Shoftim

This week’s parsha opens with Moses’ command: "Appoint judges and officers at all your gates." On the surface, it’s about building a legal system. But our commentators go deeper: every person is a city, with gates of eyes, ears, and mouth. And just as a city needs judges and guards, so do we. Elul is the season of checking what enters and leaves those gates. What do we choose to see? What do we let ourselves hear? What words do we send into the world? To judge ourselves is hard; to guard ourselves is even harder. But this month, Moses’ call is clear: take one step, however small, toward making those gates holy. So how do we begin—by lofty resolutions or by one small, practical change? Tune in to find out.