Jerusalem, City of Justice

Hi,

Introduction: The word tzedek refers to justice.

"Jerusalem makes its residents just – [its biblical leaders were named] Malki Tzedek (Genesis 14), Adoni Tzedek (Joshua 10). Jerusalem itself is called tzedek, as in Isaiah 1:21, 'Righteousness would reside in her.'"

(Midrash, Bereishit Rabbah 43:6)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The human responsibility to pursue justice

Hi,

In the seventh chapter of Yehoshua, a Jew has sinned, harming the nation as a whole. Gd does not tell Yehoshua who has sinned; He leaves it for Yehoshua to figure it out. Why?

"The obligation of exposing evil is placed upon Yehoshua, not upon Gd. Although in this situation, had Gd spoken first, then bloodshed would have been avoided, Gd does not remove the responsibility of clarifying truth from Man, and Gd does not become a 'tale-bearer'. It is part of the 'Divine image' in Man, and part of the obligation placed upon him to clarify what has happened. Until he does this, the price will be very high."

(Rabbi Yuval Sherlo, http://shut.moreshet.co.il/shut2.asp?id=73507)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Justice: It's Common Sense

Hi,

"It is common sense that without justice human beings will not live together and will never endure together; the land cannot survive without justice."

דבר מושכל הוא, שאם אין משפט לא יתיישבו בני אדם ולא יעמדו יחדיו לעולם, ואי אפשר לארץ בלתי המשפט. 

(Sefer haChinuch 49)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The need for compromise in carrying out justice

Hi,


"No law and statute in the world will fulfill all of the needs of every individual. Legislated laws, like natural laws, are general, and this is their glory and their strength. The Sun emerges with its might, and if it will burn the head of some being, animal or beast, from time to time, this will not cause it to withhold its light and heat for the benefit of all…

"We sweeten the bitterness of natural law, which sometimes overpowers us, not by removing it – which we cannot and would not do – but by creating artificial solutions which enable us to benefit from their good. So, too, in a suitable way, we work when necessary and possible to enter into compromise, at the desire of the litigants. This is especially so when justice is too harsh for one side, and certainly when it is too harsh for both sides. For this we say, "Justice, justice shall you pursue – one for law, one for compromise.'"

(Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook, Igrot haRa'ayah I pg. 224 (#176))

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Go for compromise

Hi,

"Judges are required to do all in their power to keep litigants from accepting justice according to the Torah's law." [Judges are supposed to encourage litigants to opt for compromise, instead.]

(Shulchan Aruch, Choshen Mishpat 12:20)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

48 Ways: #34 - Love Justice

Hi,

Pirkei Avot 6:5 teaches that Torah is acquired in 48 ways, which it lists for us. The thirty-fourth of the 48 is oheiv et hameisharim, to love justice.

As we said for yesterday's "way", the relationship between love of justice an success in Torah study may be understood along at least two lines:

1. We may suggest that one needs a love of justice in order to comprehend the justice-rooted laws and anecdotes of the Torah, and

2. We may suggest that one needs a refined personality - one which loves justice, for example - to achieve success in Torah study.

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Justice and Tzedakah will eliminate fast days

Hi,

"If you will engage in justice and tzedakah, you will not need to fast, for we will build the Beit haMikdash and you will ascend from exile and you will dwell in the land eternally."

(Radak to Zecharyah 7:5)

Have an easy and meaningful fast,
Mordechai

Justice, Generosity, Mercy

Hi,

"So declares Gd: Judge truth, and perform generosity and mercy with each other. Do not cheat the widow, stranger and orphan, and do not plot evil against your brother in your hearts.

"But they refused to listen, and they turned a rebellious shoulder, and they deafened their ears from hearing. They made their hearts impenetrable, so as not to hear Torah and the messages sent by Gd via the early prophets, and great anger came from Gd."

(Zecharyah 7:9-12)

המצפה לישועה,
Mordechai

Justice leads to peace

Hi,

"If you will judge righteously, there will be peace between litigants. The Sages have taught, 'When a person whose coat has been taken leaves the court, he sings as he walks.'"

(Radak to Zecharyah 8:16)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Of Truth, Justice and Peace

Hi,

"Sometimes a judge will judge according to that which he knows to be true, even without witnesses or warnings; this type of justice is available to a king or a major court, to judge and punish according to legal procedure or extrajudicially, based on 'emet [truth]'. Sometimes he judges according to the legal structure of the Torah, and this is uniquely termed 'mishpat [justice]'. Sometimes he arranges compromise between litigants, according to the case and the needs of the time; this is termed 'shalom [peace]'."

(Abarbanel to Zecharyah 8 (pg 223))

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Fasting which is not accompanied by good deeds

Hi,

"The completeness I desire is that which is recorded in Yirmiyahu, 'Let the one who is praised be praised for this: Have insight and know Me, for I am Gd who performs generosity and justice and righteousness in the land, this is what I desire.'

"This means: I desired for you to perform generosity and justice and righteousness in the land, to walk in My ways. Fasting and eating are not among My actions, for I neither eat nor drink. Fasting is non-eating, and it is not relevant for Me, for one cannot refrain from anything other than that which one normally practices."

(Abarbanel to Zecharyah 7, pg. 221)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Free on a technicality - but not for long

Hi,

"R’ Shimon ben Shetach once reported: I saw a man pursuing another person into a ruin and I pursued him. I found a sword in his hand, with blood dripping and the murdered man still shuddering.

"I said: “Wicked one, who killed this man? It was either you or I - but what can I do? Your blood is not given into my hand, for the Torah says (Deuteronomy 17), ‘The man will be killed by the word of two witnesses.’ May the One who knows all thoughts punish him for killing this man!”

"They say that the two of them did not leave the spot before a serpent bit the man, and he died."

(Talmud, Sanhedrin 37b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Mashiach and Justice

Hi,

"This king, Mashiach, will be a mishor, meaning he will straighten all of the nations and guide them in paths of righteousness, as Isaiah (2:4) said, 'He will judge between nations.'"

(Abarbanel to Zecharyah 4:7)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Asking for justice

Hi,

"One who passes judgment to Gd regarding another person will, himself, be punished [for his own sins] first."

(Talmud, Rosh HaShanah 16b)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Justice is the end of war

Hi,

"If there will be war or complaints between nations, they will come before Mashiach for justice, for he will be master of all nations, and he will teach them, telling the one who is crooked, “Straighten out that which has been made perverse for your plaintiff.” Therefore there will be no war between nations, for he will make peace between them and they will not need weapons."

(Radak to Michah 4:3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

A judge's responsibility

Hi,

"Moshe said, 'HaShem, your Gd, has made you great.' This means: Gd elevated and raised you above your judges. He took the punishment [for injustice] from you, and placed the onus [entirely] upon the judges."

(Midrash, Sifri 9)

המצפה לישועה,
Mordechai

Blame the corrupt judges

Hi,

"Rabbi Yosi ben Elisha said: If you see a generation beset by great trouble, investigate the judges of the Jews. Suffering befalls the world only because of the judges of the Jews, as it is written (Michah 3), 'Hear this, heads of the house of Jacob and officers of the house of Israel, who abhor justice and distort all that is straight!...'"

(Talmud, Shabbat 139a)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

There will be justice or Justice

Hi,

"Rabbi Eliezer said: Where there is justice there is no justice; where there is no justice, there is justice.

"What does this mean? Rather: If justice is performed in this world, Gd does not need to execute Justice from above. If justice is not performed in this world, Gd executes Justice from above."

(Midrash, Devarim Rabbah 5:5)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Justice vs. Korbanot, revisited

Hi,

[You may wish to see this post first.]

"It is written [Mishlei 21:3]: One who performs acts of righteousness and justice has done something which is more choice, for Gd, than an offering.

"This says that these are acts are more choice than offering, and not only equal to an offering. How is this so? Offerings apply only in the time of the Beit haMikdash, while righteousness and law are conducted in the time of the Beit haMikdash and in a time when there is no Beit haMikdash. Also, [most] offerings atone only for accidental sin, but righteousness and law atone for accidental and intentional sin."

(Midrash, Devarim Rabbah 5:3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Honest ants

Hi,

"Rabbi Shimon ben Chalafta said: An ant once knocked down a single wheat kernel (for collection). All of the ants came to sniff it, but none of them took it. The ant which had selected it came and took it.

"See the wisdom and glory in the ant: It learned from no one, it has neither judge nor officer... You, for whom I have appointed judges and officers, certainly should listen to them!"

(Midrash, Devarim Rabbah 5:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai