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Shoftim Mind Over Matter Isn’T Just a Slogan Controlling and Directing Our Feelings with Laser Precision

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Shoftim Mind Over Matter Isn’T Just a Slogan Controlling and Directing Our Feelings with Laser Precision 6. Shoftim Mind over Matter Isn’t Just a Slogan Controlling and Directing Our Feelings with Laser Precision Dedicated in loving memory of Mr. Sami Rohr, ,ר’ שמואל ב”ר יהושע אליהו ז”ל marking his yahrtzeit, 17 Av. May the merit of the Torah study worldwide accompany his soul in the world of everlasting life and be a source of blessings to his family with much health, happiness, nachat, and success. [ 92 ] PARSHA OVERVIEW Shoftim Moses instructs the Shoftim also includes people of Israel to appoint the prohibitions against judges and law enforce- idolatry and sorcery, laws ment officers in every city. governing the appointment “Justice, justice shall you and behavior of a king, and pursue,” he commands guidelines for the creation them, and they must admin- of “cities of refuge” for the ister it without corruption inadvertent murderer. Also or favoritism. Crimes must set forth are many of the be meticulously investigat- rules of war: the exemption ed and evidence thorough- from battle for one who has ly examined—a minimum just built a home, planted of two credible witnesses a vineyard, married, or is is required for conviction “afraid and soft-hearted”; and punishment. the requirement to of- fer terms of peace before In every generation, says attacking a city; and the Moses, there will be those prohibition against wanton entrusted with the task destruction of something of interpreting and apply- of value, exemplified by ing the laws of the Torah. the law that forbids cutting “According to the law that down a fruit tree when lay- they will teach you, and the ing siege. (In this context judgment they will instruct the Torah makes the fa- you, you shall do; you shall mous statement, “For man not turn away from the is a tree of the field.”) thing that they say to you, to the right nor to the left.” TORAH STUDIES / SEASON FOUR 5780 [ 93 ] The parsha concludes with underscores the responsi- the law of the eglah aru- bility of the community and fah—the special procedure its leaders not only for what to be followed when a per- they do, but also for what son is killed by an unknown they might have prevented murderer and his body is from being done. found in a field—which LESSON 6 / MIND OVER MATTER ISN’t JUST A SloGAN [ 94 ] I. INTRODUCTION Mind Control TEXT 1 DEVARIM (DEUTERONOMY) 20:1 ּכִ י תֵ צֵ א לַמִ ְלחָמָ ה עַ ל ְאֹיבֶ ָך ְורָאִ יתָסּוס וָרֶ כֶ ב עַ ם רַ ב מִ ְמָך, ֹלא תִ ירָ א ֵמֶהםִ, ּכי הֱ' אֹלֶקיִָךעָמְַך ְהַמַעל ֵָך מֶאֶרִץ ְמצָרִים: When you go out to war against your enemies, and you see horses and chariots, a people more numerous than you, you shall not be afraid of them, for the L-rd, your G-d, is with you, Who brought you up out of the land of Egypt. TEXT 2 IBID. 20:2–4 ְו ָהָיה ְּכ ְָקָרב ֶכֶם אַל ְהִמל ָחָמה, ְו ִנַגׁשַ הּכֵֹהן ְו ִדֶּבֶר אָל הָעם: ְואָמַר אֲלֵהֶם, ְשׁמַע ְיִשׂרָאֵל! אַּתֶם ְקרֵבִים הַיֹום ְלַמִלחָמָה עַל ְאֹיבֵ יכֶ ם, לאַ יֵרַ ְך ְלבַ ְבכֶ ם, לאַ ּתִ ְיראּו ְו לאַ ּתַ ְח ְּפזּו ְו לאַ ּתַ עַ ְרצּו מִ ְּפנֵ יהֶ ם: ּכִיה' אֱֹלקֵיכֶם הַהֹלְֵך עִמָכֶם, ְלהִלָחֵם לָכֶם עִם ְאֹיבֵיכֶם, ְל ה ֹו שִ ׁ י עַ אֶ ְת ֶ כ ם : And it will be, when you approach the battle, that the priest shall come near and speak to the people. And he shall say to them, “Hear, O Israel, today you are ap- proaching the battle against your enemies. Let your hearts not be faint, you shall not be afraid, and you shall not be alarmed, and you shall not be terrified because of them. TORAH STUDIES / SEASON FOUR 5780 [ 95 ] “For the L-rd, your G-d, is the one who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to save you.” . And That’s an Order TEXT 3 MAIMONIDES, SEFER HAMITZVOT, NEGATIVE COMMANDMENTS §58 Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon שהזהירנו מלירא מהאויבים בעת המלחמה ושלא נברח מפניהם, (Maimonides, Rambam) 1204–1135 אבל חובה עלינו להתגבר ולעמוד ולחזק כנגד העם האחר, וכל מי שיסוג אחור ויברח כבר עבר על לא תעשה. והוא אמרו יתעלה: Halachist, philosopher, author, and physician. Maimonides ״לא תערוץ מפניהם״, ונכפלה זאת האזהרה ואמר: ״לא תיראום״, was born in Córdoba, Spain. After the conquest of Córdoba ונכפל הציווי בזה הענין גם כן, שלא יברחו ושלא ישובו אחור by the Almohads, he fled בעת המלחמה, כי בענין זה אפשר לקיים אמונת האמת. ונתבארו Spain and eventually settled in Cairo, Egypt. There, he משפטי מצוה זו בשמיני מסוטה. became the leader of the Jewish community and served as court physician to the vizier We have been warned against fearing the enemy in war, of Egypt. He is most noted and not to flee from them. Rather, it is incumbent upon for authoring the Mishneh Torah, an encyclopedic us to overcome, to stand and be strong against the other arrangement of Jewish law; and for his philosophical nation. Anyone who retreats and flees transgresses a nega- work, Guide for the Perplexed. His rulings on Jewish law are tive commandment. integral to the formation of halachic consensus. Thus, the Supernal One has said, “You shall not be terrified because of them,” thereby repeating the warning that “You shall not be afraid.” The commandment is repeated to also imply that they should not flee or escape from battle, for only this way can the true faith be preserved. The laws of this mitzvah are explicated in the eighth chapter of Trac- tate Sotah. LESSON 6 / MIND OVER MATTER ISN’t JUST A SloGAN [ 96 ] TEXT 4 DEVARIM (DEUTERONOMY) 30:10–14 ּכִ י תִ ְש עׁמַ ְ קֹולּב ה' אֱ ֹלקֶ יָך, ְלִשׁמֹר מִ ְצו ֹתָ יו ְוחֻ קֹתָ יו הַ ְּכ התּובָ ְּבסֵפֶ ר ַהּתֹוָרַה הֶזהִ, ּכָיתׁשּוֶב אל הֱ' אֹלֶקיָך ְּבכָ ל ְל ְ ָךָבב ְּובכָל ְנַפ ֶשָׁך: ּכִ י הַמִ ְצוָה הַ זֹאת אֲשֶ ׁר אָ נֹכִ י ְמצַ ּוְָך הַ יֹום, ֹלא ְנִפלֵאת הִ יא מִ ְמָך ְוֹלא ְ ר חֹ קָ ה הִ י א : ֹלא בַשָ ׁמַ םיִ הִ יא לֵ אמֹר, ימִ יַעֲ הלֶ לָ נּו הַשָ ׁמַ ְימָ ה ְויִקָ חֶהָלָ נּו, ְויַ ְשׁמִ עֵ נּו אֹ תָ ּה ְו ַ נ עֲ שֶ ׂ ָ נ ה : ְוֹלא רמֵעֵבֶ לַיָם הִ יא לֵאמֹר, ימִ ריַעֲבָ לָנּו אֶ ל עֵבֶ ר הַיָם ְו יִקָחֶהָלָנּו, ְויַ ְשׁמִ עֵ נּו אֹתָ ּה ְונַ עֲ שֶ ׂנָ ה: ִּכָי קרֹוֵבאֶליַָך הָדָבר ְמאֹד, ְּב ִפיָך ְּוִבל ְָבב ַָךלֲעשֹוׂתֹו: When you obey the L-rd, your G-d, to observe His com- mandments and His statutes written in this Torah scroll, [and] when you return to the L-rd, your G-d, with all your heart and with all your soul. For this commandment which I command you this day is not concealed from you, nor is it far away. It is not in Heaven, that you should say, “Who will go up to Heaven for us and fetch it for us, to tell [it] to us, so that we can fulfill it?” Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who will cross to the other side of the sea for us and fetch it for us, to tell [it] to us, so that we can fulfill it?” Rather, [this] thing is very close to you; it is in your mouth and in your heart so that you can fulfill it. TORAH STUDIES / SEASON FOUR 5780 [ 97 ] II. ALL’S FAIR IN LOVE AND WAR An Impossible Ask? TEXT 5 VAYIKRA (LEVITICUS) 19:18 ֹלִא תקֹם ְו ֹלִא תטֶֹראת ְּב ֵנַיעֶמָך, ְו ְָאַהב ָּת ְלֵרֲעָָך ּכמֹוֲָך, אִני ה': You shall neither take revenge from nor bear a grudge against the members of your people; you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am G-d. Lowering Expectations TEXT 6 NACHMANIDES, PIRUSH HARAMBAN, VAYIKRA (LEVITICUS) 19:17 Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman ,Nachmanides) וטעם ״ואהבת לרעך כמוך״ הפלגה, כי לא יקבל לב האדם שיאהוב Ramban) 1270–1194 את חבירו כאהבתו את נפשו, ועוד שכבר בא רבי עקיבא ולמד ,Scholar, philosopher, author ״חייך קודמין לחיי חבירך״. and physician. Nachmanides was born in Spain and served The phrase “Love your neighbor as yourself” is an exag- as leader of Iberian Jewry. In 1263, he was summoned by geration, since the heart of a person will not accept that King James of Aragon to a public disputation with Pablo he loves his fellow as he loves himself. Moreover, Rabbi Cristiani, a Jewish apostate. Though Nachmanides was the Akiva has already taught, “Your life comes before the life of clear victor of the debate, he your fellow.” had to flee Spain because of the resulting persecution. He moved to Israel and helped reestablish communal life in Jerusalem. He authored a classic commentary on the Pentateuch and a commentary on the Talmud. LESSON 6 / MIND OVER MATTER ISN’t JUST A SloGAN [ 98 ] TEXT 7 RABBI YAAKOV TZVI MECKLENBURG, HAKETAV VEHAKABBALAH, VAYIKRA (LEVITICUS) 19:18 Rabbi Yaakov Tzvi Mecklenburg 1865–1785 נתקשו המפרשים על זה הפסוק, איך תצוה התורה דבר שהוא German rabbi and biblical נגד הטבע ואין האדם יכול לקיימו? exegete. Rabbi Yaakov served as rabbi in Königsberg, East ולברוח מן המצר הזה ברחו ונפלו בדחוקים עמוקים, כי יש Prussia. In 1839, he published Haketav Vehakabbalah, an אומרים כי ״כמוך״ על דרך הפלגה וגוזמא, ויש אומרים כי ״כמוך״ important commentary that בהנאה, בדבר שאתה מקבל הנאה תתן לו, אם אתה אוהב סוס — often demonstrates the indivisibility of the Written תן לו, וכדומה לזה. Torah and the Oral Torah.
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