* Translated by Janine Muller Sherr
Are we supposed to just “go with the flow” and do whatever appeals to us, or are we supposed to dedicate our life to growing and becoming a better version of ourselves?
Our parasha this week opens with the following words: “You shall set up judges and law enforcement officials for yourself in all your gates.”
The literal meaning of this verse is that we should set up effective systems of justice and law enforcement in our communities. But our rabbis explain that this verse also carries a deeper message about self-restraint: We must set up judges and law enforcers in front of our body’s’ “gates”—our eyes, ears, and mouths.
In other words, we must pay close attention to what we say, hear, and see— not to allow everything outside to enter our consciousness through our eyes and ears, or every word that springs to mind to escape from our mouths. We must not allow outside influences to control us. This verse is a call to each one of us to be vigilant and to give free reign to our urges and desires but establish clear boundaries and limits for ourselves. We are surrounded by so much sordidness, corruption, and violence that our eyes are not meant to see, and evil or meaningless speech that is not worth listening to. But the opposite is also true: there is also so much beauty to be found in our world, pleasant words, and uplifting music. It is our responsibility to safeguard our “gates.”
I invite you to think about this idea and to share it with others: How do you place “judges and law enforcers” — boundaries and limitations— for yourself? How can we protect our minds and our hearts, and ensure that our thinking is clear and our words appropriate? What can we do to see, hear, and speak better?
