שפטים ושטרים וגו' (דברים טז יח). זש"ה מגיד דבריו ליעקב חוקיו ומשפטיו לישרשאל (תהלים קמז יט), דבריו אלו דברי תורה, חקיו אלו המדרשות, ומשפטיו אלו הדינין [לישראל], לא נתן הקב"ה את התורה ואת הדינין אלא לישראל בלבד, ומנין אתה למד שישראל וגוי עובד כוכבים שיש להם עסק זה עם זה, שאסור לישראל לומר לגוי, לך עמי לערכאות שלכם, שהוא עובר בלאו, שנאמר לא עשה כן לכל גוי ומשפטים בל ידעום (שם שם כ), והלא אוה"ע נצטוו על הדינין, שהוא אחת משבע מצות בני נח, ומהו ומשפטים בל ידעום, אילו דקדוקי הדין, שכך שנינו מעשה ובדק בן זכאי בעוקצי תאנים, ובני נח נהרגין בעד אחד, ובדיין אחד, ושלא בהתראה, מה שאין כן בישראל, לפי שדיני ממונות בשלשה, ודיני נפשות בעשרים ושלשה, וכתיב לא יקום עד אחד באיש וגו', על פי שני עדים וגו' (דברים יט טו), וצריכין דרישה וחקירה, כיצד בודקין את העדים, מכניסין אותן ומאיימין עליהן, ועוד היו בודקין אותן בשבע חקירות, באיזו שבוע, באיזה שנה, באיזה חודש, בכמה בחודש, באיזה יום, באיזה מקום, התריתם בו, וכך אתה מוצא בפרנסי ישראל, שלא נשתבחו אלא על ידי הדין, בשמואל כתיב והלך מדי שנה בשנה וסבב בית אל וגו' ושפט את ישראל וגו' (ש"א ז טז), ואף דוד לא נשתבח אלא על ידי הדין, שנאמר ויהי (דוד) עשה משפט וצדקה לכל עמו (דה"א יח יד).
(Deut. 16:18:) <YOU SHALL APPOINT> JUDGES AND LAW OFFICERS <FOR YOURSELVES IN ALL YOUR GATES1In biblical times court was generally held at the town gate, perhaps in one of the rooms like those built into either side of Solomonic gates at Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. WHICH THE LORD YOUR GOD IS GIVING YOU FOR YOUR TRIBES, SO THAT THEY MAY JUDGE THE PEOPLE WITH RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT>. This text is related (to Ps. 147:19): HE DECLARES HIS WORDS TO JACOB, HIS STATUTES AND HIS ORDINANCES TO ISRAEL. HIS WORDS are the words of Torah,2Tanh., Deut. 5:1. HIS STATUTES are the expositions (midrsahot), AND HIS ORDINANCES are the judgments [TO ISRAEL]. The Holy One gave the Torah and the judgments to no one but TO ISRAEL alone. And where is it shown? You learn that when Israel and a star-worshiping gentile have a dispute with each other, it is forbidden for Israel to say to the gentile (goy): Go with me to your courts,3Arka’ot; cf. Gk.: archai (“authorities”) or [archeia (“town offices”). because he would be transgressing a prohibition, since it is stated (in Ps. 147:20): HE HAS NOT DONE SO FOR ANY NATION (goy); AND, AS FOR HIS ORDINANCES, THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN THEM. But were not the peoples of the world commanded concerning litigations, since that is one of the seven commandments of the children of Noah?4Cf. I Corinthians 6:1–6. So what is the significance of (Ibid.): AND, AS FOR HIS ORDINANCES, THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN THEM? These are the fine points of the law (din). So this is what we teach (in Sanh. 5:2): ONCE UPON A TIME BEN ZAKKAY CROSS-EXAMINED <WITNESSES> ON FIG STEMS.5The gemara (Sanh. 41a) explains that a capital offense was involved. Now the children of Noah are put to death on the evidence of a single witness, with a single judge, and without a warning. <That is> something which does not exist in Israel, since there are three judges in property cases, and there are twenty-three judges in capital cases.6Sanh. 4:1. Moreover, it is written (in Deut. 19:15): A SINGLE WITNESS SHALL NOT BE VALID AGAINST A PERSON…. <ONLY> ON THE EVIDENCE OF TWO <OR THREE> WITNESSES <SHALL A CASE BE VALID>. So there must be an investigation and an inquiry. How do they examine the witnesses? They bring them in and solemnly forewarn them. Then they would examine them again with seven inquiries:7Sanh. 5:1. 1. In what week,8I.e., week of years, Sabbatical year of the Jubilee cycle. 2. In what year? 3. in what month? 4. On what <day> of the month? 5. On what day (of the week)?9Cf. Sanh. 5:1 and Tanh., Deut. 5:1, both of which add here: In what hour? 6. In what place? 7. Have you forewarned him?10This last query is one of various supplemental questions listed in Sanh. 5:1 and Tanh., Deut. 5:1. And so you find among the leaders11Parnas. Cf. Gk.: pronoi (“prudent ones”, “those who take forethought”). of Israel that they were praised only for their judging.12I.e., in various summary statements about Israel’s leaders, e.g., Judges 4:4; 10:2, 3; 12:7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14; 15:20; 16:31; I Sam. 4:18; 7:6, 15–17; 8:1, 5–6, 20; I Kings 3:9, it is the fact that they judged Israel that is specifically mentioned. This fact may not always be obvious in modern translations, because they do not always render ShPT as “judge” but by other English verbs, such as “govern” or “rule.” It is written concerning Samuel (in I Sam. 7:6): AND HE WENT ON A CIRCUIT YEAR BY YEAR <TO BETHEL, <GILGAL, AND MIZPAH;> AND HE JUDGED ISRAEL <IN ALL THOSE PLACES>. And David also was praised only for his judging, as stated (in I Chron. 18:14 // II Sam. 8:15): AND {DAVID}13The only difference between the versions of Chronicles and Samuel is that the name DAVID, which Buber chooses to bracket, appears only in the Samuel version. ADMINISTERED JUDGMENT AND RIGHTEOUSNESS TO ALL HIS PEOPLE.
שפטים ושטרים וגו' (דברים טז יח). זש"ה מגיד דבריו ליעקב חוקיו ומשפטיו לישרשאל (תהלים קמז יט), דבריו אלו דברי תורה, חקיו אלו המדרשות, ומשפטיו אלו הדינין [לישראל], לא נתן הקב"ה את התורה ואת הדינין אלא לישראל בלבד, ומנין אתה למד שישראל וגוי עובד כוכבים שיש להם עסק זה עם זה, שאסור לישראל לומר לגוי, לך עמי לערכאות שלכם, שהוא עובר בלאו, שנאמר לא עשה כן לכל גוי ומשפטים בל ידעום (שם שם כ), והלא אוה"ע נצטוו על הדינין, שהוא אחת משבע מצות בני נח, ומהו ומשפטים בל ידעום, אילו דקדוקי הדין, שכך שנינו מעשה ובדק בן זכאי בעוקצי תאנים, ובני נח נהרגין בעד אחד, ובדיין אחד, ושלא בהתראה, מה שאין כן בישראל, לפי שדיני ממונות בשלשה, ודיני נפשות בעשרים ושלשה, וכתיב לא יקום עד אחד באיש וגו', על פי שני עדים וגו' (דברים יט טו), וצריכין דרישה וחקירה, כיצד בודקין את העדים, מכניסין אותן ומאיימין עליהן, ועוד היו בודקין אותן בשבע חקירות, באיזו שבוע, באיזה שנה, באיזה חודש, בכמה בחודש, באיזה יום, באיזה מקום, התריתם בו, וכך אתה מוצא בפרנסי ישראל, שלא נשתבחו אלא על ידי הדין, בשמואל כתיב והלך מדי שנה בשנה וסבב בית אל וגו' ושפט את ישראל וגו' (ש"א ז טז), ואף דוד לא נשתבח אלא על ידי הדין, שנאמר ויהי (דוד) עשה משפט וצדקה לכל עמו (דה"א יח יד).
(Deut. 16:18:) <YOU SHALL APPOINT> JUDGES AND LAW OFFICERS <FOR YOURSELVES IN ALL YOUR GATES1In biblical times court was generally held at the town gate, perhaps in one of the rooms like those built into either side of Solomonic gates at Hazor, Megiddo, and Gezer. WHICH THE LORD YOUR GOD IS GIVING YOU FOR YOUR TRIBES, SO THAT THEY MAY JUDGE THE PEOPLE WITH RIGHTEOUS JUDGMENT>. This text is related (to Ps. 147:19): HE DECLARES HIS WORDS TO JACOB, HIS STATUTES AND HIS ORDINANCES TO ISRAEL. HIS WORDS are the words of Torah,2Tanh., Deut. 5:1. HIS STATUTES are the expositions (midrsahot), AND HIS ORDINANCES are the judgments [TO ISRAEL]. The Holy One gave the Torah and the judgments to no one but TO ISRAEL alone. And where is it shown? You learn that when Israel and a star-worshiping gentile have a dispute with each other, it is forbidden for Israel to say to the gentile (goy): Go with me to your courts,3Arka’ot; cf. Gk.: archai (“authorities”) or [archeia (“town offices”). because he would be transgressing a prohibition, since it is stated (in Ps. 147:20): HE HAS NOT DONE SO FOR ANY NATION (goy); AND, AS FOR HIS ORDINANCES, THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN THEM. But were not the peoples of the world commanded concerning litigations, since that is one of the seven commandments of the children of Noah?4Cf. I Corinthians 6:1–6. So what is the significance of (Ibid.): AND, AS FOR HIS ORDINANCES, THEY HAVE NOT KNOWN THEM? These are the fine points of the law (din). So this is what we teach (in Sanh. 5:2): ONCE UPON A TIME BEN ZAKKAY CROSS-EXAMINED <WITNESSES> ON FIG STEMS.5The gemara (Sanh. 41a) explains that a capital offense was involved. Now the children of Noah are put to death on the evidence of a single witness, with a single judge, and without a warning. <That is> something which does not exist in Israel, since there are three judges in property cases, and there are twenty-three judges in capital cases.6Sanh. 4:1. Moreover, it is written (in Deut. 19:15): A SINGLE WITNESS SHALL NOT BE VALID AGAINST A PERSON…. <ONLY> ON THE EVIDENCE OF TWO <OR THREE> WITNESSES <SHALL A CASE BE VALID>. So there must be an investigation and an inquiry. How do they examine the witnesses? They bring them in and solemnly forewarn them. Then they would examine them again with seven inquiries:7Sanh. 5:1. 1. In what week,8I.e., week of years, Sabbatical year of the Jubilee cycle. 2. In what year? 3. in what month? 4. On what <day> of the month? 5. On what day (of the week)?9Cf. Sanh. 5:1 and Tanh., Deut. 5:1, both of which add here: In what hour? 6. In what place? 7. Have you forewarned him?10This last query is one of various supplemental questions listed in Sanh. 5:1 and Tanh., Deut. 5:1. And so you find among the leaders11Parnas. Cf. Gk.: pronoi (“prudent ones”, “those who take forethought”). of Israel that they were praised only for their judging.12I.e., in various summary statements about Israel’s leaders, e.g., Judges 4:4; 10:2, 3; 12:7, 8, 9, 11, 13, 14; 15:20; 16:31; I Sam. 4:18; 7:6, 15–17; 8:1, 5–6, 20; I Kings 3:9, it is the fact that they judged Israel that is specifically mentioned. This fact may not always be obvious in modern translations, because they do not always render ShPT as “judge” but by other English verbs, such as “govern” or “rule.” It is written concerning Samuel (in I Sam. 7:6): AND HE WENT ON A CIRCUIT YEAR BY YEAR <TO BETHEL, <GILGAL, AND MIZPAH;> AND HE JUDGED ISRAEL <IN ALL THOSE PLACES>. And David also was praised only for his judging, as stated (in I Chron. 18:14 // II Sam. 8:15): AND {DAVID}13The only difference between the versions of Chronicles and Samuel is that the name DAVID, which Buber chooses to bracket, appears only in the Samuel version. ADMINISTERED JUDGMENT AND RIGHTEOUSNESS TO ALL HIS PEOPLE.