Walking Through the Gates of Justice on Shabbat and The 4th of July Haftarah Study for Hukat-Balak 5780

(6) When the Remnant of Jacob shall flourish in the midst of many peoples, like dew from the LORD, like droplets on grass— which do not look to human beings nor place their hope in mortals. (7) The Remnant of Jacob shall be among the nations, in the midst of the many peoples, like a lion among beasts of the wild, like a fierce lion among flocks of sheep, which tramples wherever it goes and tears through, with none to save them. (8) Your hand shall prevail over your foes, and all your enemies shall be cut down. (9) And on that day — declares the LORD — I will destroy the horses in your midst and wreck your chariots. (10) I will destroy the cities of your land and demolish all your fortresses. (11) I will destroy the sorcery you practice, And you shall have no more soothsayers. (12) I will destroy your idols And the sacred pillars in your midst; And no more shall you bow down To the work of your hands. (13) I will tear down the sacred posts in your midst and destroy your cities. (14) In anger and wrath will I exact retribution on the nations that have not obeyed. (1) Hear what the LORD is saying: Come, present [My] case before the mountains, and let the hills hear you pleading. (2) Hear, you mountains, the case of the LORD— You firm foundations of the earth! For the LORD has a case against His people, God has a suit against Israel. (3) “My people! What wrong have I done you? What hardship have I caused you? Testify against Me. (4) In fact, I brought you up from the land of Egypt, I redeemed you from the house of bondage, And I sent before you Moses, Aaron, and Miriam. (5) “My people, Remember what Balak King of Moab Plotted against you, And how Balaam son of Beor Responded to him. [Recall your passage] From Shittim to Gilgal— And you will recognize the gracious acts of the LORD.”

(6) With what shall I approach the LORD, Do homage to God on high? Shall I approach Him with burnt offerings, With calves a year old? (7) Would the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, with myriads of streams of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my body for my sins?

(8) “He has told you, O man, what is good, And what the LORD requires of you: Only to do justice and to love kindness, And to walk modestly with your God.

(8) “God has told you, inspired human, what is good, And what the LORD requires of you: Only to do justice And to love kindness, And to walk modestly with your God."

And this is what Rabbi Elazar said: What is the meaning of that which is written: “It has been told you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord does require of you; only to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8)? “To do justly”; this is justice. “To love kindness”; this is acts of kindness [even for which you need no thanks]. “To walk humbly with your God”; this is referring to taking the indigent dead out for burial and accompanying a poor bride to her wedding canopy, both of which must be performed without fanfare. The Gemara summarizes: And are these matters not inferred a fortiori? If, with regard to matters that tend to be conducted in public, as the multitudes participate in funerals and weddings, the Torah says: Walk humbly, then in matters that tend to be conducted in private, e.g., giving charity and studying Torah, all the more so should they be conducted privately.

RAMBAM's Philosophical Work

(1) We do not sit, move, and occupy ourselves when we are alone and at home, in the same manner as we do in the presence of a great king; we speak and open our mouth as we please when we are with the people of our own household and with our relatives, but not so when we are in a royal assembly. If we therefore desire to attain human perfection, and to be truly Children of God, we must awake from our sleep, and bear in mind that the great king that is over us, and is always joined to us, is greater than any earthly king, greater than David and Solomon. The king that cleaves to us and embraces us is the Intellect that influences us, and forms the link between us and God. We perceive God by means of that light that He sends down unto us, wherefore the Psalmist says, "In Thy light shall we see light" (Ps. 36:9): so God looks down upon us through that same light, and is always with us beholding and watching us on account of this light. "Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him?" (Jer. 23:24). Note this particularly.

(2) When the perfect bear this in mind, they will be filled with fear of God, humility, and piety, with true, not apparent, reverence and respect of God, in such a manner that their conduct, even when alone with their wives or in the bath, will be as modest as they are in public intercourse with other people. Thus it is related of our renowned Sages that even in their sexual intercourse with their wives they behaved with great modesty. They also said, "Who is modest? He whose conduct in the dark night is the same as in the day." You know also how much they warned us not to walk proudly, since "the fulness of the whole earth is His glory" (Isa. 6:3). They thought that by these rules the above-mentioned idea will be firmly established in the hearts of men, that is they would be able to retain the consciousness about being always before God, and it is in the presence of His glory that we go to and fro. The great men among our Sages would not uncover their heads because they believed that God's glory was round them and over them; for the same reason they spoke little. In our Commentary on the Sayings of the Fathers (chap. 1:17) we have fully explained how we have to restrict our speech. We took note that Ecclesiastes taught (6:1) "For God is in heaven and thou upon earth, therefore let thy words be few."

When you faithfully keep all this Commandment that I command you, loving the LORD your God, walking in all His ways, and holding fast to Him....

(6) With what shall I approach the LORD, Do homage to God on high? Shall I approach Him with burnt offerings, With calves a year old? (7) Would the LORD be pleased with thousands of rams, With myriads of streams of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, The fruit of my body for my sins? (8) “He has told you, human, what is good, and what the LORD requires of you: Only to do justice And to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.