I

f I were to choose a phrase 
from this week’
s portion 
that is most well-known, it 
would be Tzedek, Tzedek Tirdof 
(Deuteronomy 16:20a). 
These words have been 
understood in many 
ways. Rashi translates 
tzedek as “justice.
” In this 
context, the words mean, 
“Justice, Justice, Shall 
You Pursue” and refers to 
the idea that we should 
pursue reliable courts 
that won’
t be swayed by 
friendships, promises, 
political pressure or even 
bribes, but by the merits 
of each individual case. 
The world of Jewish 
social justice often trans-
lates tzedek as “righteous-
ness.
” It became the mantra as 
they translated the phrase as 
“Righteousness, Righteousness, 
Shall You Pursue.
” 
A third explanation comes 
from Rabbi Elliot Dorff who 
taught that “tzedek means that 
we must ensure that everyone 
gets at least the minimum of 
what is necessary to live. It 
means teaching about funda-
mental human rights, which 
every person should enjoy. This 
form of righteousness means 
believing in the fundamental 
equality of all people … that we 
are all equal regardless of race, 
religion, gender, sexual orienta-
tion or economic situation.
” 
But what’
s the tirdof? What 
does it mean that we pursue righ-
teousness? How do we do that?
A true story demonstrates 
how. The story is about 
a woman we’
ll call Elyse. 
Everything was going right for 
her. Suddenly, she lost her job 

and house and found herself 
living out of a truck. Child 
Protective Services threatened to 
take her son if she didn’
t find a 
safe place. 
With the help of a generous 
social worker, the first few 
nights of a hotel stay were 
paid for. And then Curtis 
showed up, demonstrat-
ing what it means to 
pursue righteousness. 
Every day, he would 
pay Elyse’
s hotel bill and 
had been doing so for 
months when the story 
was published. Homeless 
himself, Curtis Jackson 
panhandled daily until he 
had enough money for 
food and to pay for Elyse’
s 
room. 
When asked why he did it, he 
responded, “I’
m out here for a 
purpose,
” he said, “to help some-
one; and that’
s all I’
m trying to 
do, is help someone that needs 
help, right at this moment.
” 
That’
s tzedek, that’
s righteous-
ness. What he says next, that’
s 
tirdof, pursuing it. Curtis said, 
“
And once she doesn’
t need help 
anymore, I’
ll move on to helping 
someone else.
”
Pursuing righteousness 
means not just waiting for an 
opportunity to fall into your lap 
... it means looking for oppor-
tunities. 
Every day, we’
re supposed 
to seek and find who we’
re 
supposed to help until that 
injustice is fixed or we can’
t help 
anymore. And then, when that 
time comes, we go on to find 
the next. 

Rabbi Daniel A. Schwartz is a rabbi 
at Temple Shir Shalom in West 
Bloomfield.

Parshat 

Shoftim: 

Deuteronomy 

16:18-21:9; 

Isaiah 

51:12-52:12.

Rabbi Daniel 
Schwartz

32 | AUGUST 20 • 2020 

Spirit
torah portion

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