Shoftim

Our Parsha begins: שפטים ושטרים תתן לך בכל שעריך, Judges and officers shall you appoint in all your cities. The parsha then continues to describe how the judges have to conduct themselves with honesty & integrity. Finally, the Torah tells us that if you do these things, you will take possession of the land. Rashi says the merit of doing these laws in enough to keep the Jewish people on their land. These seem like pretty important laws, but how do they relate to the average person?  

The Shela Hakadosh tells us that there are seven gates to the soul: the two ears, two eyes, two nostrils & the mouth ‎whose job it is not to let outside influences into the body of a person. This is what the posuk means & how it relates to every one -  שפטים ושטרים תתן לך בכל שאריך put judges & police on all your gates;  be careful that no bad enters through these gates on your body. Hear no evil, see no evil, don't let smells lure you & be careful how you speak; these are the lessons the Torah is trying to tell us. Let's take this a step further.  

Later on, the parsha tells us the laws of the unintentional murderer & how we have to prepare a city for him & make sure the roads are clearly marked so that when the man is fleeing, he knows exactly where to go. Once, in Radin, two men came collecting; one came collecting for yeshivos & charity orginazations in Yerushalaim and the other for secular institutions throughout Israel. The latter was in town for a short time & left with all that he needed, while the other one had to spend much time working tirelessly to reach his goal.  

This bothered him very much. Here he was doing the right thing, collecting for worthy causes yet, it was so hard for him while this other person had it so easy. He brought his complaint to the Chaftez Chaim who answered him as follows. When the Torah gives the mitzva of the city of refuge, it says to prepare the route with signs & make it easy for the person to run there. There must be clear signs and  good lighting to make sure he can find it easily. However, by the Mitzva to go up to Yerushalaim for the three festivals, we find no commandment to put up signs & make the way clear for the people going up.  Why, for a sinner, we are so careful that he should know where to go but for people doing a Mitzva we let them figure it out on their own.  

What kind of person has to go to a city of refuge? A sinner; even though he killed by accident there is still negligence & a sin.  That is why he has to go for atonement. We don't want a person like that talking to other people asking directions therefore there needs to be clear directions were to go so he doesn't influence other people. However, people that are going up to Yerushalaim are good people; we want them to ask directions & engage other people in conversation so that they could influence them for the good & get them to go. So, too, continued the Chafetz Chaim, that man who was collecting for secular things, Hashem made him succeed quickly so he wouldn't hang around long & influence people for the negative.  However, you, who were collecting for good & would be a positive influence on people, Hashem made it take you longer so that you would inspire people for the good. 

If we take the lesson of the beginning of the parsha & use our natural gates to shield us from outside influences, then, as we are walking around all day meeting people from all walks of life, we can be a positive influence by showing that leading a pure life makes us better people, more caring, kind & considerate. By example then, we will have a positive influence on all those around us!