Judges

Found 12 Search results

1. Zion Shall Be Redeemed With Justice

   Rabbi Yair Kahn

   A court system and administering justice are basic needs for any society in Eretz Yisrael or abroad. The Torah’s emphasis on Eretz Yisrael in this regard points to an additional significance to the appointment of judges as part of the commandment to settle Eretz Yisrael.

2. Boaz's Extraordinary Restraint

   Dr. Yael Ziegler

   Boaz demonstrates the ability to avoid temptation, in contrast with Shimshon, who succumbs to temptation. Shimshon squanders the opportunity to save the nation in the era of the Judges. Boaz's restraint leads the nation out of the darkness of the Era of the Judges, enabling the establishment of the House Of David.

3. Gideon Leads the People

   Rabbi Michael Hattin

   If Israel prevails against Midian by sheer force of their numbers, then they will fail to recognize God's pivotal role.  But if Israel prevails against the Midianite hordes, with a tiny force, then God's involvement will be undeniable.

   While earlier judges had to contend with challenges at least as great as that of Gideon, none merited quite the same degree of Divine hand-holding that Gideon received.  This highlights the measure of his own limited spiritual resources to be able to do so unassisted. However, if the caliber of the shoftim decreases as the book progresses, it is also an indictment of the spiritual state of the people of Israel.

   The noise of the smashing jars, the blare of the shofarot and the outcry of the Israelite force, the burning torches that suddenly appear out of the darkness, the enemy forces that attack from three directions simultaneously, combined with the belief that Gideon  has a colossal army at his disposal, causes the Midianites to flee.

4. Chronicle vs. Composition - An Example from Sefer Bamidbar

   Rabbi Menachem Leibtag

   תאריך פרסום: תש"ע | |

   Is the Tanach a chronicle or a composition? Does the Tanach merely list historical events, or is there a deeper message to be gleaned from the way it is written and organized? By examining the books of Shoftim and Bamidbar, we can gain a new understanding of Tanach as a composition. Each book has a prophetic agenda which teaches us a deeper lesson about the goal and message of the book, and understanding this message allows the reader to see the book in a whole new light. 

5. Zion Shall Be Redeemed With Justice (Audio)

   Rabbi Yair Kahn | 11 minutes

   A court system and administering justice are basic needs for any society in Eretz Yisrael or abroad. The Torah’s emphasis on Eretz Yisrael in this regard points to an additional significance to the appointment of judges as part of the commandment to settle Eretz Yisrael.

6. Ramban on Shoftim - Does Jewish Society Exist in Chutz LaAretz?

   Rabbi Ezra Bick | 12 minutes

   This shiur looks at the mitzva of setting up courts as it appears in Parashat Shoftim. The Torah presents the setting up of courts as a sequential next step after settling in the Land of Israel, and commands people to follow the instructions of the judges and kohanim. Ramban distinguishes between the mitzva’s application in the land as opposed to elsewhere, during the exile. Are we commanded to set up courts in Jewish communities outside of Israel? One would expect that the rule of law is important anywhere. But in the Land of Israel, especially with the Mikdash at the center and the central court adjacent to it, the full potential of the Jewish community can be realized, and the courts can be set up as a firmly established institution, as opposed to an ad hoc basis.

7. Communities and Courts

   HaTanakh.com

8. God Standing Alongside Judges

   Rabbi David Silverberg

9. Kedoshim: No Mercy Here

   Rabbi Jay Kelman

10. Ramban on Mishpatim: "Justice Belongs to God"

    Rabbi Ezra Bick | 34 minutes

    We will look at a comment of the Ramban on a pasuk that does not exist, but first we will look at one that does. We begin with the verse about the indentured servant who does not wish to leave his master. He is to be taken before judges in order to continue his arrangements – but the judges are referred to as “Elohim.” Why is this word used? The judges are God’s agents, as it were – but are they more than that? We find some interesting philosophical questions and insights about interplay between the fallibility or infallibility of judges – and God, the ultimate Judge.

11. Fear No Man

    Rabbanit Dr. Michal Tikochinsky

12. If a case is too difficult for you to decide - Uniformity and diversity in Jewish law

    Rabbanit Dr. Michal Tikochinsky