Shoftim
Deuteronomy · 8articles
Parashat Shoftim - Seventh Aliyah
The seventh aliyah of Shoftim opens every war with a call for peace, forbids destroying a fruit tree even under siege, and closes with the broken-necked calf over a corpse whose killer no one knows.
Parashat Shoftim - Sixth Aliyah
The sixth aliyah of Shoftim moves from the boundary stone to the boundaries of justice, rules that one witness decides nothing and that a false witness is punished as he schemed, and then goes out to war and deals first with the heart.
Parashat Shoftim - Fifth Aliyah
The fifth aliyah of Shoftim shuts the door on soothsayers and opens it to true prophecy, and sets up the cities of refuge as the infrastructure that keeps innocent blood from being shed.
Parashat Shoftim - Fourth Aliyah
The fourth aliyah of Shoftim sets the Levite who comes to serve with all the desire of his soul and receives an equal portion against the prohibitions of sorcery and divination, and closes with being wholehearted with God.
Parashat Shoftim - Third Aliyah
The third aliyah of Shoftim sets out an exceptional model: the tribe of Levi with no inheritance, a livelihood drawn from the sacred, the priestly gifts, and being chosen to stand and serve all the days.
Parashat Shoftim - Second Aliyah
The second aliyah of Shoftim defines a monarchy under limits: who is fit to reign, three brakes on power over horses, wives and wealth, and a Torah scroll the king writes and reads all the days of his life.
Parashat Shoftim - First Aliyah
The first aliyah of Shoftim sets up a justice system in every gate: appointing judges and officers, the prohibitions on the judge, the pursuit of justice, and going up to the place God will choose when a case is too hard for the local court.
Parashat Shoftim - Insights and Questions
Parashat Shoftim builds a complete system for dealing with power: judge, king, prophet, witnesses and army, each immediately given its brakes. And beneath the surface: who rules the heart of the one who rules?
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