201 Torah Book & Portion, Book of Deuteronomy, Shoftim (Deuteronomy 16:18–21:9), Source Book Keys, CHINUCH DEUTERONOMY | 16:18 judges — DEUT842 Appoint judges and law enforcement office... DEUT842 Appoint judges and law enforcement officers. Obviously, when fear and respect for authority is in the hearts of the masses, our way of life will flourish, for after a person becomes accustomed to fulfilling the Torah out of fear, he eventually will fulfill it with love. Initially, one does what is virtuous and right mainly out of fear of punishment, but having done so for an extended period of time, one’s motivation changes, and one acts as he should out of love for the truth. When we reach this level, Heaven's blessings cling to us. Today, too, although we no longer have judges who have semichah (i.e., “ordination”), every Jewish community is obligated to choose virtuous members of their congregation and authorized them to make important decisions for the sake of fulfilling the Torah and its mitzvos. These individuals are to keep the members of the community from any sort of improper behavior. Vested with the power to force compliance to their decisions, they must take great pains to perfect their own behavior, so that they will serve as shining examples for everyone else. They also must be willing to sacrifice personal pleasures and instead concentrate on benefiting the community, teaching the people to live in peace with one another and always follow the path of truth. Share Print Source KeyCHINUCHVerse16:18Keyword(s)judgesSource Page(s)318-9 Switch article DEUTERONOMY | 16:18 govern — DEUT841 See [[DEUT6]] Deuteronomy 1:13 pick OXFOR... Previous Article DEUTERONOMY | 16:18 magistrates — DEUT843 See [[EXOD289]] Exodus 18:13 magistrate O... Next Article