R. Jose then discoursed on the next verse: YE SHALL DO NO UNRIGHTEOUSNESS IN JUDGEMENT, ETC. IN RIGHTEOUSNESS SHALT THOU JUDGE THY NEIGHBOUR. ‘Two grades are here mentioned, “judgement” and “righteousness”. What is the difference between them? One is mercy and one judgement, and one is established by the other.
When “righteousness” is aroused it deals out sentence to all impartially without indulgence; but when “judgement” is aroused, clemency is also in it. I might then think that judgement alone should be used; therefore the verse says, “In righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour”, not sentencing one and passing over another, but treating all equally. Should, then, righteousness alone be used? No: the verse tells us “thou shalt judge”, implying that both must be together.
Why so? Because God is there, and therefore the trial must be without flaw: as he does below, so does God do above. For God sets up His throne of judgement when the judges sit on earth, and it is from there that God’s Throne is established, that Throne consisting of righteousness and judgement. Hence if a judge offends against these, he, as it were, impairs the Throne of the King, and then God leaves the judges and does not remain among them.’
רִבִּי יוֹסֵי פָּתַח קְרָא אֲבַתְרֵיהּ וְאָמַר, (ויקרא י״ט:ט״ו) לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ עָוְל בַּמִּשְׁפָּט וְגוֹ'. לֹא תַּעֲשׂוּ עָוְל בַּמִּשְׁפָּט, כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ. אֲבָל הָא אִתְּמַר, דְּפַרְשְׁתָּא דָּא מִלִּין עִלָּאִין וְיַקִּירִין אִית בָּהּ בְּפִקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא. הַאי קְרָא מִסּוֹפֵיהּ קָא מַשְׁמַע, דִּכְתִּיב בְּצֶדֶק תִּשְׁפּוֹט עֲמִיתֶךָ. תָּא חֲזֵי, תְּרֵי דַּרְגִּין אִינּוּן הָכָא: מִשְׁפָּט, וְצֶדֶק. מַה בֵּין הַאי לְהַאי. אֶלָּא חַד רַחֲמֵי, וְחַד דִּינָא, וְדָא אִתְבְּסָם בְּדָא.
R. Jose then discoursed on the next verse: YE SHALL DO NO UNRIGHTEOUSNESS IN JUDGEMENT, ETC. IN RIGHTEOUSNESS SHALT THOU JUDGE THY NEIGHBOUR. ‘Two grades are here mentioned, “judgement” and “righteousness”. What is the difference between them? One is mercy and one judgement, and one is established by the other.
כַּד אִתְּעַר צֶדֶק, דָּאִין דִּינָא לְכֹלָּא כַּחֲדָא, דְּלֵית בֵּיהּ רַחֲמֵי, וְלָאו וַותְּרָנוּתָא. כַּד אִתְּעַר מִשְׁפָּט, אִית בֵּיהּ רַחֲמֵי. יָכוֹל יְהֵא כֹּלָּא בְּמִּשְׁפָּט. אָתָא קְרָא וְאָמַר, בְּצֶדֶק תִּשְׁפּוֹט עֲמִיתֶךָ. מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דְּצֶדֶק לָאו דָּאִין לְדָא וְשָׁבִיק לְדָא, אֶלָּא כֻּלְּהוּ כַּחֲדָא בְּשִׁקּוּלָא חֲדָא. כְּגַוְונָא דָּא לֹא תִשָּׂא פְנֵי דָל וְלֹא תֶהְדַּר פְּנֵי גָּדוֹל, אֶלָּא כֻּלְּהוּ בְּשִׁקּוּלָא חֲדָא, בְּצֶדֶק. יָכוֹל יְהֵא כֹּלָּא דִּינָא בְּצֶדֶק בִּלְחוֹדוֹי. אָתָא קְרָא וְאָמַר תִּשְׁפּוֹט, דְּבָעֵי לְחַבְּרָא לְהוּ כַּחֲדָא, דְּלָא יִשְׁתְּכַּח דָּא בְּלָא דָּא, וְהַאי שְׁלִימוּ דְּדִינָא.
When “righteousness” is aroused it deals out sentence to all impartially without indulgence; but when “judgement” is aroused, clemency is also in it. I might then think that judgement alone should be used; therefore the verse says, “In righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour”, not sentencing one and passing over another, but treating all equally. Should, then, righteousness alone be used? No: the verse tells us “thou shalt judge”, implying that both must be together.
וְכָּל כַּךְ לָמָּה. בְּגִין דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שְׁכִיחַ תַּמָּן. וּבְגִּינֵי כַּךְ בָּעֵי לְאַשְׁלְמָא דִּינָא. כְּגַוְונָא דְּאִיהוּ עָבִיד לְתַתָּא, כְּגַוְונָא דִּילֵיהּ מַמָּשׁ עָבִיד לְעֵילָּא. וְתָּא חֲזֵי, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שַׁוִּי כּוּרְסְיָיא דְּדִינָא, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּדַיָינֵי יַתְבִין, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (תהילים ט׳:ח׳) כּוֹנֵן לְמִשְׁפָּט כִּסְאוֹ. וּמִתַּמָּן אִתְתָּקַּן כּוּרְסְיָה דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וּמַאן אִיהוּ כּוּרְסְיָה. אִלֵּין אִינּוּן צֶדֶק וּמִשְׁפָּט. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (תהילים פ״ט:ט״ו) צֶדֶק וּמִשְׁפָּט מְכוֹן כִּסְאֶךָ. וּמַאן דְּדָאִין דִּינָא, בָּעֵי לְמֵידַן (ס"א למיתב) בְּכוּרְסְיֵהּ דְּמַלְכָּא. וְאִי פָּגִים חַד מִנַּיְיהוּ, כְּאִלּוּ פָּגִים לְכוּרְסֵיהּ דְּמַלְכָּא. וּכְדֵין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִסְתְּלַּק מִבֵּינַיְיהוּ דְּדַיְינֵי, וְלָא קָאִים בְּדִינַיְיהוּ. וּמַאי אָמַר. (תהילים י״ב:ו׳) עַתָּה אָקוּם יֹאמַר יְיָ' וְגוֹ'. וְרוּחָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא אָמַר, (תהילים נ״ז:ו׳) רוּמָה עַל הַשָּׁמַיִם אֱלֹהִים.
Why so? Because God is there, and therefore the trial must be without flaw: as he does below, so does God do above. For God sets up His throne of judgement when the judges sit on earth, and it is from there that God’s Throne is established, that Throne consisting of righteousness and judgement. Hence if a judge offends against these, he, as it were, impairs the Throne of the King, and then God leaves the judges and does not remain among them.’