This weeks parsha - Shoftim - begins: "Judges and officers shall you appoint in all your cities which HaShem, your Elokim gives you..."
Rabbi Chaim Vital in the name of the ARIzal teaches that the notion of judges & officers in our cities is a reference to our senses. These 'judges' sit at the gateways of our perception, deciding what should be allowed into our internal world. Its obvious that we judge the world according to the perceptions of our senses. And yet, this deep personalization of the idea of judges makes for a very embodied and empowering Torah vision of how we are to make our way in the world. We are to rely on our own senses as our judges. They are our greatest guards and guides. What's more - there is a parallel made between the 7 branches of the menora and the 7 openings of our senses - our 2 eyes/2 nostrils/2 ears & 1 mouth. Our face itself shines with the illuminations of our senses. The lyrics below describe these judges that stand at the gateways of our perception.
These are the keepers of the senses, heed their warnings
They guide our way like seven candles casting light
They are the judges of our journeys, wise, discerning
They guard our gateways, deciding what will come inside
There is a judge that listens long to all my yearnings
he sits on swinging branches 'bout my ears
He tells me, careful all the 'wisdom' that you're learning
- your heart will crack from all the lies you hear
There is a judge that sings all my undone stories
she sits within my mouth on moon white stones
Her singing guides the goings of my journey
Advising me that I should never walk alone
There is a judge that smells redemption on the North wind
he sits buried deep in the cavern of my nose
But when those self same scents are mingled with a foul stench
He’ll teach me when to crack the window, when to close
There is a judge that sees the rooms where I've gone empty
she sits at sunken gates round my eyes
in ragged rage she begs for my empathy
and I sit down careful to listen by her side
These are the keepers of the senses, heed their warnings
They guide our way like seven candles casting light
They are the judges of our journeys, wise, discerning
They guard our gateways, deciding what will come inside
*
Rabbi Chaim Vital in the name of the ARIzal teaches that the notion of judges & officers in our cities is a reference to our senses. These 'judges' sit at the gateways of our perception, deciding what should be allowed into our internal world. Its obvious that we judge the world according to the perceptions of our senses. And yet, this deep personalization of the idea of judges makes for a very embodied and empowering Torah vision of how we are to make our way in the world. We are to rely on our own senses as our judges. They are our greatest guards and guides. What's more - there is a parallel made between the 7 branches of the menora and the 7 openings of our senses - our 2 eyes/2 nostrils/2 ears & 1 mouth. Our face itself shines with the illuminations of our senses. The lyrics below describe these judges that stand at the gateways of our perception.
These are the keepers of the senses, heed their warnings
They guide our way like seven candles casting light
They are the judges of our journeys, wise, discerning
They guard our gateways, deciding what will come inside
There is a judge that listens long to all my yearnings
he sits on swinging branches 'bout my ears
He tells me, careful all the 'wisdom' that you're learning
- your heart will crack from all the lies you hear
There is a judge that sings all my undone stories
she sits within my mouth on moon white stones
Her singing guides the goings of my journey
Advising me that I should never walk alone
There is a judge that smells redemption on the North wind
he sits buried deep in the cavern of my nose
But when those self same scents are mingled with a foul stench
He’ll teach me when to crack the window, when to close
There is a judge that sees the rooms where I've gone empty
she sits at sunken gates round my eyes
in ragged rage she begs for my empathy
and I sit down careful to listen by her side
These are the keepers of the senses, heed their warnings
They guide our way like seven candles casting light
They are the judges of our journeys, wise, discerning
They guard our gateways, deciding what will come inside
*
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