642. Justice, Justice You Shall Pursue
August 14, 1964
“Justice, justice you shall pursue, that you may live and inherit the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”
The interpreters ask about the duplication, “Justice, justice.” Also, we should ask about “that you may live.” If a person does not pursue justice, can he not live? Also, concerning “and inherit,” when the people of Israel were in their land, how was it relevant to say “and inherit,” in future form?
It is known that “from Lo Lishma [not for Her sake] we come to Lishma [for Her sake].” We should ask why one does not begin one’s work immediately in Lishma.
First, we should explain the matter of Lishma and Lo Lishma. The simple meaning of Lishma is for the sake of the Creator, when all that he thinks and wants is to benefit the Creator, called “to bestow upon the Creator.” It is known that man is born with the evil inclination, as it is written, “for the inclination in man’s heart is evil from his youth.”