deuteronomy 16

This week’s Torah portion contains one of the most important verses in all Torah. Moshe Rabeinu is reviewing the mitzvot of Hashem in length of the history of the journeys of the children of Israel. In the midst of the story, Moshe reiterates the primary task of the children of Israel. “Justice, justice, you shall pursue.”

            The mitzvot immediately preceding this verse are about justice in the legal sense. However, prior to that section, the mitzvot being discussed were not about legal justice at all. They were in regard to Hashem’s appointed times and the subject after the verse is yet another prohibition against idolatry. These things have nothing to do with legal justice.

            The term for legal justice, mishpat, is used in verse 19. “You shall not pervert justice.” There is no doubt this is referring to the legal justice system. Verse 20 does not use the term mishpat. Instead, verse 20 tells us, “tzedek, tzedek you shall pursue. This term is normally translated righteousness. It means the following of Torah, generally, not just commandments dealing with the legal justice system. This is a very important distinction. The pursuit of theTorah’s mitzvot is vitally important. Do not pervert justice, do not take a bribe, go to the temple in Jerusalem three times a year, and bring the Chagiga offering, and do not plant an idolatrous tree. In short, pursuing mitzvot, is of utmost importance. Shabbat shalom.