top of page
Search

Dvar Torah - Shoftim

Rabbi Alexander Tsykin

One of the most vexing issues we currently face is the question of authority. Who should we believe? Who should we listen to? Where does our information come from, and what is the quality of that source? None of these are new questions. Although they seem far more pressing in the age of Google, Wikipedia, AI and the general glut of information we are experiencing, they have been around for millennia.


The Torah deals with precisely this question this week. The Torah commands that we obey instinctually the commands of a true prophet and that we reject absolutely the directives of a false one. However, how are we to tell them apart? The Torah gives a seemingly simple test; do the prophet's words come true in the future? If they do, he's real.

This test is more complex than it seems. To evaluate the truth of a prophet's predictions, we must first be able to assess reality accurately. However, the spread of misinformation over the last few years has shown us that it can be more challenging than it sounds. Nevertheless, the Torah commands us to try, and it is not an excuse to say we were misinformed.


Knowing what is happening or what to do can be difficult in an imperfect world with incomplete information. The Torah teaches us this week that collecting and assessing information is moral and incumbent upon us so that we can ultimately do the right thing. As such, we all have to make sure that we spend the time and effort we need to learn what we need to act correctly.




8 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Dvar Torah - Bo

RABBI LORD JONATHAN SACKS Parshat Bo turns three times to the idea of children and the role of parents in educating them.  As Jews we...

Dvar Torah - Va'eira

Life has many challenges that are not easily resolved. While we think we have the solution, it can take a very long time and have a very...

Dvar Torah - Shemot

This morning, we heard some good news from Israel for the first time in a long time. The government announced that they had agreed a...

Comments


BRIGHTON
HEBREW
CONGREGATION

Tel: 03 9592 9179

Email: brighton.shule@brightonshule.org.au

​

132 Marriage Road, East Brighton

VIC, 3187

Thanks for submitting!

  • White Instagram Icon
  • White Facebook Icon

Brighton Hebrew Congregation is a child safe organisation.

©2020 by Brighton Hebrew Congregation. Proudly created with wix.com

bottom of page