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Perasha -  Shoftim

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Table of contents

1) Perashat Hashavoua - Rabbi Eli Mansour

2) Halakhat Hashavoua (Halakhot related to day to day life) By Hazzan David Azerad  -

Elul & Shofar Blowing - Peninei Halacha

3) Holy Jokes!

4) For KIDS

 This Week's Parasha Insight with Rabbi Eli Mansour

Parashat Shoftim: Internal Repentance

The Torah in Parashat Shoftim introduces the law of "Edim Zomemin," which applies in the case of a pair of witnesses who testify against the credibility of other witnesses. Specifically, it applies when two witnesses come to court and claim that the witnesses that had testified previously were not present at the place where they claimed to have witnessed the event at the time they claimed it happened. In such a case, the first witnesses’ testimony is disqualified, and those witnesses are punished with the punishment that their testimony which have caused. If they testified about an offense warranting capital punishment, then they are executed; if they testified about an offense punishable with a monetary payment, then they must pay that sum.

The Gemara describes this law as a "Hiddush" – a novel concept that deviates from standard principles of Torah law. On the simple level, this refers to the fact that the Torah instructs the court to believe the second set of witnesses and act upon their testimony. Normally, when two sets of witnesses give opposite testimonies, Bet Din does not act upon either, and the case remains unresolved. Here, however, when the second witnesses testify that they were with the first witnesses at the time the event allegedly occurred and they thus could not have witnessed the event, the second witnesses’ testimony is accepted, and Bet Din punishes the first witnesses. This is, indeed, a "Hiddush."

On a deeper level, however, there is also another novelty latent in the law of "Edim Zomemin." Halacha instructs that the discredited witnesses are punished only if the second witnesses testify against them before Bet Din acted upon the first witness’ testimony. For example, if Bet Din executed an alleged offender based on two witness’ testimony, and afterward another set of witnesses testify that those witnesses could not have seen the incident, the first witnesses are not punished. Once Bet Din’s sentence was carried out, the false witnesses do not receive punishment. This Halacha runs in contrast to the standard principle that Hashem does not punish us for our thoughts. If a person plans an outing for Shabbat, for example, preparing a detailed schedule of driving and activities, but in the end his plans fall through and he observes Shabbat properly, he is not punished. G-d holds us accountable for our actions, not for our thoughts, except in the areas of heresy and immorality, as even thoughts of these sins are deemed sinful. Generally, however, we are punished only for our actions. Yet, in the case of "Edim Zomemin," the witnesses are punished only if their plans are foiled. The Torah instructs Bet Din to punish false witnesses who unsuccessfully try to have somebody unjustly punished, but not if their scheme succeeds. This is another "Hiddush" of this law.

The law of "Edim Zomemin" reflects that even our thoughts and our mindset are significant. God is compassionate and merciful, and so He spares us from punishment if our sinful thoughts are not translated into sinful deeds, but such thoughts are sinful nonetheless. The Torah established the "Hiddush" of "Edim Zomemin," an exception to the rule, in order to teach us that although we are generally not punished for our internal thoughts, we are still required to avoid thoughts of sin. And thus the Torah concludes its discussion of "Edim Zomemin" with the expression, "U’bi’arta Ha’ra Mi’kirbecha" – "You shall eliminate the evil from your midst" (19:19). This law reminds us of the importance of our thoughts, and so by contemplating this Halacha, we will work to eliminate the evil from our "midst" – from inside our minds and hearts.

This is an important message for us during this month of Elul, when we focus our attention on repentance and self-improvement. This is the time especially suited for identifying our negative habits and tendencies and working to change them. But the law of "Edim Zomemin" reminds us of the need for internal repentance, as well. We must identify not only our negative actions, but also our negative thoughts and attitudes, the ways in which we do not think of people and things properly. This, too, is a vital part of the Teshuba process, one which will, hopefully, lead us to make the necessary changes during the coming weeks so we will enter the new year as fundamentally better and nobler people and servants of G-d.

Halachot this week are selected and Translated by Hazzan David Azerad

Elul & Shofar Blowing - Peninei Halacha 

The month of Elul and the Ten Days of Repentance are particularly auspicious for repentance, as this is the period when God agreed to forgive the Jewish people for the sin of the Golden Calf. Forty days after the Torah was given, when Moshe had not yet descended from Mount Sinai, a group of sinners persuaded the people to make a golden calf as a replacement for God’s authority. At that moment, a great anger was kindled against Israel. It was serious enough that God said to Moshe, “Now, let Me be, that My anger may blaze forth against them and that I may destroy them, and make of you a great nation” (Shemot 32:10). Moshe prayed fervently and reminded God of the merits of the patriarchs and matriarchs, thus delaying the punishment. Then he descended the mountain, shattered the Tablets, and, together with the tribe of Levi, executed the sinners. He melted down and pulverized the calf, mixed the ash with water, and made all the Israelites drink from it. The water served as a litmus test, and those who had worshipped the calf died. Nevertheless, the threat of destruction still hovered over Israel. Displaying a spirit of self-sacrifice, Moshe stood before God and declared, “Now, if You will forgive their sin [well and good]; but if not, erase me from the record which You have written” (ibid. v. 32). Following this declaration, the decree was lifted. However, Israel was still disgraced and distant from God. It was as if they were no longer His children, servants, or special nation. Furthermore, the first Tablets lay in pieces.

On Rosh Ḥodesh Elul, Moshe once again ascended Mount Sinai to pray as Israel’s emissary, asking God to have mercy upon them and forgive them. On Yom Kippur, their repentance was fully accepted. Moshe descended to give the Jews the second set of Tablets and to inform them that they were forgiven. As an indication of their renewed closeness and specialness, God commanded them to erect a Mishkan (Tabernacle), through which the Shekhina would be revealed to them. Since the timing of important events is not accidental, we see that the forty days from Rosh Ḥodesh Elul until Yom Kippur are particularly auspicious for repentance.

This accords with the following midrash:

On Rosh Ḥodesh Elul, God said to Moshe, “Come up to Me on the mountain” (Shemot 24:12). The shofar was then blown in the camp, to let it be known that Moshe was ascending the mountain again and that Israel must not repeat their mistake. God ascended on that day through those same shofar blasts, as we read, “God ascends with a blast (teru’a); the Lord, with the sound of a shofar” (Tehilim 47:6). Therefore, the Sages ordained that the shofar be blown each year on Rosh Ḥodesh Elul. (Pirkei De-Rabbi Eliezer 46)

They chose to have the shofar serve as a wake-up call for the people because it can discourage people from sinning and awaken the masses to repent (Tur and Beit Yosef, OḤ 581:1).

Accordingly, Jewish communities customarily blow the shofar during the month of Elul. Ashkenazic custom is to blow each day at the end of Shaḥarit. Sephardim, who recite Seliḥot all month, blow the shofar when they recite the concluding Kaddish of Seliḥot. Many Sephardim also blow the shofar when reciting the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy. Blowing the shofar in Elul is not obligatory, but it is proper for

communities to try to do so. Nevertheless, an individual who did not hear the shofar blown does not need to search for someone to blow the shofar for him.

Bevirkat Shabbat Shalom Umevorach

David Azerad

 3) HOLY JoKeS!!

Selection of funny snippets, loosely related to this weeks parashah or current events, to brighten your day 

4) FOR KIDS

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