"Tzedek Tzedek Tirdof" – (Dueternomy 16:20) A Jew is to seek justice actively- more words of Moses in the Book of Deuteronomy. When the Rabbis asked why the word tzedek is repeated in this verse Bachya Ibn Pakuda (C13) answered that it is because we should be just both in what we say as what we do. Simchah Bunem of Przysucha ( C18) answered that the word for justice is repeated because the means that we are to use in the pursuit of justice must themselves be just, but with what we learn from Moses and his early life for us we can learn that the repetition is because there is no group of people who do not deserve justice – Jew and Gentile, Israeli and Palestinian - no one is outside of the empathy that Jews can feel for the stranger, no one does not deserve justice – everyone does deserve justice.

Like Moses we cannot wait only for God to bring justice – we are God’s hands in this respect. When Moses asks God’s name in our portion God says ehyeh asher ehyeh. This does not mean I was what I was, or I am what I am, but I will be what I will be. If Jews will remain at the forefront of demands and application of justice for all then God can be proudly with us into the future.