1. This is the first Shabbat of the month of Elul. What do we know about it? First of all, this week's Torah portion is Parashat Shoftim, the fifth portion in the Book of Deuteronomy. We continue to read Moshe Rabbenu’s farewell speech to the people, the eternal testament he left behind for each and every one of us.
2. The portion contains 41 commandments, including: writing a Torah scroll, laws of war, the fight against idolatry, and much more.
3. A familiar expression appears in the portion: "Be wholehearted with the Lord your God". There's a tendency to think that "tamim" (wholehearted) is someone somewhat naive, one who gets taken advantage of. But Torah commentators explain that this is a mistake. God asks us to be wholehearted - with Him. "Tamim" is a complete person, believing, trustworthy, upright. A person who acts out of fear of Heaven and not out of personal interests or manipulations.
4. Another famous expression in the portion: "Justice, justice you shall pursue." Here is the full verse: "Justice, justice you shall pursue, so that you may live and inherit the land that the Lord your God is giving you." The call for justice is not only a moral human value, but guarantees our right to the land. We merit to live in the Holy Land, and we must behave accordingly and be worthy of it.
5. We are still in the "Seven Shabbatot of Consolation" between Tisha B'Av and Rosh Hashanah. On these Shabbatot, after the Torah reading, we read a Haftarah that contains a consoling prophecy about the future. Here are some verses that will be read this coming Shabbat: "I, I am He who comforts you," "Awake, awake, rise up Jerusalem, arise, arise, clothe yourself with strength, O Zion, put on your beautiful garments, Jerusalem the holy city... Shake yourself from the dust, arise," "For the Lord has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem." May we merit speedily the fulfillment of all these prophecies.
Shabbat Shalom.
