In this week’s Parasha “Shoftim” (Judges) Moses instructed the Jewish people: “you must appoint judges and police for yourself in all your cities.”(16:18) “Shoftim veshoterim titen leja bechal she’arecha”
The Hebrew word for cities used here is “she’arecha” literally means “gates”. For any society to have order and civil laws, it needs people to enforce them.
The same goes with us, the “gates” of our bodies are our eyes, ears, nose and mouth, through which the stimuli from the outside world can enter our bodies and our personal world affecting our values and morals in a very dangerous way. This verse is thus saying to us to station “judges and police” to guard these gates. Our inner Judge is our conscience, our inner voice, which always is hinting to us what is right and what is wrong. Our inner police are the techniques we use to fight our yetzer hara (evil inclination) and help us be vigilant of the negativity that can pull us in the wrong direction.
Live a little higher
