from the heart of jerusalem: rabbi binny freedman

Are we doing what is right? (What is right?)

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How did it come to this? The headline went viral across the western world and the Middle East: Our former Israeli chief rabbi has been indicted for taking millions in bribes and faces trial for numerous counts of bribery, fraud and money laundering ?

I am not commenting on the case itself, nor am I offering any opinion as to the guilt or innocence of the former chief rabbi, as my information comes only from the media which is not a court of law. But if a chief rabbi can be put on trial for bribery and fraud, something is obviously wrong; if a chief rabbi can become corrupted, how can we avoid the same pitfalls? Is there a recipe for remaining true to one’s ethical principles? 

This Shabbat we begin reading the fifth and final book of the Five Books of Moses, Sefer Devarim, in which Moshe gives his farewell soliloquy to the Jewish people: “These are the words that Moshe spoke to the children of Israel on the banks of the Jordan… “ (Devarim: 1:1)

Yet, it takes 16 verses for Moshe to recount some the Jewish people’s journeys, before getting to what seems to be the actual beginning of his message: “And I commanded your judges … judge righteously between man and his fellow…” (Devarim 1:16)

This is one of the major themes of the book of Devarim: to do Justice. It resonates throughout the book, not to mention within this week’s parsha, which speaks of not being partial in judgment, not to fear man, but be upright before G-d. But how do we stay true to these principles? 

There is a fascinating statement in the Talmud regarding life after death. According to the Talmud (Rava, on Shabbat 31a), when we get to our final judgment the first question will be asked is: “Nasata ve’natata’ be’emunah?” (Literally: “Did you conduct your business in good faith?”) Were we honest? Did we do what deep down we knew what was right?

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