SHOFTIM
This week’s parsha
introduces the beloved days of Ellul as the preparatory month for the Days of
Awe. It begins with the mitzvah of appointing judges & law enforcement
agents. It discusses the appointment and laws of a Jewish King, and it ends
with egla arufah. A calf is beheaded in a process that absolves a city
from any guilt associated with a traveler’s death.
One of the mitzvos of kings, is “Lo Yarbeh lo
Nashim”. He may not have too many wives. We are familiar with the medrash
that the Yud of Yarbeh complained to Hashem about Shlomoh's
transgression of having too many wives.
There is a simple question here; why
specifically did the YUD complain that it was being nullified by
Shlomoh’s actions? Shouldn’t the א'
of לא complain that it was being treated as a ו' - as if it says לו
ירבה נשים – “to him he should increase wives”????
The Maharil diskin offers a unique understanding
to Shomoh HaMelech's mistake. Shlomoh mistakenly understood that this
prohibition, said in a 'third person' tense - 'lo Yarbeh' as opposed to 'lo
Tarbeh' - is not being directed as instructions to the king himself, rather it
is upon Beis Din to supervise and limit his marriages. The King may focus on
the greatness of the royalty, while Beis Din has the mitzvah to keep him 'in
check'. If it were a direct command to him,
there is no reason for it to say Yarbeh, rather Tarbeh. So the Yud complained
that it was causing confusion and a sin! Since Shlomoh WAS actually directly
commanded to restrain, the Yud seems like a mistake – it should be replaced
with a directed language of ת' – לא תרבה!
Since in reality the king IS responsible for this himself the
yud seems useless.
Based on this, we see
that Shlomoh’s grave error was that he erroneously placed responsibility for
his deeds upon others.
(The true reason for the Yud, the Maharil
explains, is because there was no king yet for the Torah to speak to directly.)
This seems to be the chut ham'shulash in this
parshah, as the Chidah explains the lashon yachid in the beginning of the
parsha - titen l'cha ... That the Torah demands each person to be on guard for
himself.
Egla arufah is clearly the parshah of accepting
fault, as the leaders of the closer city ask forgiveness for the person's
death. As a young teen whose parents and
teachers always guide and critique him, matures into a young man, what
separates the men from the boys is self-restraint. Being
self-driven and self-critical. Taking ownership of your own actions,
consequences and path in life, develops true leadership and grants the ability
to take responsibility for others as well – Malchus.
So, first of all, shoftim v’shotrim titen lecha - authoritive
and responsible for yourself! This brings malchus and finally a sense of
responsibility for all of your surroundings, exhibited in the parsha of Eglah
Arufah.
Taking responsibility for our shortcomings and our own growth
is the key foundation of Teshuvah and the driving force behind an elevated Elul
and Yomim Noraim, and tremendous strides in growth throughout the year.