Parshat Shoftim: Hashem Wants You to Be You

The parasha begins with the words שופטים ושוטרים תתן לך “You shall set up judges and law enforcement individuals for yourself.” From this we learn the Torah is telling us to set up judges לך, for ourselves in the singular. Are each of us supposed to have our own judges? Do each of us have to be part of setting up the communal court system? What is the Torah trying to teach us here?

Some commentators say this pasuk is a hint; each one of us has to set up judges and enforcers to watch over our actions - to investigate our every move and action and to determine if they are congruent with the ways of Torah.

The sefer Otzrot HaTorah suggests there is an even deeper, hidden message: Each individual has to search within him or herself, consider the path that he/she is on --but to look only at one's own self and not draw comparisons! Do not look at others, for each individual has different strengths and weaknesses, backgrounds, and challenges. The Torah is teaching us that yes, Hashem will investigate every one of our actions, but not in comparison to another. We are all individuals and our paths to true Torah Judaism will not all look alike.

Rabbi Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin, the famous Netziv would tell his life story to his students with a powerful message. When he was a young boy he was not a successful student and his parents considered taking him out of Yeshivah and sending him to work. He had a burst of inspiration and committed to improve his learning and so they let him remain in Yeshivah, where eventually he became a Torah giant. He would tell over that had he left the Yeshivah and gone on to work, he would have been a good observant Jew, but when faced before Hashem at 120, he would have been asked, where is your sefer “Netziv?” Where is your volumes of work known as the “Hoemek Shayla?” I would have answered, what do you mean? I am a simple Jew, not a scholar. How could you expect me to write sefarim? The angels in heaven would have said, but you didn’t become you! You didn’t become what you had the potential to become. You were supposed to write sefarim and become the gadol hador!

The message is strong. We have to be ourselves, not compare ourselves to others. Yet, we cannot sell ourselves short. We need to investigate and explore our strengths so to ensure they are maximized throughout our lifetime. As we move through the month of Elul and prepare for the Yomim Noraim, let us take this message to heart and begin to search our souls. Let us be sure that we are becoming who we are destined to become. Furthermore, this week’s parsha is telling us we have to do it at our own pace, on the derech that is meant for us individually.