“You shall appoint shoftim veshotrim (judges and officers) at all your gates that God is giving you, and they shall govern the people with due justice … ” (Devarim 16:18-20).
Several pesukim later, parshat Shoftim continues this theme with the commandment to establish a supreme court: “If there is a case too baffling for you to decide… matters of dispute in your courts—you shall go up to ‘hamakom asher yivchar Hashem,’ before the Kohanim, Levi’im or Shofet, and present your case … ” (17:8-11). This institution serves as the highest authority for both civil disputes and halachic questions. Both Torah and justice must emanate specifically from the site of the Temple, the National Center.
The Torah also requires the appointment of judges, it also commissions an entire tribe—Shevet Levi—to become “civil servants” for this purpose. The Levi’im are not only to officiate in the Temple, but they must also serve as judges. Additionally, they are responsible for the teaching of Torah and the instruction of the halacha.
This section—which deals with Shevet Levi—is immediately followed by a discussion of to whom Bnei Yisrael should (and should not) turn for guidance: “Do not learn to imitate the abhorrent practices of those nations. Let no one become… a soothsayer, a sorcerer … or inquires of the dead … (Instead) God will raise up for you a Navi—a prophet, like myself (Moshe Rabbeinu). To him you shall listen… I will put My words in his mouth, and he will speak to them all that I command him … ” (18:9-22).
Thus far, we have encountered a court system, judges, the tribe of Levi (the Torah instructors), and the Navi (who offer spiritual guidance). However, are any one of these leaders expected to provide political leadership as well?
The answer to this question lies in one last category of national leadership discussed in parshat Shoftim—the melech. There are very clear and specific guidelines for how a king of Bnei Yisrael needs to act and the standards which he needs to meet—outlined in Devarim 17:14-20. It appears from the context of these pesukim—especially in their relation to the other types of national leadership presented in parshat Shoftim—that specifically the king is expected to provide political leadership.
This interpretation may help us understand the phrase, “melech kechol hagoyim—a king like the other nations.” The Torah is not encouraging Bnei Yisrael to request a king who acts like the kings of neighboring countries. Rather, they will request a form of government similar to that of the neighboring countries. Although we must remain different from other nations, we must still be a nation.
“Parshat haMelech” in sefer Devarim sets the “guidelines” for the behavior of the political leadership of Am Yisrael, so that they fulfill God’s destiny. Whereas this constitutes a primary theme of the main speech of sefer Devarim, it is only appropriate that parshat Shoftim deals specifically with this aspect of political leadership as well.
Undoubtedly, an inherent danger exists once political power is invested in a strong central government. But without a stable, authoritative body, a country cannot prosper and develop to its maximum potential.
The Torah challenges Am Yisrael to become a nation that resembles other nations with regard to the establishment of a sovereign political entity, but at the same time, challenges Am Yisrael to be different from all other nations—in the manner by which that leadership behaves and governs—for we are to become God’s “model nation.”
This form of national government will not diminish the kingdom of heaven, but will rather promote the universal recognition of God’s kingdom and further the glorification and sanctification of His Name.
To read the full article, see Tanach.org.
Rabbi Menachem Leibtag is an internationally acclaimed Tanach scholar and online Jewish education pioneer. He is a member of the Mizrachi Speakers Bureau (www.mizrachi.org/speakers). The RZA-Mizrachi is a broad Religious Zionist organization without a particular political affiliation.
