PARSHA AIDES

Rambam’s Teshuvah is connected to

the Shofar blasts beginning in Elul
‫תקיעה‬ ‫מלכיות‬ ‫וחפשו במעשיכם‬
‫שברים‬ ‫זכרונות‬ ‫וזכרו בוראכם‬
‫תרועה‬ ‫שופרות‬ ‫הביטו לנפשותיכם‬
‫לקוטי שיחות חלך ט‬

The Decapitated Calf

Atones for: Reason
City Elders Publicizes the unsolved murder
‫רמב"ם‬
(share in the liability) Doing everything to apprehend the
(‫)מורה נבוכים‬
‫פועל‬ murderer

Act of murder No simple reason

‫רמב"ן‬
‫פעולה‬ (as mysterious as any korban)

Effect of the sin The Calf and the place not fruitful in
order to atone for a person that died ‫רש"י‬
‫נפעל‬ and not able to yield additional fruit
‫לקוטי שיחות חלך כד‬

Rambam – Aspects of the High Court

Interpreters of the Oral
Torah
Pillars of Practical Law
Law and Justice Emanate
to All of Israel
The study and understanding of Torah
in general, not only as it applies to
practical law
The clarification of the laws and the
issuing of new rulings
Take actions that its rulings reaches all
Jews
‫לקוטי שיחות חלך כט‬

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 PARSHA AIDES
JUDGES SHOULD NOT HAVE ANY BLEMISHES
THE VERSES ON THE THRONE ‫כולך יפה רעיתי ומום אין בך‬
The Gemara uses this verse (Shir HaShirim 4,7) as a basis to teach us that a judge should
not have any blemishes.
The Kli Yakar quotes the Midrash that describes the throne of Shlomo HaMelech. This
exquisite and unique seat had six steps leading up to the seat. Each one of the steps
had a verse from the Torah written upon it.

The first step featured the verse “Do not pervert justice.”
Written on the second step was the verse “Do not show preference in judgement.”
On the third step the verse cited was “Do not accept bribery.”
The fourth step had written upon it “Do not plant an asheira tree near the altar of
Hashem.”
The fifth step featured the verse “Do not construct a multi-stone altar for the
service of Hashem.”
Finally, the sixth and final step had written upon it, “Do not offer to Hashem any
ox or sheep that has a blemish.”

Kli Yakar notes that the throne of the king was used in judgment. We can understand the
theme of the verses inscribed upon the first three steps. These are admonitions
regarding how to judge fairly. What was the reason the upper three steps had upon
them verses dealing with details of the construction of the altar?
Kli Yakar answers that our Gemara declares that a judge should not have a blemish. How,
though, can we learn a halacha from a verse in Shir HaShirim? Is this a Torah law,
and if so, where is there an indication in the Torah itself to teach this?
The answer is that the verses on Shlomo’s throne are all found in consecutive order, at the
beginning of Parashas Shoftim.
‫דברים פרק טז‬
‫חד כ ִי‬
ַ ֹ‫קח ש‬ ַ ִ‫ת‬-‫שפָט לֹא תַכ ִיר פָנ ִים וְלֹא‬ ְ ִ‫טה מ‬ ֶ ַ‫ת‬-‫יט לֹא‬
:‫קם‬ ִ ‫די‬
ִ ַ ‫דבְר ֵי צ‬
ִ ‫סל ֵף‬
ַ ‫חכָמִים וִי‬ֲ ‫עינ ֵי‬
ֵ ‫עו ֵר‬ַ ְ ‫חד י‬ ַ ֹ‫הַש‬
ָ‫עץ אֵצ ֶל מִזְבַח ה' אֱלֹקיך‬ ֵ -‫שר ָה כ ָל‬ֵ ֲ‫טע ל ְך ָ א‬ ַ ִ‫ת‬-‫כא לֹא‬
:ְ ‫לָך‬-‫שה‬ ֶ ‫ע‬ ֲ ַ‫שר ת‬ ֶ ֲ‫א‬
:ָ ‫שנ ֵא ה' אֱלֹקיך‬ ָ ‫שר‬ ֶ ֲ‫מצֵבָה א‬ ַ ָ ‫קים ל ְך‬ ִ ָ‫ת‬-‫כב וְלֹא‬
‫שר יהְי ֶה בו‬ ֶ ֲ‫שה א‬ ֶ ָ ‫תִזְבַח ל ַה' אֱלֹקיך ָ שור ו‬-‫פרק יז א לֹא‬
:‫עבַת ה' אֱלֹקיך ָ הוא‬ ֲ ‫דבָר ר ָע כ ִי תו‬ ָ ‫מום כֹל‬
The juxtaposition of the verses teaches that the laws of judging are parallel to the laws of
the altar. Therefore, just as a blemished animal is disqualified for the altar, so too is a
judge ineligible if he is blemished.

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