices like planting trees near the Mizbe'ach, erecting pillars, and offering blemished korbanos, the Torah details the strict legal requirements for prosecuting avodah zarah, establishing that capital punishment requires a thorough investigation and the testimony of at least two witnesses. The aliyah concludes with the halachos of the rebellious elder or a local court that cannot resolve a difficult halachic dispute, commanding them to travel to the place Hashem chooses to receive a binding ruling from the Kohanim and the supreme judge, which must be followed without deviating to the right or to the left.
לְמַעֲשֶׂהWhat To Take Home
The Torah warns us about the power of a bribe: "for bribes blind the eyes of the discerning." We usually think of a bribe as a thick envelope of cash handed to a judge in a courtroom, but the real yeshivish understanding of this concept goes much deeper. A bribe is anything that gives us a personal stake in a certain outcome. The moment we have a personal interest, our vision becomes biased. We are no longer looking at the situation with pure, objective eyes; instead, we subconsciously bend the truth to fit what we want to see.
This is a major yesod in our daily avodas Hashem. Every single day, we are called upon to make judgments, how we treat our spouse, how we judge a neighbor, or how we handle a business dispute. The yetzer hara is a master at offering us subtle bribes. He bribes us with our own comfort, our pride, or our desire to be right. Lichoira, we think we are acting completely l'shem Shamayim, but the Torah is teaching us a deep psychological truth: once a personal bias enters the picture, even the greatest chacham is blinded. We cannot trust our own judgment when we have a personal interest in the outcome.
To combat this, the Torah gives us the ultimate eitzah in this week's parsha: "you must not deviate from the verdict that they announce to you either to the right or to the left." We need to have a rav, a mentor, or a wise friend who is standing outside of our personal situation. When we have a difficult decision or a conflict, we cannot rely solely on our own understanding. We must bring the sheilah to someone who is objective, someone who is not blinded by the subtle bribes of our personal desires.
Today, before making a decision where you have a personal stake or a strong emotional involvement, pause and ask yourself: "Am I being bribed by my own desires here?" Take five minutes to discuss the matter with an objective friend or a rav to get a clear, unbiased perspective.