6 Elul 5781
August 14, 2021

Parashat Shoftim
“Judges”

Here are the Torah, Haftarah and suggested Brit Chadasha (New Testament) and Tehillim (Psalms) readings for this week.

• Deuteronomy 16:18-21:9 
• Isaiah 51:12-52:12 
• Matthew 3:1-17
• Psalm 17

A prayer of David.
Hear, Adonai, a just plea, listen to my cry!
Give ear to my prayer—from lips with no deceit.
From Your presence comes my vindication.
Your eyes see what is right.
(Psalm 17:1-2 TLV)

The seven aliyot readings from the Torah begin at these verses:

1. Deuteronomy 16:18
2. Deuteronomy 17:14
3. Deuteronomy 18:1
4. Deuteronomy 18:6
5. Deuteronomy 18:14
6. Deuteronomy 19:14
7. Deuteronomy 20:10

Maftir: Deuteronomy 21:7

In Shoftim

The Key Person is Moshe (Moses), speaking to all Yisra’el (Israel).

The Scene is the wilderness east of the Promised Land, ready to cross over the Yarden (Jordan).

The Main Events include more of Moshe’s words: about appointing judges for a just society, selecting a king, Levite’s inheritance, warning against pagan practices, weighing a prophet’s words, cities of refuge, two witnesses needed, rules of warfare, and redeeming bloodshed.

Judges and officers you are to appoint within all your gates that Adonai your God is giving you, according to your tribes; and they are to judge the people with righteous judgment. You are not to twist justice—you must not show partiality or take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and distorts the words of the righteous. Justice, justice you must pursue, so that you may live and possess the land that Adonai your God is giving you.
(Deuteronomy 16:18-20 TLV)

The Haftarah

Awake, awake! Clothe yourself in your strength, Zion! Clothe yourself in beautiful garments, Jerusalem, the holy city, for the uncircumcised and the unclean will never invade you again. Shake off the dust and arise! Be enthroned, Jerusalem. Loose the bonds off your neck, captive Daughter of Zion.
(Isaiah 52:1-2 TLV)

The Brit Chadasha

In those days, John the Immerser came proclaiming in the wilderness of Judea, “Turn away from your sins, for the kingdom of heaven is near!” For he is the one Isaiah the prophet spoke about, saying, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of Adonai, and make His paths straight.’”
(Matthew 3:1-3 TLV)

Torah Portion readings and the associated Haftarah readings generally follow the Stone Edition Chumash and/or the Complete Jewish Bible. Verse numbering generally follows the Hebrew tradition, and where modern Christian traditions differ those verse numbers are shown in parentheses (). Haftarah readings generally follow the Ashkenazi tradition. Where the Sephardic tradition differs, the Haftarah portions are designated as (A) and (S). Suggested New Testament readings are taken from various sources. Suggested Psalm readings are from the Messianic Siddur for Shabbat by Daniel Perek. The Key People, The Scenes, and The Main Events are taken from the Walk! series of Messianic Devotion Commentaries by Dr. Jeffrey Enoch Feinberg. Scripture taken from the Tree of Life Version (TLV) © 2015 by the Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society. Used by permission of the Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.