י: בְּנֵי הָעִיר שֶׁמַּעֲמִידִין לָהֶם בֵּית-דִּין, צְרִיכִין לֵידַע שֶׁיֵשׁ בְּכָל אֶחָד מֵהֶם שִׁבְעָה דְבָרִים אֵלּוּ, חָכְמָה בַתּוֹרָה, עֲנָוָה, יִרְאָה, שִׂנְאַת מָמוֹן אֲפִלּוּ שֶׁלָּהֶם, אַהֲבַת הָאֶמֶת, אַהֲבַת הַבְּרִיּוֹת לָהֶם, בַּעֲלֵי שֵׁם טוֹב בְּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם. וְכָל הַמַּעֲמִיד דַּיָן שֶׁאֵינוֹ הָגוּן, עוֹבֵר בְּלֹא תַעֲשֶׂה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, לֹא תַכִּירו פָנִים בַּמִּשְׁפָּט, כְּלוֹמַר, לֹא תַכִּירוּ פְנֵי הָאִישׁ לוֹמַר, פְּלוֹנִי עָשִׁיר הוּא, קְרוֹבִי הוּא, אוֹשִׁיבֶנּוּ בַדִין. וְכָל דַּיָן שֶׁנִּתְמַנָּה בִּשְׁבִיל כֶּסֶף וְזָהָב, אָסוּר לַעֲמֹד לְפָנָיו אוֹ לְכַבְּדוֹ בִּשְׁאָר כִּבּוּד, וְעָלָיו דָּרְשׁוּ רַבּוֹתֵינו זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה, אֱלֹהֵי כֶסֶף וֵאלֹהֵי זָהָב לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ לָכֶם
A city wish establishes for themselves a court, they must know that each one of them [the judges] have these seven qualities:
- wisdom in Torah,
- modesty,
- fear/awe [of G-d],
- a hatred of money [as an ends], even their own,
- love of truth,
- the love of all creatures [i.e. people] is for them, and
- they have a good reputation in their deeds.
Whoever establishes a judge who isn’t upright, violates a prohibition, as it says “do not recognize faces [an idiom: show favoritism] in judgement”, as if to say, “do not recognize the face of the person, to say ‘so-and-so is wealthy”, or “… is my relative”, I will settle the judgement for him.
Any judge who accepts an appointment for silver/money and gold, it is prohibited to stand before him [for judgment] or honor him in any honor. About him our rabbis whose memory is a blessing expounded, “Gods of silver and gods of gold, do not make for yourselves.
For a mussar shmuess: Reread this se’if keeping in mind that each one of us assesses those around us in a “courtroom of our mind”. What qualities do we need to cultivate in our relationships to others?
