THE ETHICAL TORAH: THE SAGES SPEAK No. 23-B (Second of Two Parts) in series JUDGE RIGHTEOUSLY; PURSUE JUSTICE Exodus 23:1-3, 6; Leviticus 19:15, 24:22; Deuteronomy 1:16-17; 16:19-20 Excerpts from the mussaria.org website, a compilation of Jewish ethical commentaries throughout the ages Compiled by Rabbi Arthur J. Levine, Ph.D., J.D. 2 TITLES IN THIS SERIES 1A/B The Golden Verse: Love Your Neighbor (Leviticus 19:18) 2 Imagining Man: In Our Image (Genesis 1:26-28) 3 Open Your Hand (Deuteronomy 15:7-11) 4 Talebearer/Standing Idly By (Leviticus 19:16) 5 Sin Crouches at the Door (Genesis 4:6-10) 6 Hear, O Israel (Deuteronomy 6:5-7) 7 Rebuke Thy Neighbour (Leviticus 19:17) 8 Keep Far from Falsehood (Exodus 23:1,2,7) 9 Do Not Follow Your Heart; You Shall Not Covet (Numbers 15:39, Ex. 20:14; Deut. 5:18) 10 Honoring Parents (Exodus 20:12/Leviticus 19:3/Deuteronomy 5:16) 11 Keep the Way of the Lord (Genesis 18:19) 12 Stumbling-Block Before the Blind (Leviticus 19:14) 13 Not Good to Be Alone; They Shall Be One Flesh (Genesis 2:18, 2:22-24) 14 Love the Stranger (Exodus 22:20-23/Deuteronomy 10:18-19) 15 Whosoever Sheddeth Man’s Blood (Genesis 9:5-6) 16 Return Your Enemy’s Ox; Help Him Unburden It (Exodus 23:4-5, Deuteronomy 22:1-4) 17 Will Not the Judge of the World Do Justly? (Exodus 18:23-27, 32-33) 18 Set Apart; Choose Life (Leviticus 18:3-5, 20:24-26; Deuteronomy 30:19-20) 19 The Imagination of Man’s Heart Is Evil (Genesis 6:5, 8:21) 20 Do Not Wrong Your Neighbor (Leviticus 19:13; 25:14, 17) 21 You Shall Be Holy (Ex. 19:6, 22:30; Lev. 10:3, 11:44-5, 19:2, 20:26; Deut. 10:13, 14:21) 22 Walk in His Ways (Deuteronomy 10:12, 13:5, 13:18; 28:9) 23A/B Judge Righteously; Pursue Justice (Exodus 23:2,3, 6; Lev. 19:15, 24:22; Deut. 1:16-17) 24 Everything That He Had Made … Was Very Good (Genesis 1:31) 25 For You It Shall Be Food (Genesis 1:29; Leviticus 11:3, 19, 43-45, 47; Deut. 14:21) 26 Do the Right and the Good (Exodus 15:26; Deuteronomy 6:18; 12;28) 27 The Breath of Life … A Living Soul (Genesis 2:7) 28 In What Else Shall He Sleep? (Exodus 22:24-26; Leviticus 25:36–37, Deut. 23:20–21 29 To Work and to Guard It (Genesis 2:15) 30 Let Your Brother Live; Do Not Oppress a Laborer (Lev. 19:13; 25:35; Deut. 24:14-5) mussaria.org 3 INTRODUCTION The mussaria.org website (aka “theethicaltorah.com”) compiles thousands of verbatim excerpts from Jewish ethical commentaries and organizes them by Torah verse. The website provides powerful and flexible “search” and other tools intended primarily to aid the study and teaching of ethics based in the Torah [aka the Pentateuch; “The Five Books of Moses,” being the first five books (Chumash) of the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) and of the “Old Testament”], including .(sermons) רבד י ות הר the writing of This “eBooklet” series makes some of the website’s ethical materials more easily accessible by 1) highlighting Torah verses that have attracted the particular attention of Jewish ethicists, and 2) gathering excerpts from Torah verses addressing the same or similar subjects. (As to the latter, the eBooklets do not attempt a comprehensive by-subject compilation of excerpts. Moreover, many topics are addressed in multiple eBooklets. In a few cases, excerpts appear in multiple eBooklets to increase the likelihood that the reader will see them). The excerpts in this eBooklet are generally limited to those in which the authors specifically referenced (one of) the subject verse(s). Many topics are addressed in multiple verses and eBooklets. Searching the mussaria.org website using alternative keywords (and keyword stems with the * wildcard symbol) may produce additional relevant excerpts. A List of Source Keys, a Glossary of Hebrew/Aramaic terms, a Principal Verse Index, and a Topical Index appear following the excerpts in each eBooklet. Underlining and bolding within excerpts is mine, intended as a highlight aid to the reader. Also, wherever the author has spelled out the name of the Divinity, I have changed it to “G-d” and/or "L-rd,” in conformance with traditional Jewish practice not to write the Divine name. The author’s punctuation is generally retained throughout. ã 2021 Arthur J. Levine. All rights reserved. For copyright information regarding the use of the commentary excerpts in this eBooklet and in the mussaria.org website, see: https://mussaria.org/A-Word-About-Copyright It is my hope that increased attention to these verses will promote the ethical behavior that is central to Judaism and, indeed, to personal, family, and societal harmony. I wish you many blessings. Rabbi Arthur J. Levine, Ph.D., J.D. ברה ד ״ ר רהא ן ב ן כדרמ י לה ו י Fullerton, California March 2021/Adar 5781 mussaria.org 4 JUDGE RIGHTEOUSLY; PURSUE JUSTICE Exodus 23:1-3, 6, 8; Leviticus 19:15, 24:22; Deuteronomy 1:16-17; 16:19-20 אל אשת עמש אוש לא תשת־ י ךד ־םע עשר תיהל דע סמח היהת־אל רחא י םיבר־ תערל ו הנעת־אל בר־לע תטנל רחא י םיבר תהלט ׃תל דול אל רדהת ובירב רדהת אל דול אל הטת טפשמ יבא ךנ רב ובי ׃ויר ך ב פמהתא דשוח אל חקת יכ דחשה רועי םיחקפ ו ףלסי ירבד ׃םיקידצ … … ושעת־אל וע ל טפשמב אשת־אל נפ י לד־ ו אל רדהת נפ י דג ו ל קדצב טפשת ׃ךתימע טפשת קדצב ל ו דג י נפ רדהת אל ו לד־ י נפ אשת־אל טפשמב ל וע ושעת־אל … טפשמ דחא היהי םכל רגכ חרזאכ היהי יכ נא י הוהי ׃םכיהלא הוהי י נא יכ היהי חרזאכ רגכ םכל היהי דחא טפשמ … הואוצ םכיטפש־תא תעב אוהה ראלמ עמש יב ן םכיחא־ םתטפשו קדצ יב ן שיא־ יבו ן יחא־ ו יבו ן ורג ׃וג ב ויא ב י־ןי ד תפוםיא בעשרל יכת־אל ר ו נפ םי טפשמב ןטקכ לדגכ ועמשת ן אל גת ו ר ו נפמ י שיא־ יכ הטפשמה לאל םי אוה רבדהו רשא השקי השקי רשא רבדהו אוה םי לאל הטפשמה יכ שיא־ י נפמ ו ר ו גת אל ן ועמשת לדגכ ןטקכ טפשמב םי נפ ו ר יכת־אל כמם וברקת ן ילא יתעמשו ו תמו ל ןורת מ … הטת־אל טפשמ אל ריכת נפ םי ו חקת־אל דחש יכ דחשה רועי יע נ י םימכח ו ףלסי ירבד ׃םקידצ ירבד ףלסי ו םימכח י נ יע רועי דחשה יכ דחש חקת־אל ו םי נפ ריכת אל טפשמ הטת־אל דצק דצק ףדרת -- מלע ן היחת ו תשרי תא ץראה רשא הוהי ךיהלא ןתנ ךל ןתנ ךיהלא הוהי רשא ץראה תא תשרי ו היחת ן מלע 1 Thou shalt not utter a false report; put not thy hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. 2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou bear witness in a cause to turn aside after a multitude to pervert justice; 3 neither shalt thou favour a poor man in his cause. … 6 Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause. … 8 And thou shalt take no gift; for a gift blindeth them that have sight, and perverteth the words of the righteous. 15 Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment; thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor favour the person of the mighty; but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour. … mussaria.org 5 16 And I charged your judges at that time, saying: ‘Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between a man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him. 17 Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; ye shall hear the small and the great alike; ye shall not be afraid of the face of any man; for the judgment is God’s; and the cause that is too hard for you ye shall bring unto me, and I will hear it.’ …. 19 Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons; neither shalt thou take a gift; for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous. 20 Justice, justice shalt thou follow, that thou mayest live, and inherit the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. EBOOKLET 23-A I. Render Fair Judgments (1-64) A. General Principle (1-8) B. Judicial Standards and Procedures (9-22) C. Appointing Judges (23-25) D. Unrighteous Witnesses (26-30) E. Fearing Litigants in Judgment (31-38) F. Accepting Bribes (39-48) THIS EBOOKLET 23-B G. Following The Multitude in Judgment (49-55) H. Favoring Rich or Poor in Judgment (56-62) I. Inclining Against a Sinner in Judgment (63-64) II. Law and Equity (65-77) III. Benefit of the Doubt (78-87) IV. One Law for All (88-91) V. Pursue Justice (92-103) Note: Underlining and bolding have been added. Excerpts addressing issues in multiple categories are placed under their predominate category. CONTINUED FROM EBOOKLET 23-A // mussaria.org 6 G. Following The Majority In Judgment 49. Do not answer ["rav" = many] [i.e., do not give your verdict] even upon the basis of a hundred identical opinions [but seek out the truth yourself].