Shoftim שֹׁפְטִים - Judges
Torah Portion:
Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9
Deuteronomy 18:6–13
18:6 If a Levite comes from any of your gates out of all Israel where he lives, and comes with all the desire of his soul to the place which Hashem shall choose, 7 then he shall minister in the name of Hashem his Elohim, as all his brothers the Levites do, who stand there before Hashem. 8 They shall have like portions to eat, in addition to that which comes from the sale of their family possessions.
9 When you have come into the land which Hashem your Elohim gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the abominations of those nations. 10 There shall not be found with you anyone who makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who tells fortunes, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, 11 or a charmer, or someone who consults with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer. 12 For whoever does these things is an abomination to Hashem. Because of these abominations, Hashem your Elohim drives them out from before you. 13 You shall be blameless with Hashem your Elohim.
Today’s Meditation:
Today, we learn that Hashem says, “You shall not learn to imitate the abominations of those nations.” (verse 9) How would they learn to imitate? If they stayed in their own communities and celebrated, worshiped, and worked together, there would be no chance of imitation. It only happened when they left their community. Isn’t that what happens to us? If we go outside the circle of our close friends and family and hang out with others, we are super susceptible to being influenced by others’ behavior. When I was young, and I hung out with a certain crowd, I did things I would never do with the people close to me. I was imitating others’ bad habits. How do we avoid this happening to us? Stay close to your own community, and only venture out if you have a purpose and a plan (like helping someone for a short time). Yes, we are to love our neighbors, serve them, and be a light to them. But be careful about who you choose as friends in the world, and what you do with them. Guard your heart and keep your eyes on Hashem.
Today’s Challenge:
A long time ago, I was on a road trip with my sister. She didn’t have a formal belief system, but I do believe that, even back then, she knew Hashem. We were talking about her going to a fortune teller. I told her that Hashem says that by doing this, she was an abomination to G-d. She was shocked and wanted to know where in the Bible this was said. I read these verses in today’s portion: “One who uses divination, one who tells fortunes, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, or a charmer, or someone who consults with a familiar spirit, or a wizard, or a necromancer. For whoever does these things is an abomination to Hashem.” (Verses 10-12) When she heard me quote Torah, she immediately reacted and said, “Well, I didn’t know that. I will never go again!” And to my knowledge, she never has. The written Word of Elohim is powerful. It spoke right into her heart and immediately changed her mind. My challenge to you today is to do what I did. If you know of someone who is involved with any of these kinds of people, refer them to these verses. You never know; it may literally change their lives. And their relationship with Hashem.
