“Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may live and possess the land the Lord, your God, is giving you.” – Deut.16:20
Why is the word “tzedek” (justice, righteousness) repeated in this verse? On the most basic level, the word is simply repeated for emphasis. God wants us to understand just how important it is to Him that we work to create a just world. Another perspective comes from Rabbeinu Bahya (1255-1340) who explains “that one must strive for justice both in word and deed. These are the two ways in which one may potentially inflict harm upon both oneself and upon others.” Ibn Ezra (1089-1167) suggests that “Moses repeats the word justice to indicate that one should pursue justice whether one gains or loses.” Our quest for justice should not be compromised by self-interest; we should always do the right thing, whether we benefit from it or not. And our Sages say that it’s not enough to simply be righteous, one must actively chase righteousness to truly achieve justice. For example, it is certainly righteous to donate to a poor person who approaches and asks for money, but pursuing righteousness means going out and actively seeking out ways to help others. May we all pursue righteousness and justice and do our part to create a peaceful world!
Our best content in your inbox weekly: accidentaltalmudist.org/newsletter