| The Portion of Shoftim Introspection of Public Figures The portion of Shoftim opens with the command to establish courts and appoint judges who will impartially judge the people. Collective responsibility of the judges and the elders for what transpires under their leadership is not to be taken lightly. We see this most clearly at the end of the portion where we find the commandment of the "eglah arufah"- the decapitated calf- the ceremony which takes place when an unidentified corpse is found in the open. The taking of a life is a tragedy which demands the introspection of the judges and other public figures. And it is for this reason that they gather and publically proclaim "Our hands did not shed this blood". Bereshit Rabah (portion 14) lists five synonyms for the word soul: nefesh, ruach, neshamah, yechidah and chayah. Take note that the word "shafchu" (shed) is spelled with the letter "heh" at the end instead of the more commonly used letter "vav"- an allusion to the five synonyms listed above (the numerical value of the letter "heh" is five). Additionally, as seen in the accompanying picture, the letter "pay" has five concentric circles (an additional allusion to these five synonyms), thereby emphasizing the obligation of introspection required of communal leaders where blood has been shed. (Sefer Harokeiach)
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