“Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness as a mighty stream” (Amos 5:24).
WITH COURT CASES occurring in multiple states and districts in the country right now, it seemed well timed that the Torah portion Jews read last week was Shoftim (Deuteronomy 15:18-21:9), which means “Judges.”
There is now close scrutiny of several judges, both in the Supreme Court and those who are currently overseeing high-profile cases.
How will they handle the cases in their courtrooms?
Will they remain true to their oath that all defendants will be treated equally under the law?
Will they be honorable, not succumbing to the lure of money or power?
Pursuing justice for all is woven throughout the Torah.
In Micah 6:8, we are told what God asks of us is simply to “seek justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God”
The rock upon which Judaism rests is to make sure leaders do not speak just for those with power or wealth, but rather to protect the needs of the most vulnerable.
Judaism has always taught that those who are powerless — the poor, the sick, the hungry and the refugee — are the ones that need a shield against greed and raw political power, and that our job as Jews is to put those principles into action.
The United States’ justice system is based on those principles and is the true strength of our democracy.
Judges are expected to treat defendants fairly, irrespective of their wealth, race, religion or notoriety.
And citizens expect transparency as legal processes proceed — unlike in authoritarian countries where an accused has no rights, legal procedures often occur behind closed doors, the verdict is preordained and citizens are punished for criticizing the court.
Though it can be exhausting to follow the many current legal cases, it is a tribute to our system that we can follow and comment on them.
Journalist Gillian Brockell recounts deceased Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader-Ginsberg’s words about the importance of Judaism in her lifelong fight for justice for those treated unequally under the law, “My heritage as a Jew and my occupation as a judge fit together symmetrically. The demand for justice runs through the entirety of Jewish history and Jewish tradition. I take pride in and draw strength from my heritage, as signs in my chambers attest: a large silver mezuzah on my door post, a gift from the Shulamith School for Girls in Brooklyn; on three walls, in artists’ renditions of Hebrew letters, the command from Deuteronomy:16:20 ‘Zedek, zedek, tirdof’ — ‘Justice, justice shall you pursue’.”
In Shoftim, Moses reminds judges that they are charged with upholding justice, cannot take bribes, show favoritism or engage in any form of corruption.
Rabbi Rick Jacobs, president of the Union for Reform Judaism, further elaborates on the requirements of judges listed in Shoftim: “The judge has to be wise, humble and god-fearing, meaning a sense that there’s something larger than them. A judge must have a hatred of money, so as not to be swayed by the possibility of monetary gain. Judges must have a love of truth, amiability, a kind of open-heartedness … and be a person of good reputation.”
May all the judges who have people’s lives in their hands during this tumultuous time hold these qualities close to their heart.
And may we be guided by the words in the Torah to always seek justice in our world.
Kein yehi ratzon … may it be God’s will. Shalom.
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Issues of Faith is a rotating column by religious leaders on the North Olympic Peninsula. Suzanne DeBey is a lay leader of the Port Angeles Jewish community. Her email is debeyfam@olympus.net.
