Martin H. van den Bergh

Israel has a strong legal system, headed by the Supreme Court, where any citizen—regardless of status—may bring a case. This reflects Israel’s Jewish character, even in these difficult times.

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The rule of law is central to Judaism, as shown by the Sanhedrin’s location beside the Temple. To this day, significant Jewish communities around the world maintain a Bet Din, a court of Jewish law, fulfilling the Torah’s command that every community, large or small, establish one. The Torah also requires us to appoint worthy judges: people who understand the law in depth, live exemplary moral lives, reject corruption, and refuse bribes.

We should expect the same standards from our leaders. The Torah teaches that if we appoint a king, he must not see himself as above the law. Unlike rulers in many ancient cultures, he is required to live by the law and uphold it. This is reflected in the command that the king write two Torah scrolls: one to keep in his archives and one to carry with him wherever he goes.

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Respect for the law should shape both our personal and communal lives. We fulfil this responsibility most fully as members of a community, including the wider society in which we live. Jews have long contributed to broader society while striving to remain law-abiding and faithful to Jewish identity and practice. Many have also strengthened local legal systems as lawyers and judges, including my wife, Anna, who served as a magistrate in Manchester and Middlesex.

Upholding the law also reminds every Jew of the responsibility to live law-abiding and moral lives.