In this week’s portion we discuss behavior in battle. We might think that a soldier in combat might get a pass for immoral behavior due to the unique nature of being in battle. The Torah says no. He still has to behave within certain bounds.

The Torah states "Justice, Justice you will seek."  Note that it does not say "you will do justice only that you will seek it.  This means that while we are imperfect humans and will make mistakes, we will do our best to bring justice.

In this week's portion we learn about the Biblical limits on the king.  It is no accident that they match the limitations imposed on the American presidency in the US Constitution.  It is important to remember that the most quoted book at the Constitutional Convention was the Book of Deuteronomy.

In the second paragraph of the Shma we see that if we want to be like all other nations, we will suffer the fate of those nations.  If we want to be exceptional, we have to teach our youth why we should be exceptional.

It is interesting that the word used for you in the Ten Commandments is in the singular.  The Torah is pointing out that society is made up of individuals and it is in our hands what kind of society we want to live in.

Moses stresses that what we consider civil laws are really religiously basted law.  That if the basis of law in a society is not God, then the laws will break down and the results will be a dictatorship or anarchy, as we see from the difference in the results of the American and French Revolutions.

The first three Commandments are tied together.  They warn that God is the supreme being and anything else is idolatry.  A that even religion can become an idol.