Of all the memorable verses in the Torah, this week’s Torah portion, Parashat Shoftim, contains one of the most well-known and oft-quoted. In the context of the commandment to set up a system of judges and officials, we read the words “Tzedek, Tzedek Tirdof,” meaning, “Justice, justice you shall pursue!” As a people, we have always taken these words seriously, and as Reform Jews, they have contributed to one of the core ethics of our movement.
Often, our pursuit of justice takes the form of political action, be it lobbying, volunteering, or even the act of voting! Indeed, these words and the verses that surround them speak specifically to the halls of power, to the justice meted out by the courts. However, the instructions contained in this parsha are also available to us to apply to our everyday lives!
In the verse that immediately precedes our famous quotation (Deuteronomy 16:19), we read:
לֹא־תַטֶּ֣ה מִשְׁפָּ֔ט לֹ֥א תַכִּ֖יר פָּנִ֑ים וְלֹא־תִקַּ֣ח שֹׁ֔חַד כִּ֣י הַשֹּׁ֗חַד יְעַוֵּר֙ עֵינֵ֣י חֲכָמִ֔ים וִֽיסַלֵּ֖ף דִּבְרֵ֥י צַדִּיקִֽם׃
You shall not judge unfairly: you shall show no partiality; you shall not take bribes, for bribes blind the eyes of the discerning and upset the plea of the just.
Torah knows that it is a human thing to judge others, and it does not try to dissuade us from doing so. Rather, Torah teaches us how to do so in a way that preserves the dignity of others and ourselves. We know from experience that this is, sometimes, easier said than done… but we also know that we must always do our best to follow the ideal. As we approach the month of Elul and the season of Teshuvah, let us focus our energy on this pursuit. In all areas of our lives, it is justice (justice!) that we must pursue!