“You shall place judges and officers for you in all of your gates” (Devarim 16 ,18)
Why does the Possuk say “for you” It should have just said, ‘place judges and officers in all of your gates’?

The Shelah Hakadosh explains that when the Possuk says “for you”, it is teaching us that besides making judges and officers by your gates in the city, also make judges and officers “for yourself” in all of your own gates (openings). What gates (openings) do we have? Each person has many openings in his body, among them his mouth, ears, and eyes. The Torah is telling us to make judges and officers for them, that we should guard and be careful not to look at things that shouldn’t be seen and not to say or listen to things that shouldn’t be said or heard! We need to pre-judge to determine what might have a negative effect on our souls and appoint “police men”, safeguards, in order to preserve our purity!

By Rabbi Sharaga Thav
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