Derasha 5 on Shoftim 17:09

TT #64 · Parashas Shoftim · First Aliyah · Passuk 09

The Complete Passuk

וּבָאתָ֗ אֶל־הַכֹּהֲנִים֙ הַלְוִיִּ֔ם וְאֶ֨ל־הַשֹּׁפֵ֔ט אֲשֶׁ֥ר יִהְיֶ֖ה בַּיָּמִ֣ים הָהֵ֑ם וְדָרַשְׁתָּ֙ וְהִגִּ֣ידוּ לְךָ֔ אֵ֖ת דְּבַ֥ר הַמִּשְׁפָּֽט׃

and appear before the levitical priests, or the magistrate in charge at the time, and present your problem. When they have announced to you the verdict in the case,

Chabad / Judaica Press

Source Citation

Torah Temimah points to Sanhedrin / Sifrei.

Sefaria

Core Text of Chazal

אשר יהיה בימים ההם. אין לך אלא שופט שבימיך.

English: Who will be in those days — you have only the judge who is in your days.

On the daf / in context

The same principle is restated: the contemporary judge is the one whose ruling must be followed.

Type of Learning

Derash on the verse (Bavli / Sifrei) — not a formal named middah of the 13.

What Is Learned

One is obligated to follow the judge of one’s own time and may not reject him by appeal to a hypothetical greater authority of another era.