In Parashat Shoftim we receive a series of laws about what is expected of an Israelite king. One of the notable actions is that an Israelite king must “…have a copy of this Teaching [the Torah] written for him on a scroll by the Kohanim (Levitical Priests). Let it remain with him and let him read in it all his life, so that he may learn to revere Hashem, to observe faithfully every word of this Teaching as well as these laws.” Rashi, the great 11^th century Torah commentator, specifies that the king should have “two scrolls of the Law, one that is placed in his treasury and the other that goes out and comes in with him (i.e. a small scroll which he carries everywhere with him) (Sanhedrin 21b).” This idea of a pocket Torah (or the Sefaria app on our phones) is not unfamiliar to us in the modern day. However, back then it was a great feat to have a written scroll of that length with you at all times.   

One of my favorite pieces of Torah is from my Bat Mitzvah Haftarah from the book of Micah which says, “Only do justice, And love goodness, And walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). This idea that a king is required to carry the whole Torah in their pocket is (at its best) an actualization of this idea from Micah that one must walk humbly with their God. In my mind, being a leader requires the utmost humility. Having this pocket-sized reminder of our smallness, even when we may be holding roles of great human power, helps us hold ourselves in check and offers the comfort of knowing we do not need all the answers. Whether it’s in a leadership position or in our personal lives, carrying the Torah in our pocket helps us keep support within arm’s reach so we may continue to walk humbly with God in all that we do.   

If you could only keep only one piece of Torah in your pocket at all times, what would it be?   

What does humility in leadership look like to you?