Shabbat
Portion Yitro: Jethro Jews and Justice
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- קטגוריה: Parashat Hashavua
- פורסם ברביעי, 02 דצמבר 2020 17:24
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Portion Yitro: Jethro Jews and Justice
In a nutshell - this week's portion is jam packed with great ideas - and BIG questions!
Jethro the Gentile comes to Moses (at the beginning of the portion)
and the Israelites in the desert - and sets up the Jewish Court System!
and the Israelites in the desert - and sets up the Jewish Court System!
(Yesterday in my Maimonides class the lecturer taught about the process of:
SELECTING QUALIFIED JUDGES - a BIG problem here in Israel-
and an interesting concept was Maimonides' "Three Year Probationary Period"!)
and an interesting concept was Maimonides' "Three Year Probationary Period"!)
The Big Jewish Question Is of course : "Is Justice objective or subjective?"
Depends - sadly - on the judge; we all have a LOT to learn from Maimonides,
not just medicine!
not just medicine!
So the portion ends with "Build me an ALTAR of EARTH (not stones! not cement!). (in the Temple)
Down to Earth - not egocentric! And So:
For one thing the Mizbayach ... the altar .... symbolizes PEACE on High and on EARTH.
Elsewhere the Torah relates the altar to JUDGMENT -
and the High Court sat in a chamber near the Altar!
and the High Court sat in a chamber near the Altar!
SO - Which is the Basic Functionality? Peace here on earth - or Almighty (strict) Justice?
The First Rule in Jewish Law - which Jethro the Judge (in Midian) did NOT get into
is Arbitration to Make Peace after listening to both sides. You need to be a wise and a fair judge to do that!
Let's Pray on that this Shabbat - and may we see that more often than not!
Shabbat Shalom
Rabbi Andy Eichenholz