Corruption Begins at Home
Only here are three prime ministers
investigated and don鈥檛 cooperate.
Only here do I feel belonging,
Even though I鈥檓 angry about the corruption.
专拽 驻讛 砖诇讜砖讛 专讗砖讬 诪诪砖诇讛 谞讞拽专讬诐
讜诇讗 诪砖转驻讬诐 驻注讜诇讛
专拽 驻讛 讗谞讬 诪专讙讬砖 砖讬讬讻讜转
诇诪专讜转 砖讗谞讬 讻讜注住 注诇 讛砖讞讬转讜转
鈥擣rom 鈥淥nly Here鈥� (鈥�Rak Poh鈥�) by Hadag Nahash
In the first verses of this week鈥檚 parashah, the children of Israel are instructed to pursue justice and are warned against taking bribes and making biased legal judgments. These directions are closely followed by an injunction to limit the wealth, spouses, and possessions of a hypothetical future Israelite king. These admonitions constitute an explicit acknowledgment that, however idyllic the dream of an independent and sovereign political community might seem, it must by definition be run by humans, even the most noble of whom are vulnerable to the temptations of power.
The Israeli band Hadag Nahash touches on this same theme in the quote above from their song 鈥淥nly Here,鈥� which reflects frustration with corruption in the Israeli government鈥攔eferring specifically to the investigation of three Israeli prime ministers on suspicion of corruption (at least two more Israeli prime ministers have faced allegations of corruption or bribery since this song was released in 2004). The Zionist movement, along with other national movements, has had to face the post-independence challenges of providing transparent government and equal opportunity for all citizens, and not just for the wealthy or those affiliated with political factions that spearheaded independence.
By warning against bribe-taking, partiality in public institutions, and self-aggrandizement by political leaders, Shofetim, like Hadag Nahash, reminds us that national sovereignty is not an end in itself, but rather a means to creating a just and fair society for the people who constitute the nation.
