Shining The Light Of Torah

When most people think of “the Law of Moses,” they don’t get warm fuzzies. But God’s people shouldn’t be most people. According to this week’s Torah portion, God’s people should be the exception to the rule, and should have a connection with the Torah deep within our hearts. Through Moses, God told the Children of Israel that when they took His commandments seriously and lived them out, the nations would recognize this and praise God:

See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the LORD my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.” For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today? (Deuteronomy 4:5–8)

Yeshua alludes to this in the Sermon on the Mount when he commissioned his disciples (past, presence, and future) to live a life that exemplifies a Torah-centric life:

You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14–16)

Can Justice Truly Be Blind?

The book of Devarim (Deuteronomy) is often called Mishneh Torah, or the “second law,” due to it’s repetition of many of the things already expressed within the first four books of Torah. However, it does not merely recount the same events and dialogues, but adds detail and clarification to the previous events. When recalling the appointment of judges Moses gives a detail not found previously in the Torah:

You shall not be partial in judgment. You shall hear the small and the great alike. You shall not be intimidated by anyone, for the judgment is God's. (Deuteronomy 1:17)

Yes, there are several instances prior to this that address the issue of being impartial in judgment, such as Leviticus 19:15, “You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.” But until now we haven’t been exposed to this specific language. What are “the small and the great”? Are they small and great cases, or small and great people? The Torah does not specify, so it is left up to interpretation. Both Rashi and Targum Onkelos understand it to mean small and great people. Judges are not to show favoritism among litigants.

Judging with impartiality is crucial to a fair and legitimate system of justice. Even the popular image of Lady Justice, the personification of justice, bears a blindfold in many instances to represent this basic requirement expected of those in seats of judgment. Yeshua taught, “Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment” (John 7:24).