Cytowanie Komentarza do Samuela II 8:15

The Tanhuma writes about the haftorah, “King David was old and advanced in years” [1:1]. Where do we find someone who is worthy to be old and hoary? Scripture answers, “it is attained by the way of righteousness” [Proverbs, 16:31].¹⁴The first part of this verse is, “Gray hair is a crown of glory.” That is to say, one who gives charity lives long. Concerning this, we find that it says about Abraham our Patriarch, “to keep the way of the Lord by doing what is just and right” [Genesis, 18:19]. He gave charity and therefore he was worthy to be old, as the verse says, “Abraham was old, advanced in years” [Genesis, 24:1]. It is also written here, “David administered justice and equity to all his people” [II Samuel, 8:15]. Therefore, he was worthy to attain old age, as the verse says, “King David was old and advanced in years” [I Kings, 1:1]. King Solomon showed this in the Book of Ecclesiastes, “cast your bread upon the waters, for after many days you will find it” [Ecclesiastes, 11:1]. That is to say, give your bread to the poor, just like somebody who throws it in the water and he gives up on it. You should give charity in the same way and not for the reward. Give up hope and only give it out of goodness. “For after many days, you will find it” [Ecclesiastes, 11:1].¹⁵Tanhuma, Hayyei Sarah, 4. That is, you will have the opportunity to give for many days. This means, you will find your reward from your giving of bread to the poor and you will have many good days. When a person gives charity in the expectation that he will be rich and have much wealth then God gives him much wealth. However, when a person gives charity out of goodness, he lives long.

שופטים ושוטרים, “Judges and officials to execute the judgments;” shoftim are the judges who do the legal work, shotrim are the officials who see to it that the judgments handed down are executed. (Compare Talmud, tractate Sanhedrin folio 16). In Samuel II 8,15-16 we find a practical illustration of this system when the prophet records: “David ruled over all Israel, and David executed true justice among all his people. Yoav, son of Zeruiah was commander of the army;” the paragraph lists additional civil servants and their respective assignments.” The reason why these details are recorded there is to show that there were separate departments for the legal problems and for executing judgments once they had been formulated.

A Midrashic approach to the words שופטים ושוטרים, based on Tanchuma Shoftim 2. The judges and enforcers needed each other. Law enforcement (policemen) without judges is a non-starter, whereas “justice” i.e. a judicial system without an apparatus to enforce such decisions is a mockery. If the people during the time of King David had not feared the authority of Yoav his commander-in-chief, David could not have dispensed justice. This is why the prophet (Samuel II 8, 15-16) describes the system in these words: “David would mete out justice and righteousness to his whole people while Yoav, son of Tzeruyah, was in charge of the army.” David and Yoav acted in tandem. Anyone who did not accept the judgment handed down by David would be handed over to Yoav. The judgment would then be enforced. We have a verse in Job 29, 16-17 in which Job describes his function during his days of prominence, saying: “I was a father to the needy, and I looked into the case of the stranger. I broke the jaws of the wrongdoer, and I wrested prey from his teeth.” Job meant that even prey which had already been consumed by the robber who had been sentenced to make restitution he would try and recover.
The power of justice is great seeing that as long as men sit in judgment judging crime G’d (the attribute of Justice) does not bother to sit alongside of them but judges them by means of the attribute of Mercy. Should the system of justice on earth become corrupt, the attribute of Justice will judge mankind instead. We find an allusion to this in Psalms (Midrash Tehillim 62) ‘when justice is not practiced on earth it will be practiced in heaven;’ when it is not practiced on earth G’d will have to exercise His “vocation” of being a Judge. When man enacts Justice G’d is relieved of this duty. In appreciation of being relieved of this task G’d judges mankind with the attribute of Mercy. This is the deeper meaning of Leviticus 26,3: “if you will walk in My statutes....I will give your rain at its appropriate time.”