Gatekeepers and Gateways

This weeks parashah, ‘Judges’ derives its name from the opening verse: “Judges .. you shall employ at all your gates”.

In ancient times, judgement was rendered at the gates of the city, where the courts and magistrates would arrive at and execute its decisions. The character of the city and the esteem in which it was held were dependent upon its judicious process and results.

Noting that the words ‘you’ and ‘your’ appear in the singular, the Rabbinic tradition argues that this directive is addressed to the individual no less than it is to the collective. We all have gateways lying at the intersection of our interactions with others. Accordingly, we are each being asked to filter our interactions through wise judgements and executions.

The renowned developmental psychologist and author Robert Kegan, in his book Immunity to Change, speaks of the “socialised mind”; what issues from and enters through our gateways is limited by what we believe others want to hear and what we deem they want us to receive. We, therefore, say what we think others will find supportive and hear what they might not have said.

In contrast, what issues from and enters through the gateways of our “self-authoring mind”, explains Kegan, is conditioned by what we want others to hear and what we want to receive. In its interactions, our ‘self-authoring mind’ seeks to drive whereas our ‘socialised mind’ is given over to be driven.

Our biblical text goes on to say “do not pervert your judgement”, and presents two ways in which this might happen: showing favour to a particular perspective/ person or in taking a bribe.

Our ‘self-authoring mind’ may bribe and coax our gateways, our eyes, ears and mouth, to see, hear and say only that which we believe will maintain/further our own interests. Or, our ‘socialised mind’ may defer to a particular power or person directing our gateways to see, hear and say that which would be ‘expected’ or ‘wanted’. In doing this, our Torah tells us, we become blind where we could be wise and we replace balanced interactions with perverted ones.

Kegan identifies, as well, our ‘self-transforming mind. Not subservient to meeting presented/perceived agendas from without or constrained by securing the safety of status from within, the ‘self-transforming mind’ is vigilant in promoting expansive interactions, enabling our gateways to generate change for both ourselves and others.

In commanding us to employ critical judgements at our gateways, we are being asked to scrutinise our filters rather than being consciously/unconsciously governed by them. As the Torah text proceeds to state, “in order that you may live”. We are the gatekeepers for an ever-expanding self, a “self-transforming mind”, without which we would die.