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Why does the Torah (תורה) structure the verse about judges unusually, mentioning their placement before their function? Rabbi Zweig develops that in Eretz Yisrael, the judicial system's primary goal isn't prosecuting criminals but preventing crime by surrounding society with Torah scholars who inspire proper conduct.
Rabbi Zweig begins with a grammatical difficulty in the verse "Shoftim v'shotrim titen l'cha...v'shoftu" - why does the Torah (תורה) mention both judges and officers but only specify that judges should judge? Rashi (רש"י) resolves this by explaining that shotrim (officers) enforce the decisions of shoftim (judges), making enforcement part of the judicial rather than executive function. This differs from secular systems where enforcement comes from a separate branch of government. The Torah's unusual structure - describing where to place judges before stating their function - indicates that placement is integral to achieving justice. The requirement of having a full Beit Din of 70 people in every city of just 120 inhabitants seems mathematically absurd for crime enforcement. This leads to a fundamental insight about the Torah's judicial philosophy.
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Why does the Midrash connect Pharaoh's expulsion of the Jews to the mitzvah of shiluach hakan? The shiur develops a chiddush that Pharaoh's sin wasn't only drowning the children, but the insensitivity of expelling the parents afterward. The deeper analysis reveals that Pharaoh may have valued the Jews greatly and wanted to control them—making his expulsion an act of tremendous cruelty, not liberation.
Why does Moshe respond to the splitting of the sea with shirah rather than praise or thanksgiving? Rashi's use of "al libo" reveals that shirah is an emotional expression—a response of love to love. When Hashem shows personal care, the only adequate response is "I love You too," not mere gratitude or praise, and this principle applies to all relationships.
Parshas Shoftim 16:18-20
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