Shoftim, 5786: Justice… and then more Justice

When the Torah repeats itself, we listen. A central principle of rabbinic interpretation teaches us that our Biblical text doesn’t waste words. When stories are reiterated or principles restated (sometimes over and over…), there’s a reason for it, and it is our job as good exegetes (Biblical interpreters) to figure out what’s going on. This week, we’re examining just a single word, repeated without explanation. Why? In Deuteronomy, 16:20, Moses instructs the Children of Israel: “Justice, Justice, you shall pursue.” The bad news here is, the text never explains why it says “Tzedek” - justice - twice. Moses offers no clues, and it’s not a literary device that we see employed elsewhere with much frequency. However, the good news is: There are no wrong guesses! I’m going to share with you a series of (short) interpretations from centuries of rabbinic figures, and I invite you to consider which one(s) make(s) the most sense to you. Or perhaps you want to offer a new interpretation of your own? All is fair game!

Abraham ibn Ezra (12th C, Spain) offers three options: 1) You shall pursue justice whether you stand to gain or to lose. 2) You shall pursue it as long as you live (i.e. now and forever). 3) It is simply repeated for emphasis. The Bechor Shor (12th C, France) adds that the verse is speaking to the litigants AND to the judges. Rabbeinu Bachya (13-14th C, Spain) offers that the verse means you should pursue justice in word and in deed. The Siftei Chachamim (17th C, Holland), the last one I’ll include (though there are many more…), states that you should pursue justice justly. In other words, the ends do not excuse the means. So you see, sometimes an inexplicable mystery opens us up to multiple interpretations and considerations. I actually like all the rabbinic suggestions (of course, since these are the ones I shared with you), and I think all are important features in a healthy justice system. It’s almost as if the word “justice” doesn’t tell us enough. Whose justice? How was it attained? We need to dig a little deeper to understand this absolutely essential principle. The brilliant Biblical author pushes us to unpack this further, simply by doubling a word without explanation. It’s not just a cunning technique; it’s truly clever-clever. See what I did there?