A short Insight into SHOFTIM, Chapter 2 By Rabbi Nisson Dov Miller

As we have begun to study about the Shoftim, it behooves us to understand the difference between the shoftim, the judges of B'nei Yisroel and the m'lachim, the kings of B'nei Yisroel. Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetzky, z”tl, (“Oraisa” 18) explains, based on Rashi at the beginning of Sefer Sh'mu'el, that the shoftim were the “elders” mentioned in Pirkei Avos. In addition to being the repository for the Torah in their generation, they were responsible for the transmission of the Torah to the next generation. “Moshe transmitted the Torah to Yehoshua, Yehoshua to the Elders and the Shofeit passed [the Torah] to the next Shofeit until it reached the time of Eli and then Shmu'el. As it says, 'And the Elders to the Prophets.'” Seemingly, Rashi is trying to grapple with the question - why Shmue'l wrote Sefer Shoftim and Sefer Shmu'el as separate books and not one long book?