| You shall provides judges and policemen in all of your gates which G-d your god is giving you for your tribes, and they shall judge the nation a rule of justice. | Shoftim veshotrim titen lecha bechol sheareicha asher Ado-shem e-lokeicha notein lecha lishvatecha, veshaftu et ha-am mishpat tzedek. | שֹׁפְטִים וְשֹׁטְרִים תִּתֶּן־לְךָ בְּכׇל־שְׁעָרֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר ה’ אֱ-לֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לְךָ לִשְׁבָטֶיךָ וְשָׁפְטוּ אֶת־הָעָם מִשְׁפַּט־צֶדֶק׃ |
Torah Thoughts
In parashat Shoftim, we are told to appoint judges, to judge rich and poor fairly, and to avoid the temptation toward or appearance of bias. We are told that we may, if we wish, appoint a king, but he must be Jewish and he must not think himself above the law. Accordingly, a Jewish king must write a Torah, carry it wherever he goes, and study it whenever he can. He must not accumulate too much wealth, or have too many wives or horses. No matter how powerful we are, that we must live by the same standards that apply to everyone.
