The Torah selection for this Shabbat, Shoftim, begins with a call to justice. "Justice, justice shall you pursue." The Torah demands absolute fairness in a court of law. This principle to justice has motivated Judaism throughout the ages.

The reading continues to address the issue of idolatry in the community. The Torah demands absolute allegiance to the G-d of Israel. Idolatry is conceived to be an abomination.

The narrative returns to the theme of justice. Two witnesses are required to convict an individual in a capital offense. Our sages made the laws of witnessing so exacting as to avoid indicting an individual in a capital case. The Torah proposes a High Court in Jerusalem to adjudicate the most difficult cases. In the rabbinic period, the Sanhedrin of 70 persons fulfilled this role.

The Torah shares the ideal monarch. Because the ultimate king of Israel is G-d, the earthly monarch is subject to divine law. The king is prohibited from obsessing over his personal power. Instead, the king's role is to implement divine law.

The Torah discusses the role of the kohanim and the Levites. These religious leaders were prohibited from owning any land. The Israelites are obligated to support their religious leadership with gift offerings.

The Torah is emphatic in its condemnation of witchcraft. These rituals were associated with idolatry and the manipulation of the natural order. The Torah asserts, "You shall be wholehearted with the L-rd, your G-d." The Torah contrasts the sorcerer with the prophet. The prophet is only permitted to share the teachings that G-d has given him.

The three cities of refuge protect individuals guilty of accidental homicide. The cities of refuge allow the guilty party an escape from the wrath of the avenging family. These cities are only for those who are innocent of cold-blooded murder. The Torah abhors false witnessing. The law of compensation is stated, "life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth." Rabbinic Judaism interpreted this statement to teach adequate monetary compensation for loss.

The Torah's teachings on warfare exempt young husbands from fighting in battle. Also, those individuals with a new home or new vineyard are exempt. Those men paralyzed with fear are also exempted from fighting. The Torah asserts that peace must be offered to the nations of Canaan before war. However, the six tribes of the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites are included in the herem, the edict of annihilation. The herem, the call of annihilation, has challenged the ethical sensitivities of our sages. The call to spare the fruit trees in warfare is one of the calls to preserve the environment. This edict is an aspect of the rabbinic doctrine of "bal tashchit", the prohibition on wanton destruction.

The Torah selection of Shoftim concludes with the case of an unidentified slain body. The cities in proximity to the corpse are to atone for the death of this individual. "You shall do that which is right in the eyes of the L-rd." The call to justice is the theme of Shoftim.