The Midrash Tanchuma translates “shoftim” as judges and “shotrim” as executive officers who guide the community in the spirit of the law. Together, they unite the Jewish nation around Hashem and His law. In this way, Hashem’s imprimatur is establsihed on the land, giving it the character of a Torah state. Horav Shlomo Breuer, zl, feels that this was the underlying meaning of king Yehoshafat’s admonishment to the judges when he warned, “Behold what you are doing; you do not sit in judgement of men, but of G-d, for He is with you at every pronouncement of the law.” (Divrei…
