Deuteronomy and the Separation of Powers
Part of the series “America at 250: Jewish Ideas and the American Experiment”
With Dr. Benjamin D. Sommer, Professor of Bible and Ancient Semitic Languages, JTS
The core of democracy as understood by the framers of the United States Constitution understood it was not just majority rule, but the separation of powers and the rule of law. They designed the American political system to ensure that what power does is distributed among several distinct bodies. Further, they saw to it that none of those bodies is the ultimate authority; instead, they are all subject to a basic law.
We usually associate this understanding good governance with political thinkers in the century prior to the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, especially John Locke and Baron de Montesquieu. But these ideas are not only Western ideas. They also appear in classical Jewish literature.
In this session, we will attend to the political philosophy of Sefer Devarim (the Book of Deuteronomy). When we read Deuteronomy in its own cultural context, we’ll see that it emphasizes precisely these two ideas: the diffusion of authority among several bodies of governing officials and the subordination of all these officials to the law.
About the Series
As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, the JTS Summer 2026 Learning Series will explore the rich and surprising intersections between Jewish thought and American life. From baseball and youth culture to constitutional law, storytelling, and democratic theory, leading scholars reveal how Jewish ideas, texts, and experiences have shaped—and been shaped by—the American experiment.
