The mitzvot of Shoftim

To appoint judges and officers

Positive · Deuteronomy 16:18

When judges and leaders are held in awe and honour by the people, the whole faith grows stronger. At first people act honestly out of fear, but in time they understand that this is the way of truth and choose it out of love. Long habit becomes a second nature, and a people accustomed to the right path becomes bound to the good, and that is what is pleasing before God.

To not plant any tree idols

Negative · Deuteronomy 16:21

The Rambam wrote that idol worshippers used to plant beautiful trees at their houses of worship. To remove from the minds of those who come to serve God in the chosen place anything resembling them, we were forbidden to plant any tree there, and this is a reason close to the plain meaning.

To not erect a matsevah

Negative · Deuteronomy 16:22

A pillar is a raised structure of stones or earth that idol worshippers used to build and gather at for their worship. Therefore the Torah kept us from making one, even to serve God on it, so that every trace of idolatry would be forgotten from before our eyes and from our thoughts. The altar is not included in this ban, for the Torah says explicitly to build it of whole stones.

To not offer a sacrifice of an animal with a temporary blemish

Negative · Deuteronomy 17:1

Offerings come to rouse a person's thoughts and direct them to God, for a person is shaped by the force of his deeds. Therefore the offering should be without blemish, for the heart is stirred more when one brings something choice and whole of its kind, and one's thoughts are not stirred in the same way when offering something defective.

To listen to the voice of the court at all times

Positive · Deuteronomy 17:10

The mitzvah comes to strengthen the keeping of our faith. Had we been commanded to keep the Torah each according to his own understanding, everyone would act as he saw fit, and the Torah would become many Torahs. Now that we have been commanded to accept the view of the sages, there is one Torah for all of us, and in doing as they instruct we fulfil the commandment of God.

To not stray from their words

Negative · Deuteronomy 17:11

People's opinions differ, and if the interpretation of the Torah were left to each person according to his own understanding, disputes would multiply in Israel and the Torah would become several Torahs. Therefore God completed His Torah with this mitzvah, that we follow the interpretation received by our early sages and the sages of every generation. Even if the sages should err in one matter, it is better to bear one error than for each to do as he thinks, for that would bring the ruin of the faith, the division of the people's heart, and the loss of the nation.

To appoint a king from Israel

Positive · Deuteronomy 17:15

A human society cannot live in peace unless it sets one of its members at its head, whose word is carried out and whose decrees are kept. People's opinions differ and they will never all agree on one view, and without one head there will be strife and nothing will get done. Therefore we were commanded to appoint a king, and in the books of the prophets having many heads in one place is spoken of as a curse.

To not establish a foreign king over us

Negative · Deuteronomy 17:15

One appointed as head, whom the whole people must obey, must be of the seed of Israel, merciful ones descended from the merciful, so that he will have compassion on the people and not burden them, and will love truth, justice and uprightness, as is known of the family of Abraham our father. And from the root of this mitzvah we learn that it is also forbidden to appoint wicked and cruel people over the community, and one who appoints them out of kinship, fear or flattery brings harm upon his own house.

That the king not amass many horses

Negative · Deuteronomy 17:16

The Torah itself states the reason - that the king not send people of his nation to settle in Egypt to breed horses for him. Also, that his heart not grow proud, for many horses, with their beauty and swiftness, lead their owners to arrogance.

To not ever dwell in the Land of Egypt

Negative · Deuteronomy 17:16

The people of Egypt were wicked and sinful, and God took us out of there and redeemed us in His kindness so that we might merit walking in the ways of truth. So in His goodness He wished that we not return to live among them and be defiled by their deeds, lest we learn their customs and follow ways that our perfect Torah rejects.

That the king not amass many wives

Negative · Deuteronomy 17:17

The verse itself gives the reason - many wives turn their husband's heart aside. Through their constant urging, the rivalry among them, many words and smooth talk, they may lead the king to do what is not fitting.

That the king not amass much silver and gold for himself

Negative · Deuteronomy 17:17

The verse gives the reason - so that the king's heart not be lifted above his brothers. Great wealth gathered for his own honor and pleasure leads to pride, while the whole people depends on the king, so he must place all his care in the good of his people, not in his own honor and the fulfilment of his desires.

That the king write a second Torah scroll for himself

Positive · Deuteronomy 17:18

The king answers to no one; no one rebukes him for his deeds, and with a single word he can punish and put to death. So he needs great protection - a constant reminder before his eyes, so that he conquers his inclination and turns his heart to his Creator. That is why the sages said that his Torah scroll goes out with him to war, sits with him in judgment and stands before him at his meal.

That the tribe of Levi not inherit in the Land of Israel

Negative · Deuteronomy 18:1

So that the whole occupation of the tribe of Levi be the service of God, and they not need to work the land. The other tribes give them a share of all they have, and they need not toil for it at all - like the servants of a king, whose food is prepared for them by others while they are free for his service alone.

That the tribe of Levi not take a portion in the spoils

Negative · Deuteronomy 18:1

The Levites are God's servants, and it is not fitting for them to use things seized from people in war by sword and spear. Only what came by way of peace, honesty and faithfulness should enter the House of God - not something over which a man's or a woman's heart grieves.

To give the foreleg, the jaw and the maw to the priest

Positive · Deuteronomy 18:3

The sages said that the kohanim merited this gift through the merit of their father Pinchas, who was zealous for God and risked his life against a prince of a tribe of Israel for the sanctification of God's name. The foreleg corresponds to the spear he took in hand, the jaw to his prayer over Israel's suffering, and the maw to the blow with which he stopped the sin. From this we learn that one who sanctifies God's name in public earns merit for himself and his descendants in this world too, besides the reward kept for his soul in the world to come.

To separate the great tithe for the priest

Positive · Deuteronomy 18:4

Grain, wine and oil are the mainstay of human food, and the whole world belongs to God. So it is fitting for a person to remember his Creator for the blessing, set aside a part of it for His name and give it to His servants the kohanim before he himself enjoys it. By Torah law even a single grain of wheat suffices, for acknowledging God's mastery does not depend on quantity, but the sages set a noticeable measure, because a person's heart is stirred more by something that fills his eyes.

To give the first shearing to the priest

Positive · Deuteronomy 18:4

The kohanim serve before God constantly and have no inheritance of land, so God granted them all their livelihood through their brothers. Teruma and the tithe of the tithe are their bread and wine, the gifts from animals and their share of the offerings give them meat enough, and they still lacked clothing - so the first shearing was given to them, that they have wool for their garments.

That the priests and the Levites work in the Temple in shifts

Positive · Deuteronomy 18:6

Any task assigned to specific, known people is done properly, without laziness, discouragement or quarrels. But a task laid on the many without clear responsibility is sometimes pushed from one to another, and sometimes leads to resentment among them. On the pilgrim festivals, because of the joy, all were commanded to serve together equally.

To not engage in clairvoyance

Negative · Deuteronomy 18:10

The ways of divination mislead the masses - when some of the diviners' words come true, people begin to think that everything in the world is determined by the stars and hidden forces, almost to the point of saying that God has abandoned the earth. A holy people that received the Torah of truth should not give its heart to such vanities, but know that good and bad come from God according to a person's deeds. Israel is not under the rule of the stars, and God can change their order for the good of His pious ones.

To not do magic

Negative · Deuteronomy 18:10

Sorcery goes against the will of God, who at creation gave each thing its nature and its action for the good of the world; the sorcerer tries to overturn this order and defy the powers appointed over it. These acts are ugly and futile, and carry a spark of idolatry. A holy people holding the true faith should trust in God's kindness alone, for He fulfils for good every wish of those who trust in His name.

To not invoke a charm

Negative · Deuteronomy 18:10

Its reason is that of the ban on sorcery - an attempt to affect reality with words and spells as though they had power to heal or harm, instead of trusting in God alone. By contrast, saying psalms for protection is permitted, for it is not a spell but words that stir the soul to take shelter in God, place its trust in Him and fix His awe in the heart, and through this a person is protected.

To not ask a master of ov

Negative · Deuteronomy 18:10

This is one of the kinds of sorcery, and its root is that of the whole ban on sorcery. One who turns to a medium to learn what is hidden removes his trust from God and hangs it on empty powers, while a holy people that received the true faith should trust in God alone.

To not ask a yidaaoni

Negative · Deuteronomy 18:10

This too is a kind of sorcery, and its reason is that of the ban on consulting a medium. The Torah keeps us far from every way of foretelling the future through empty powers, so that we not hang our fate on them nor turn our minds from the faith that everything comes from God.

To not inquire of the dead

Negative · Deuteronomy 18:10

Its root is that of the ban on sorcery - God set an order of nature for the world, and one who fasts and sleeps in a graveyard so that a dead person will come to him in a dream seeks to get around this order by futile means. Instead of seeking knowledge from the dead, a person should trust in God and leave his future in His hands.

The commandment to heed a true prophet

Positive · Deuteronomy 18:15

The highest attainment of man is prophecy, and there is no knowledge more certain, for it flows from the source of truth. Only one in myriads of people, and in a generation worthy of it, merits rising to this level. So the Torah commanded that when a prophet arises whose faithfulness and deeds are known to us, we listen to him in all he commands, for he knows the way of truth, and one who disputes him is surely mistaken.

To not prophecy falsely

Negative · Deuteronomy 18:20

Pure truth reaches people through the prophets, and the Torah commands us to believe them and follow their counsel. One who says in God's name things he was not commanded brings discredit on prophecy, a great foundation of the holy people, and because of him the people will doubt even the true prophets. Even one who prophesies what was said to another is taken by the people for a man of God, and they follow him in all his ways though he is not worthy, and so the masses go astray.

To not prophesy in the name of idolatry

Negative · Deuteronomy 18:20

Its root is that of all the prohibitions of idolatry - to keep a person far from it in deed and in speech, until its memory never rises in his heart. One who claims that an idol commanded him, or promises reward to its worshippers, draws the people after him into the greatest error of all and turns their hearts away from God.

That we not fear from the killing of a false prophet

Negative · Deuteronomy 18:22

Its root is that of the ban on false prophecy - the false prophet discredits prophecy, the foundation of truth in Israel, and leads the people to doubt even the true prophets. So we must not pity him or fear punishment for judging him, for in this we guard the faith of the whole people.

The commandment to prepare six cities of refuge

Positive · Deuteronomy 19:3

Its reason is plain and clear - so that one who killed unintentionally will not be put to death by the blood avenger. One who did not mean to kill does not deserve death, but the avenger's anger may overcome him, so the Torah prepared cities where the unintentional killer finds refuge, with paved and marked roads leading to them.

To not show pity upon the killer or injurer

Negative · Deuteronomy 19:21

Its reason is known - if those who do harm are not punished and evil is not removed from our midst, people will swallow one another alive, and no society can endure. So a judge may not, out of pity, waive the punishment of one who injured his fellow, for by doing so he harms the settled order of the whole world.

To not remove a landmark

Negative · Deuteronomy 19:14

Its root is that of all the prohibitions of robbery, something that reason itself attests. Moving a boundary is a quiet theft of another's land, and when everyone is secure in his border and his inheritance, it benefits all and lets people live together in peace.

To not establish a matter of testimony with one witness

Negative · Deuteronomy 19:15

The inclination of man's heart is evil; sometimes a grudge against his fellow enters his heart, even the most upright person is not safe from sin, and one who walked the straight path for many years may yet stray from it. So we may not rely on the heart of one person to punish his fellow by his word, even if the witness is a great sage and the accused a complete villain. But two upright men - it is a firm presumption that they will not agree together to testify falsely.

To do to the collusive witness like he colluded

Positive · Deuteronomy 19:19

The mitzvah comes to discipline anyone who dares to testify about something he does not know truly and clearly, for people's property and very bodies depend on testimony. Why the later witnesses are believed over the first has no clear reason. But some sages explained that the later ones testify about the witnesses themselves, that they were with them elsewhere, so the first become interested parties and the later ones are the witnesses.

To not be terrified or to be afraid in war

Negative · Deuteronomy 20:8

Every Jew should place his trust in God, and not fear for his body where he can bring honor to God's name and to His people. The sages added that the fighter should know that the lives of all Israel depend on him, and that one who fights with all his heart to sanctify God's name is assured that he will come to no harm.

The commandment to anoint a priest for war

Positive · Deuteronomy 20:5

In time of war the fighters need encouragement, and a person is heard more when he is honored, so the Torah commanded that the one who strengthens them be from the kohanim, the choicest of the people. He also sends back from the battle line whoever planted a vineyard, built a house or betrothed a wife, for their minds are taken up with these things and they might melt the hearts of their brothers. And one who fears for his sins is sent back as well, lest others perish because of his wrongdoing.

To send peace to the cities that we besiege

Positive · Deuteronomy 20:10

Mercy is a fine trait, and it befits us, the holy seed, to act by it in all our affairs, even with enemies who worship idols - not because they deserve it, but for the sake of our own character. There is also benefit in it, since a city that makes peace with us pays tribute and serves the king at no cost. But killing them when they wish to submit would bring no benefit at all, only corrupt us and train us in cruelty.

To not keep alive a soul of the seven nations

Negative · Deuteronomy 20:16

The seven nations were the first to begin every kind of idolatry and all the abominations God hates; they were its foundation and root. The command to erase their memory is meant so that we not learn from their deeds, and it also carries a lesson for all generations - that no one should ever think of following their ways. They were not created wicked, but chose evil by their own free will and corrupted their deeds until they were condemned to destruction.

To not destroy fruit trees

Negative · Deuteronomy 20:19

The mitzvah teaches our souls to love what is good and useful and to cling to it, and so goodness will cling to us, and we will keep far from everything bad and from all destruction. This is the way of the pious, who do not waste even a mustard seed, grieve at any destruction they see, and save from it whatever they can. Not so the wicked, who rejoice in the ruin of the world - they thereby ruin themselves, for a person is measured by the measure he uses.

To behead the calf in the riverbed

Positive · Deuteronomy 21:1

This great act - the elders and leaders of the city going out in a crowd beyond the city and beheading a calf - is meant to stir the heart of all the people. At the sound of the beheading all who hear tremble, and anyone who knows something of the murder is at once moved to tell the elders, and so murderers are removed from among the people. It also makes widely known that the elders and the wise are determined to find the murderer and demand justice for the victim's blood.

To not work or sow in that land

Negative · Deuteronomy 21:4

Its reason is that of the beheaded calf - to make known the gravity of murder and put awe into the people's hearts. The place remains desolate forever, and every passerby recalls that because one man was murdered on the road a calf was beheaded there and the ground was never worked again. So their hearts are moved to keep far from murder with all their strength.