Religious Committee

Dear Congregation,

“Justice, justice shall you pursue” is one of the most famous verses in the Torah. It appears in this week’s parashah, Shoftim. The full verse reads: “Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may thrive and inherit the land that God is giving you.”

This command comes immediately after the Torah instructs us to appoint honest judges and warns against taking bribes. The placement is deliberate. First we are told to establish a fair legal system; then we are told that the very future of the nation depends on it.

Here we encounter a classic covenantal formula: Ifyou pursue justice → then you will thrive and remain in the land. The inverse is equally clear: If you abandon justice → then you will not thrive, and you will lose the land.

The Torah envisions a society built on impartial law — a system that makes no distinction between rich and poor, powerful and powerless, native-born or stranger. Justice is not an abstract ideal; it is the foundation of national survival.

Rashi teaches that appointing worthy, incorruptible judges will keep Israel alive and established on its land. Conversely, corrupt leadership will eventually destroy the nation from within and cause the land to reject them. We saw this tragically in the days of the First Temple, as the prophets railed against injustice: ignoring the poor, taking bribes, abusing widows and orphans. The moral fabric unraveled, and the nation fell.

This principle applies to modern nations as well. Just as biblical Israel would lose its land if it abandoned justice, a modern society  will collapse if it loses its collective moral responsibility. Societies cannot endure when fairness erodes, when the vulnerable are ignored, or when power becomes a tool for exploitation and corruption.  Such societies are not only sinful but also immoral. 

The Torah speaks of the responsibility of the nation of Israel to pursue justice. But a nation is made up of individuals. As we enter the month of Elul, we are reminded that the pursuit of justice begins in our own lives: helping the poor, looking out for those who need support, being fair and honest in our business dealings, and sharing the burdens of our community.

As these long, languorous days of summer wind toward their end,  with September’s burst of new energy and the promise of Rosh Hashanah and a new year ahead,  let us remember that we are responsible for one another, not only for ourselves. The mitzvah of pursuing justice requires no specific blessing as have with other Mitzvahs ,  yet it is one of the most sacred obligations we carry. It applies not only to nations and courts, but to each of us. The pursuit of justice is the responsibility of every individual.

May we enter this month of Elul with open eyes, open hearts, and a renewed commitment to building a just and compassionate community. 

Marc Lamb

Baal Tefillah

CHCM-TBS Religious Leader