Parshas Shoftim

Good Shabbos everyone =) this will be my last post in the states for a while b"H =) Sunday I am starting my adventure for the year. I'm taking off two semesters at NYU and traveling and studying in the seminary Mayanot in Jerusalem. I'm going to try to update this blog once a week with the parsha and iyH another post a week updating all my friends and family about what I'm doing in Israel. Stay posted and thanks for following!

Chabad house of Yorba Linda! 

This weeks parsha is Shoftim and it begins with laws of the administration of justice.

"Judges and justices of office you shall appoint to you all your gates"
the world could not endure without justice. We need it to keep things in order and people at peace and happy. It is a mitzvah for the jewish people but also it is part of the Noahide code wich apply to all mankind. To do righteous and justice is even more acceptable to G-d than sacrifice.

There must be law and order in society if man is going to survive. all disputes should be settled by wise honest judges. However, this doesnt mean we should always run to court and initiate litigations.

"judges and officers you shall appoint to you" to and for yourself. judge yourself. search your heart and concsious before you run to court. In the Gamara it states  "settlement by arbitration is a meritorious act" it promotes peace and harmony and is 'charitable justice'

'Yeshua halevi states that "in all your gates'  in literal sense of cities but also in a figurative sense which applies to every individual. Our sages refer to our eyes ears and mouth nostrils as the 7 gates of the soul. all the orifices of the human body are referred to as gates. This parsha cautions us that it means to you- to you personally, our personal gates. We should sit in judgement of what comes into us and ensure that they remain pure. Just as they are the entry for sin and transgression, they can be the gates for holiness. When we practice honest justice and righteousness with ourselves, we avoid the need and unpleasantness of litigation with others which promotes a love for one another. We can all strive for a stronger ahvas yisroel which will help us eventually merit to bring moshiach.

May we all filter in holiness and bring Moshiach now

Good shabbos!

--This week's dvar is based off Rabbi Immanuel Schochet on chabad.org

My next post will be in Prague iyH and from then on in ERETZ YISRAEL!!!!