Likutei sichos volume 34 sicha 1 Shoftim Freidy Yanover

At the outset of our Torah portion, Rashi explains what shoftim and shotrim are, what are judges and sheriffs or officers, and what their jobs are.

"Shoftim veshotrim," says Rashi, judges and officers, are the-- the shoftim are those who issue legal rulings.

The shotrim, the officers, are those who subjugate the people so that they follow the judge's orders, beating and imprisoning them and using sticks and whips if necessary until they accept the judge's verdict.

Commentators write that what Rashi adds in his explanation when he says that the shoftim, the judges, issued legal rulings, though we know that this is the job of the judges, helps us to understand the addition of shotrim, the officers.

The judges only rule [phone beeping] but don't enforce the rule.

Officers enforce the rulings of the judges.

But some clarification is required as the concept of an officer is already explained as far as their enforcing judgment in the portion of Devarim, where the verse in chapter one verse fifteen states, "And I will take the heads of your tribes, people who are wise, and officers for your tribes." In addition to the wise people who are appointed as judges, officers will be appointed, and Rashi explains that they have been appointed for each tribe to enforce the judgment of the judges, locking people up or giving them lashes to enforce the judgment.

So why does Rashi find it necessary to explain this again here in the portion of Shoftim? And what's more surprising is that it's here particularly in this latter explanation that Rashi chooses to elaborate when he explains shotrim, officers.

In Devarim, Rashi briefly writes that these are the ones who enforce with imprisonment and give lashes at the judge's orders.

But here in our Torah portion of Shoftim, Rashi adds, saying, "First, they subjugate the people so that they follow the orders of the judges," indicating that the title shoter, officer, means one who can subjugate.

And then Rashi concludes, "Until one accepts upon oneself the judgment given by the judges." There are also several changes in Rashi's language to what he said in Devarim.

One, in Devarim, Rashi says they give lashes or imprison as per the judge's orders.

Here it speaks about imprisoning people so that they follow the judge's orders.

Two, in Devarim, Rashi says they bind and lash.

In our portion, the order is changed.

Rashi says they use sticks and whips and then bind, then imprison.

And in the portion of Devarim, where he said that officers enforce the judgment with a whip or lashes, here Rashi adds that the officers can beat a person with a stick or a whip to uphold a ruling.