Parshas Shoftim 5786
- Torah Tavlin
- Aug 14
- 2 min read
שפטים ושטרים תתן לך בכל שעריך ... (טז-יח)
MASHAL: A young man got married, drawing family from far and wide. Among the guests was a distant uncle who was completely disconnected from his Jewish heritage. Set in his secular ways, he had long rebuffed any attempts to bring him closer to Judaism. During the wedding, a warm and perceptive Rosh Kollel noticed the uncle. Determined to awaken the man’s dormant soul, the rabbi purposefully drew him into the center of the dancing. The uncle felt genuinely embraced, forming an instant bond with the rabbi.
Hoping to nurture this unexpected connection, the family later asked the Rosh Kollel to call him. The rabbi obliged, but the conversation quickly stalled. It was the month of Elul, and noticing a shofar on his desk, the rabbi had an idea. Over the phone, he blew the traditional blasts and asked if the sounds were familiar. The uncle quietly said yes, and then hung up.
Years later, at the bar mitzvah of the original chosson’s son, an unfamiliar, fully observant man approached the Rosh Kollel. It was the distant uncle. Astonished, the rabbi asked him what had ignited his transformation. “It was the shofar,” the uncle revealed. “Those sounds shook me to my core. I couldn’t continue my old life. I grabbed onto that moment and never let go.” Today, thanks to a few simple blasts, he and his entire family live beautiful, committed Jewish lives.
NIMSHAL: “Judges and officers you shall appoint in all your gates.” Now in Elul, our eyes, our ears, and our mouth are our ‘gates.’ The Torah is teaching us to set up internal judges (our conscience and hashkafa) and officers (our discipline and willpower) to govern what enters and exits these gates.