Torah, environmentalism, and political leadership

For Shabbat, August 22, 2020

Parasha Shoftim

By Michael R. Mantell, Ph.D.

Dr. Michael Mantell

SAN DIEGO — Shoftim tells us, “When you besiege a city for an extended period, to make war against it to capture it, do not destroy its trees by wielding an axe against them; for you may eat from them, and you shall not cut them down; for is the tree of the field a man that you should besiege it?” The Ibn Ezra sees this as a statement, not a question, “Ki Haadam eitz hasadeh, the human being is a tree of the field.” He, like so many contemporary environmentalists, believes that we are intertwined with our environment. Destroy a tree, and we destroy ourselves.

If we are the “tree of the field,” and we are, then how can we grow well rooted, well anchored, and blossom in our attachment to Hashem, to Torah and to Judaism? This is our time to plow that which is in our way, to reseed, to ensure that every blade of grass in our life is properly fed and to insure that we are spiritually well fertilized. Our faith in Hashem, our Creator, is the ultimate nourishment for our growth, and serves as the foundation of our being a “tree of the field.” Trees without well-anchored foundations don’t last.

As we begin the month of Elul and we turn our gaze towards the High Holidays, we begin contemplating moving past our weaknesses to develop into strong, abundant trees of life.

The parasha comes at an interesting time. I’m speaking of our presidential election season.

Shoftim offers us an understanding of those leadership qualities the Torah regards as essential to create an evenhanded society. In this parashah, devoted to the central theme of “Tzedek, Tzedek Tirdof,” “Justice, justice shall you pursue…” the Torah teaches that social order requires leaders who are in harmony with protecting social justice. Nachmanides’ teaches on this verse that one “justice” refers to earthly courts, while the other “justice” refers to the heavenly tribunal. Fail bringing about a just world here, and real judgment awaits you above.

There’s also this teaching that we hope all of our leaders follow, “You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show favoritism, and you shall not take a bribe, for bribery blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts just words”

The commentator Gan Raveh explains how accepting a bribe diminishes a leader, in light of another Talmudic passage (Shabbat 10a) that states, “Any judge who issues a true verdict is considered to be a partner with God in Creation.” How open are you to being “bribed”? I particularly like what Upton Sinclair said on this point, “It is difficult to get a man to understand something, when his salary depends on his not understanding it.”

From laws of unsolved murder and asylum cities to laws of warfare, this week’s learning provides powerful guidance for leaders on justice, but perhaps even more importantly, emphasizes the importance of when to bring mercy to the many laws, rules and norms described in the Torah. Shouldn’t we all be willing to make minor individual sacrifices for the good of the group?

Isn’t this what we hope for in our modern-day leaders, that they never lose sight of being genuinely concerned with the needs of individuals? Isn’t the way we mercifully treat all, even the weakest in our midst, an essential that is at the core of who we are as Jews? And isn’t it the responsibility of us all, not just our leaders, to safeguard the values and laws that our lives, our communities, are built and maintained on? We are to respect all equally, rich, poor, weak, powerful, all…equally, with mercy.

We are a part of a group, a forest of multiple trees, but we are ultimately individuals who cry out to Hashem to hear our unique needs and prayers, and to be merciful to us collectively and individually.

May the Ultimate Leader hear our individual and communal prayers during this auspicious month and time of challenge—for the sake of all.

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Michael Mantell, Ph.D., prepares a weekly d’var Torah for Young Israel of San Diego, where he and his family worship. He may be contacted via michael.mantell@sdjewishworld.com

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