DEFUND THE POLICE - A MESSIANIC MOVEMENT?
Shoftim
In recent years, a social movement has started in the United States of America, rallying under the banner “Defund the Police”.
The Baal Shem Tov taught that we must find a lesson in our service of Hashem from everything that we see or hear. This teaching is based on the premise that everything that happens is with Hashgacha Pratis, by Hashem’s Divine Will and plan, or in the words of Pirkei Avos, “everything that Hashem created in the world, He created only for His honour.”
This idea is more accentuated in our times, after the Rebbe called on us to open our eyes and to see the Geulah. This means to see not only how somethings is a lesson in our service of Hashem, but to see how it is a sign of or a part of the preparation for Moshiach and the unfolding of the Geulah.
This applies not only to the physical creations and happenings in the world, but also to ideologies. It also, by definition apply to things in the secular world and even things which appear negative and antithetical to goodness and holiness.
One example would be the rise of the Feminist Movement. On one hand the Rebbe decried their misguided and corrupted message that a woman’s ultimate and only fulfilment is to be like a man. At the same time, the Rebbe saw in the rise of feminism a sign of Moshiach.
The Rebbe harnessed this to encourage more intense Torah study by women and having women active as partners at the forefront of the Shlichus to make a Dirah Betachtonim. Their involvement is critical in preparation for the time of Moshiach which according to Kabbalah, is marked by the elevation of Feminine G-dly energy.
Already towards to end of Golus, as we approach the Geulah, the energies of the Geulah and Moshiach begin to percolate into our reality and we can tap into them. But since we are still in Golus, these energies are not yet openly revealed and can be misunderstood, misapplied or corrupted.
So back to the “Defund the Police” movement. As we are still in Golus, where crime and violence still exist, there is certainly a need for law enforcement and we still very much need the Police. Cities that have reduced funding to law enforcement have witnessed surges in crime.
At the same time, we need to see what spark of Geulah are they tuning into? Where is the Moshiach message in their slogan and ideology?
Parshas Shoftim begins with a command to install Shoftim (judges) and Shotrim (law enforcement) in all of your gates. The role of a judge is to determine and rule what the law is. After the law is legislated, law enforcement is necessary to ensure that law is followed. The sages teach that if there is no Shoter (police), there is no Shofet (judge), because what is the point of law if it will not be enforced?
In our weekday Shemoneh Esrei, we ask Hashem “restore our judges as in former times and our advisors as of yore.” This request is based on the Messianic prophesy of Yishayahu (1:26) where Hashem says “I will restore your judges as in former times and your advisors as of yore.”
The Rebbe points out that this prophesy mentions judges but does not mention law enforcement.
The need for law enforcement only applies during Golus, when the Yetzer Hara can lead a person to ignore or disobey the laws and rulings of the judges. In these circumstances, it is necessary to have law enforcement to force and impose adherence of the law. When Moshiach comes and the “spirit of impurity” and ’kingdom of evil” is removed from the world - including the Yetzer Hara, there will no longer be a need for law enforcement.
The Rambam teaches that the false Messiahs of the past were a preparation for the world to be able to embrace the concept of Moshiach and to be ready to accept the true Moshiach when he arrives.
Perhaps the same is true with the Messianic quality lying hidden within the “Defund the Police” movement. Whilst our reality is not quite ready for this to be realised and the spark is being misapplied, it is another step taking the world a step closer and preparing us for a time when the Police will become redundant because they are no longer needed.
But there must be more than just the message that this is another step closer to Moshiach. There must be something that we can implement now.
In place of Police, the prophesy of Yishayahu mentions advisors. Through fear, Police enforce the law against the will of the person. They do not necessarily bring understanding of the value or importance of morality. They may create compliance, but the would-be criminal does not change their perspective to embrace the values of morality and goodness.
An advisor is someone who inspires use to appreciate the values and to embrace them, not by fear, but by a conscious choice that this is good and how I want to live my life.
In our personal service of Hashem, in the gates of our own micro-city, we need to move away from the need for "Police" and move towards "advisors". Fear of punishment may have kept our people on our toes for the last few thousand years. But now, as the generation of the Geulah, we need to grow beyond this, so that our service of Hashem is not by force, fear or compulsion, but from a deep sense of meaning, feeling, love and appreciation.
We can achieve this with the help of an "advisor"; to find a mentor that we look up to and learn from and to study the deeper parts of Torah that will guide and inspire us and bring out the best with ourselves.
Through seeing Geulah in our world and taking small steps to live this way now, may we merit the fulfilment of the prophesy of a time where there will be no more Police - in a good way!
The Baal Shem Tov taught that we must find a lesson in our service of Hashem from everything that we see or hear. This teaching is based on the premise that everything that happens is with Hashgacha Pratis, by Hashem’s Divine Will and plan, or in the words of Pirkei Avos, “everything that Hashem created in the world, He created only for His honour.”
This idea is more accentuated in our times, after the Rebbe called on us to open our eyes and to see the Geulah. This means to see not only how somethings is a lesson in our service of Hashem, but to see how it is a sign of or a part of the preparation for Moshiach and the unfolding of the Geulah.
This applies not only to the physical creations and happenings in the world, but also to ideologies. It also, by definition apply to things in the secular world and even things which appear negative and antithetical to goodness and holiness.
One example would be the rise of the Feminist Movement. On one hand the Rebbe decried their misguided and corrupted message that a woman’s ultimate and only fulfilment is to be like a man. At the same time, the Rebbe saw in the rise of feminism a sign of Moshiach.
The Rebbe harnessed this to encourage more intense Torah study by women and having women active as partners at the forefront of the Shlichus to make a Dirah Betachtonim. Their involvement is critical in preparation for the time of Moshiach which according to Kabbalah, is marked by the elevation of Feminine G-dly energy.
Already towards to end of Golus, as we approach the Geulah, the energies of the Geulah and Moshiach begin to percolate into our reality and we can tap into them. But since we are still in Golus, these energies are not yet openly revealed and can be misunderstood, misapplied or corrupted.
So back to the “Defund the Police” movement. As we are still in Golus, where crime and violence still exist, there is certainly a need for law enforcement and we still very much need the Police. Cities that have reduced funding to law enforcement have witnessed surges in crime.
At the same time, we need to see what spark of Geulah are they tuning into? Where is the Moshiach message in their slogan and ideology?
Parshas Shoftim begins with a command to install Shoftim (judges) and Shotrim (law enforcement) in all of your gates. The role of a judge is to determine and rule what the law is. After the law is legislated, law enforcement is necessary to ensure that law is followed. The sages teach that if there is no Shoter (police), there is no Shofet (judge), because what is the point of law if it will not be enforced?
In our weekday Shemoneh Esrei, we ask Hashem “restore our judges as in former times and our advisors as of yore.” This request is based on the Messianic prophesy of Yishayahu (1:26) where Hashem says “I will restore your judges as in former times and your advisors as of yore.”
The Rebbe points out that this prophesy mentions judges but does not mention law enforcement.
The need for law enforcement only applies during Golus, when the Yetzer Hara can lead a person to ignore or disobey the laws and rulings of the judges. In these circumstances, it is necessary to have law enforcement to force and impose adherence of the law. When Moshiach comes and the “spirit of impurity” and ’kingdom of evil” is removed from the world - including the Yetzer Hara, there will no longer be a need for law enforcement.
The Rambam teaches that the false Messiahs of the past were a preparation for the world to be able to embrace the concept of Moshiach and to be ready to accept the true Moshiach when he arrives.
Perhaps the same is true with the Messianic quality lying hidden within the “Defund the Police” movement. Whilst our reality is not quite ready for this to be realised and the spark is being misapplied, it is another step taking the world a step closer and preparing us for a time when the Police will become redundant because they are no longer needed.
But there must be more than just the message that this is another step closer to Moshiach. There must be something that we can implement now.
In place of Police, the prophesy of Yishayahu mentions advisors. Through fear, Police enforce the law against the will of the person. They do not necessarily bring understanding of the value or importance of morality. They may create compliance, but the would-be criminal does not change their perspective to embrace the values of morality and goodness.
An advisor is someone who inspires use to appreciate the values and to embrace them, not by fear, but by a conscious choice that this is good and how I want to live my life.
In our personal service of Hashem, in the gates of our own micro-city, we need to move away from the need for "Police" and move towards "advisors". Fear of punishment may have kept our people on our toes for the last few thousand years. But now, as the generation of the Geulah, we need to grow beyond this, so that our service of Hashem is not by force, fear or compulsion, but from a deep sense of meaning, feeling, love and appreciation.
We can achieve this with the help of an "advisor"; to find a mentor that we look up to and learn from and to study the deeper parts of Torah that will guide and inspire us and bring out the best with ourselves.
Through seeing Geulah in our world and taking small steps to live this way now, may we merit the fulfilment of the prophesy of a time where there will be no more Police - in a good way!