Parsha “Shoftim” (Deuteronomy 16:18 – 21:9) may be the most utterly “timely” commentary on the World Today, and what is so UTTERLY WRONG — given events of the last week — that we could ask for.

Mark Call of Shabbat Shalom Mesa fellowship contends in this week’s reading and midrash that the totality of the major themes in this one — from ‘REAL judges’ as opposed to ‘black-robed priests of Satan,’ to the plague of liars being “perverted witness” (and lying in oaths), to ‘false prophets’, to what it means to “put away the Evil from among you,” and what happens when society not only FAILS to do so, but promotes that evil.

If there was ever a parsha that helps clarify what it must mean to “come out of her,” and why it is now a matter of life and death – this is it!

The Erev Shabbat reading begins there, and includes what amounts to a great summary of just why that is:

We have seen in the last few portions the more than one admonition against idolatry, including “don’t even bring the idol into your house.” We have seen why He prescribes a death penalty for idolatry. And this week, both in the news, and in the Bible, we have seen what happens when that Evil among is is not exterminated, but subsidized, taught, and even mandated in the Whore Church and public cesspools.

There are a myriad of important themes in here. But, ultimately, they all relate to just one: ‘They’ HATE YHVH.

The combined two-part reading and Sabbath midrash: