August 21st: Shoftim
THIS WEEK IN THE TORAH
Rabbi David E. Ostrich
In every culture, civilization, and group, there is a cultural ideal—the set of qualities encouraged in every member. Physical skills, social skills, attitudinal skills, and others help to describe the kind of members the group is hoping to “produce.” The ancient Greeks called this their paideia, and there were furious debates about the characteristics an ideal person would have. One of the debates, portrayed in the Platonic Dialogue, Gorgias, involves the comparison between rhetorical skills and morality. What is more important, the way one communicates or the moral quality of one’s message? Perhaps the best resolution of this ancient argument came from the Roman Quintilian: “a good man, speaking well.”
This kind of debate is ubiquitous. What is the ideal soldier? What is the ideal parent? What is the ideal physician, or athlete, or executive, or musician? And, of current interest, what is the ideal public servant or politician? Notice in the whole panoply of the Presidential Campaign, how all sorts of criteria are applied to the candidates. I remember, in particular, when Al Gore ran for president, and his handlers were trying to figure out how best to dress him. In the early days after the convention, they questioned his business suits and ties, trying plaid work shirts and other more casual wear—hoping to make more like a “regular guy.”
There is also, of course, the debate over the ideal woman and the many roles women are expected to fulfill. Feminism opened up many options, but women still feel extreme pressure to conform to a variety of cultural ideals. There was the discussion of Hillary Clinton’s pantsuits and hair, and there is the current discussion about Kamala Harris’ drive and ambition. From Sheryl Sandberg’s Leaning In, to the latest rap song from Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion, to “Karens” and suburban housewives and Tiger Moms and the La Leche League, there is a vibrant debate about the paideia of a modern woman.
And, to be fair, men are also faced with many choices. As a male who does not hunt or fish or play poker, I am personally aware of the many ideals of masculinity that tug at our sensibilities.
Our Torah portion this week addresses the paideia of a leader—specifically the ideal king of Israel. In Deuteronomy 17.14-20, we learn the following:
“After you have entered the land that the Lord your God has assigned to you, and taken possession of it, and settled in it, if you decide, ‘I will set a king over me, as do all the nations about me,’ you shall be free to set a king over yourself, one chosen by the Lord your God. Be sure to set as king over yourself one of your own people; you must not set a foreigner over you, one who is not your kinsman. Moreover, the king shall not keep many horses or send people back to Egypt to add to the horses since the Lord has warned you, ‘You must not go back that way again.’ And, this king must not have many wives, lest his heart go astray; nor shall he amass silver and gold to excess. When the king is seated on his royal throne, he shall have a copy of this Teaching written for him on a scroll by the Levitical Priests. Let it remain with him and let him read in it all his life, so that he may learn to revere the Lord his God, to observe faithfully every word of this Teaching as well as these laws. Thus will he not act haughtily toward his fellows or deviate from Instruction to the right or to the left, so that he and his descendants may reign long in the midst of Israel.”
The political prowess of the king is not at issue. Rather, the Torah is concerned about other important qualities. Excessive materialism—and the use of public resources in its pursuit—seems to be a major problem. The many wives remark may be less about sexuality than diplomacy and religious loyalty. Most of Solomon’s 300 wives and 700 concubines were from abroad and were part of diplomatic and commercial relationships that allowed them to bring their cultures and religions with them. Many Israelites were thus scandalized at the many pagan temples in Jerusalem.
More important is the beautiful imagery of the king seated on his royal throne, holding a Torah from which he reads every single day. With this kind of ongoing influence, the Torah’s authors hope that the king will follow God’s path and thus be the Biblical paideia. Note also the hope that a person so much higher than his subjects will remain close to them emotionally and culturally. He should be one of and one with the people.
While the specific reference is about the ideal king, the lesson is also meant for regular Israelites. The value of Torah in our daily lives—and humility in material and amorous pursuits—is seen as vital to the kind of people our religious culture aims to produce.
For more on our Tradition’s view of our Jewish paideia, look at the Talmud in general and at Pirke Avot in particular. Almost very perek (paragraph) is devoted to some aspect of the ideal person. An example is the very well-known proverb of Rabbi Shimon HaTzaddik, Simon the Righteous: “The world stands on three things: on Torah, on Worship, and on Deeds of Lovingkindness.” When he says “the world,” he is speaking about human life and the three most important components. For those less inclined to the religious life, he emphasizes Torah and Worship—reminding us that even a life of good deeds needs a connection to God. And, for his Yeshiva bucher students—who already know how crucial Torah and Worship are, he is sure to include Deeds of Lovingkindness. Knowledge and religiosity without good deeds is hollow and unholy.
Every culture has it principles and ideals, and every culture hones them in the hope of excellence. We who are at home in many cultures respond to many demands and strive for many aspirations. Let us remember every day the hopes and expectations of our Judaism. We have great potential, and our Jewish Tradition is a guidebook for living our best lives.