Parashat Shoftim (Deut. 16:18–21:9) resonates with Moses’ admonition to Israel that they appoint leaders who will “...judge the people according to judgment and justice.” These officials must have a clear-eyed assessment of their task, viewing the accused without consideration of social or economic status. That responsibility falls to the nation’s king, judges, priests, and prophets. In Hebrew, the first letters of their titles—Melekh, Shoftim, Kohanim, and Nevi’im—spell out Mishkan—the...

Parashat Re’eh (Deuteronomy 11:26–16:17) opens with the word re’eh—“see”: “See, I set before you today a blessing and a curse.” — Deuteronomy 11:26 Throughout the parashah, seeing becomes spiritual discernment: the ability to recognize what God has chosen, even before the full meaning of that choice is visible. This theme reaches its deepest expression in this Torah portion’s repeated reference to “the place that HaShem will choose.” Israel was commanded to bring offerings to a place that had...

Eikev, the name of this week’s Torah portion from Deuteronomy 7:12–11:25 is sometimes translated as “because” or “as a consequence.” Eikev can also be rendered simply as “heel.” which points to a Torah principle that there are no minor commandments. Human frailty can lead us to view certain mitzvot as insignificant and therefore allow them to be trampled underfoot. Giving proper weight to every mitzvah is an idea embedded in the word eikev. This becomes apparent when we read the Ten...