Shoftim - 5772

“Judges and police you shall place at all your gates…” (Devarim 16:18)

While the literal interpretation of this verse is a reference to the establishment of the institutions that comprise the justice system, the Shelah Hakadosh sees here a hint to a different idea. “Gates” can be understood as referring to the seven openings through which we take in the sensory experiences of the world – the two eyes, the two ears, the two nostrils, and the mouth. Obviously there are good things to look at, hear, smell and eat; there are some bad things as well. To insure that only the good is allowed to enter, we must have judges and police at these “gates”.

There is more to this interpretation than is immediately apparent.

Among the ancients, there was a great philosophical debate as to the means through which children and students could be brought to virtue. Some – including the Greek philosopher, Plato – held that the key to the inculcation of virtue is instruction in morals. Given the assumption that no one would knowingly commit an injustice, merely providing instruction as to what is right and what is wrong would certainly result in complete compliance with the standards of virtue. Others – among them Plato’s greatest disciple, Aristotle – questioned the underlying assumption. People often do knowingly commit injustices. Many people lack the control that would enable them to live up to even their most deeply held convictions. Thus an additional ingredient is necessary for the development of virtue – exercise in self-discipline.

In this debate, Shlomo Hamelech clearly takes the second side. In Mishlei, he makes many references to Chochmah and Mussar, sometimes within the same verse. (See, for example, Mishlei 1:2 and 1:7.) As Malbim explains throughout his commentary, the possession of Chochmah, or moral knowledge, is the ability to identify the morally justified alternative when faced with a choice. Mussar, which comes from the Hebrew word which means restraint, is the ability to follow the course of action that Chochmah prescribes. We need both the guidance of Chochmah and the discipline of Mussar to lead lives that exemplify good character.

These, of course, correspond to the judges and the police of our opening verse. The judges issue rulings but only the police have the force with which to implement them. As applied to the “gates” of our heads, we must make good judgments as to what we should embrace and allow entry, but we need the strength of the police to compel us to live up to those judgments.

It would appear that there is a fundamental distinction between the roles of the “judges” and those of the “police” in our personal gates. Each “case” that comes before the judge is unique, and the underlying issues are different. How much television I should watch and which programs has little to do with the question as to what I should eat and in what quantity. Different areas of Halacha and Torah insight must be applied to every question. But the “police” function is the same in all cases: The individual uses the self-control needed to do the right thing. Consequently, every victory – in whatever area of religious observance – strengthens the willpower needed for success in every other area.

Elul, as we all know, is a time for introspection and self-improvement. We must all make an accurate assessment as to whether it is our “judges” that need strengthening or whether, in fact, our judges are fine; rather it is our “police” that need the reinforcement. Our answer to this simple question will determine our necessary strategy in the process of Teshuvah.