Summertime Thoughts on the Pursuit of Justice
Although we are now in August and have just ushered in the month of Elul it is still summer. Like so many others I become nostalgic for summer camp – and in my case for Camp Ramah in the Berkshires where I spent nearly 20 summers as both camper and staff member. Camp remains a special place because I learned so many important life lessons in camp. During my first summer as a “madrikh” (counselor) I remember disciplining a camper by threatening to dock him from canteen. My advisor overheard my “conversation” and asked if I was familiar with the verse from this week’s parasha, Shoftim: “Tzedek tzedek tirdof!” (usually translated as: “Justice, justice you shall surely pursue!”).
He asked me the same question which commentators have been asking for centuries, namely, why does the verse repeat the word “tzedek/justice”? Why not simply command that we pursue justice? The answer we agreed upon was that this is the basis for our understanding that God not only expects us to pursue justice, but to think ethically and behave justly at all times. The lesson: even in camp the punishment has to fit the crime and if there is no connection between the misbehavior of the camper and docking him from canteen then that is not a “just” response. Even rewards and punishments in summer camp have to be consistent with that part of our mission as Jews that demands justice in every situation.
Our sages have pointed out that we read this parasha and its teachings (e.g. -that we seriously pursue justice and that we creating a working and functioning system of government that guarantees fairness and justice for all) just as we begin the countdown to Rosh Hashana and the new year.
This means that our pursuit of justice and our efforts at “heshbon nefesh” (our taking stock of our deeds during the past year) will not only intersect but are interwoven. This is underscored by the opening words of the parasha: “Shoftim v’shotrim titen lekha.. / You shall establish judges and officers in all your gates” (Devarim 16:18) The commentators teach that the words “titen lekha/you shall establish” signify that before we call upon judges and officers to deal with the actions of others we must judge and make an accounting for our own actions.
This echoes the teaching found in Pirkei Avot (The Teachings of the Fathers): "Do not judge your fellow until you have stood in his place." (2:5) These are excellent guidelines for us to consider as we begin the process of “heshbon nefesh” in preparation for the new year and we seriously consider what each of us needs to do to bring justice into the world rather than criticize others.
Shabat Shalom,
Rabbi Matt Futterman
Senior Educator
