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Thus, the beracha seems focused on the return to authentic and honest Jewish jurisprudence, which had existed from the time of Moshe Rabbeinu even before Yitro came with his judicial recommendations (see Shemot 15:25). However, the beracha continues: "and rule over us, You, Hashem … King who loves charity and justice." What is the connection between just human judges and Divine rule over the world?
The word shofet can have three implications. It can be a reference to Hashem, the Judge of the whole land. It can refer to a judge in court. Finally, it can refer to a leader, as we find in Sefer Shoftim, where the "judges" were, first and foremost, military and/or political leaders.
The word yoetz also has more than one meaning. In the beracha and pasuk in Yeshaya, it is parallel and thus similar to a judge. It can be a leader, parallel to a king (see Micha 4:9). It might also be a reference to Hashem, based on the phrase in Yeshaya (9:5), "peleh yoetz, kel gibor." The word Elokim once again has the same three meanings, as the Rambam already points out in the Moreh Nevuchim.
The idea behind these "coincidences" is as follows. The task of the sovereign in the Jewish state is to represent the Kingdom of the Heaven and to act based on the Jewish principles of justice, and charity. One of those functions is to set up a Jewish judicial system that is based on these values. The judges must also see themselves as emissaries of this crucial goal. If they act improperly in the fulfillment of their task, the chillul Hashem is immeasurable. The dayanim must always ask themselves if they are living up to the model of justice and charity that Avraham taught the generations after him (see Bereishit 18:18-19).
As we often do, we pray that the dayanim who serve on our courts (Eretz Hemdah-Gazit) will live up to the lofty standards envisioned for dayanim. In this way, we would be adding one more step toward the fulfillment of the beracha asking for renewed justice and a Kingdom of Hashem felt and enjoyed by all.
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Hosha'ana Rabba FLYDUBAI & HOSHANA RABBA- ANI VAHU HOSHIA NA- I & HIM SAVE US
"Ani vaHu Hoshia Na", "I and Him, Save Us". We don't just pray to Him, but we also pray to and for ourselves that we should emulate and educate our children to have that instinctive altruism with which He created the world. President Trump seemed amused about Yaniv Hayon, our PLUMBER who confidently worked with G-d like Superman (he learned from a pilot on a TV show!) to save 174 lives on the Dubai hijacking, but we in Israel are totally accustomed already 78 years to our plumbers, teachers, garbage-men, rabbis, farmers & doctors being Hashem's shlichim! This is what Zionism is about.
Moreshet Shaul Hashem Is your Shadow – part I
Based on Siach Shaul, Pirkei Machshava V’Hadracha p. 420 – an address from 1941
