Shoftim

Embark on a journey of Jewish learning and discovery, exploring the depth of our Shoftim resources, where tagged items including audio, programs, and podcast episodes await your exploration.

Shoftim: Words are Not Enough

Rabbi Jay Kelman

"The hand of the witnesses should be against him first to put him to death, and the hand of the nation at the end" (Devarim 17:7). Giving testimony in a court of law, especially in capital cases, is an awesome responsibility. The Talmud…
Article
Aug 21, 2020

Shoftim: Nothing to Fear

Rabbi Jay Kelman

The basic duty of every government is to provide security and protect its citizens from both internal criminal activity and external enemies. Parshat Shoftim, which contains the mitzvah to appoint a king, thus also contains the mitzvot of appointing…
Article
Sep 6, 2019

Shoftim: Enabling Evil

Rabbi Jay Kelman

Evil does not exist in a vacuum. A culture is needed for evil to be nurtured, in which it can grow and develop. And when that happens, aveirah gorreret aveirah; one misdeed leads to another, greater sin. Perpetrators of corporate…
Article
Aug 17, 2018

Shoftim: Church and State

Rabbi Jay Kelman

Judaism has long understood that politics and religion are a dangerous mix. Political office was destined for those from the tribe of Judah and the religious functions of the state were carried out by the kohanim and levi’im. The Ramban…
Article
Sep 9, 2016

Shoftim: To Tell the Truth

Rabbi Jay Kelman

"Tzedek tzedek tirdof, justice, justice you shall pursue in order that you may live and inherit the land that the Lord your G-d is giving you" (Devarim 17:20). Perhaps the most important ingredient for a functioning society is an honest,…
Article
Aug 29, 2014

Shoftim: Seeking Justice

Rabbi Jay Kelman

Almost always, wrongdoing requires that people work together to perpetrate such. As has been accepted in the legal systems of Western countries, it is the enablers, more than the perpetrators themselves, who are viewed with greater opprobrium. Those…
Article
Aug 9, 2013

Shoftim: Ignoring Justice

Rabbi Jay Kelman

This week's d'var Torah is dedicated in honour of the upcoming wedding of Estie Roz and Avner Zeifman. May they share much happiness and built a bayit ne'eman b'yisrael. Mazal-tov to the extended families. The hallmark of democratic…
Article
Aug 24, 2012