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Why does every small city need its own court with twenty-three judges? The shiur develops the yesod that the purpose of courts is not to punish wrongdoing but to create a moral presence that prevents crime. This presence teaches right from wrong through living examples, just as ants instinctively avoid theft without external enforcement.
Rabbi Zweig begins by examining the requirement that every city of 120 people must have a Beis Din of 23 judges (shoftim v'shotrim titen l'cha b'chol sh'arecha). This seems puzzling - why would such a small population need its own criminal court? The answer emerges through a Midrash on Mishlei about ants who don't steal even without judges or police. The Midrash teaches that ants dropped grain will be left untouched by other ants until the original owner retrieves it, despite having no enforcement mechanism. From this, Chazal derive that humans, who do have judges and police, should certainly not steal. However, this comparison seems problematic - ants appear to lack the inclination to steal, while humans naturally tend toward theft (as the Gemara (גמרא) states, 'most people stumble in gezel').
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Parshas Shoftim
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Up Next in this Series
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What is the primary purpose of the cities of refuge - protecting the accidental killer or something else? The shiur argues that creating respect for law takes precedence over providing sanctuary. True deterrence comes from recognizing the gravity of murder itself, not fear of punishment.
How can sinas chinam lead someone to harm himself even more than his enemy? The shiur develops that sinas chinam requires self-hatred first — only someone alienated from himself will damage himself to hurt others. The Bar Kamtsa host and R. Zecharya ben Avkulas both exhibited this self-alienation, showing that proper anava restores love of both self and others.
Why did the brothers hate Yosef when he received the kutonet pasim, yet strangers saw him as special? The kutonet represented Yaakov's recognition of Yosef's leadership ability—his power to uplift and unify. The brothers' jealousy blinded them; the Torah omits his name when they see him (just "oto"), but strangers always saw "Yosef." True chein comes from seeing others clearly, without the bias of our own needs.
Why did the materials for the Mishkan equal exactly what was needed with no waste, despite the principle that blessing doesn't rest on counted items? The shiur explains that Moshe's complete faithfulness—working solely for Hashem's agenda—transformed counting from an act of personal ownership into one that strengthened divine connection, thereby increasing blessings. Korach's self-interest inverted this principle, costing him everything.
Why does Rashi describe the Mishkan as "collateral" for Jewish sins? Rabbi Zweig develops the concept that God limited His own collection rights—accepting only the Mishkan's destruction rather than the nation's annihilation. This reflects the relationship of a father who reduces his own claims to ensure his children's survival.
Why does the Torah give a detailed accounting of silver and copper but not gold in Parshas Pekudei? The three metals represent three types of givers: those who give selflessly (gold), those seeking a two-way benefit (silver), and those buying honor (copper). The Midrash's three groups suspecting or praising Moshe reveal more about themselves than about Moshe—we judge others by our own standards.
