Midrash sur Le Deutéronome 5:8

(Deut. 16:19, cont.:) YOU SHALL NOT TAKE A BRIBE. When the judge sets his heart on a bribe, he becomes blind to justice and he is unable to judge <a case> honestly.²⁹Tanh., Deut. 5:8. R. Eleazar said: It says here (in Ezek. 22:6): BEHOLD, THE PRINCES OF ISRAEL, EACH ONE ACCORDING TO HIS STRENGTH (literally: ARM), HAVE EXISTED AMONG YOU <FOR THE SHEDDING OF BLOOD>. Thus they stretched out³⁰Poshetim, which is intended as a pun on shofetim “judges”. Thus the verb implies that the judges are the ones who stretch out their arms for bribes. their arms under their robes to take a bribe. R. Abbahu said: Whoever takes the equivalent of a peruta (the smallest of coins) from his fellow is called wicked, as stated (in Prov. 17:23): [A WICKED ONE] TAKES A CONCEALED BRIBE.³¹Apart from the midrash, in the biblical context these words, which literally mean, A WICKED ONE TAKES A BRIBE FROM THE BOSOM, may well refer to the one who gives the bribe. R. Ishmael ben Elisha said: Come and see how harmful a bribe is. One time a certain person came and brought me the first fruits of the sheep shearing.³²See Deut. 18:4; also Ket. 105b. He also had a lawsuit before the judge, so I stood to one side. Now I said, <to myself>: If he pleads such and such before the judge, he will win the suit; for I was hoping for him to win. Even though he had only given me my due, and it was not a bribe, my heart was drawn to him every time I saw him. Furthermore, although had gone to the court, I asked about him whether he had won or not. <This incident serves> to make known to you how harmful a bribe is, since it makes the eyes blind. Now here is an argument a fortiori. If I, to whom he had <only> brought what was due and who <only> got what was due me, was hoping for him to win, how much the more so with one who gets a bribe.

(Deut. 20, 3) And he shall say unto them, hear O Israel. Why does he have to start with, Hear, O Israel? Said R. Jochanan in the name of R. Simon b. Jochai: "The Holy One, praised be He, said unto Israel, 'If you have only fulfilled the reading of the S'hma in the morning and evening, you will not be surrendered into the hands of .your enemies.' " Our Rabbis were taught: the Chaplain of the army spoke twice to the people, once he spoke to them when they approached the border line, and the second time, when they reached the war-zone. On what subject did he speak when they reached the border line? (Ib. b) "Listen to me, you who are ready to go to war, [but who are involved in the matters announced] (Deut. 5, 8) And return home." Upon reaching the war zone, what did he say? (Ib., ib. 3) Let not your heart he faint, fear not and be not down cast and do not tremble, because of them. These four kinds of warnings were given in correspondence with the four kinds of horrors which the heathens apply during war-time. They swing their shields, they sound their trumpets, they shout and they gallop with their horses.

(Bamidbar 15:22) "And if you err and do not do all of these mitzvoth": Idolatry was in the category of all the mitzvoth for (unwitting transgression of) which the congregation (i.e., beth-din) brings a bullock (viz. Vayikra 4:14), and Scripture here removed it from its category (for special mention), that the congregation bring a bullock for a burnt-offering and a he-goat for a sin-offering, for which reason this section was stated. "And if you err and do not do all of these mitzvoth": Scripture here speaks of idolatry. You say idolatry, but perhaps (it speaks of his transgressing) all of the mitzvoth of the Torah. It is, therefore, (to negate this) written (Ibid. 24) "And it shall be, if by the eyes of the congregation it were done in error" — Scripture hereby singles out one mitzvah. And which is that? (the injunction against) idolatry. You say it is idolatry, but perhaps it is (any) one of all the mitzvoth stated in the Torah. It is, therefore, written "And if you err and do not do all of these mitzvoth": This comes to define "the one mitzvah." Just as one who transgresses all of the mitzvoth divests himself of the Yoke, and breaks the covenant, and perverts the Torah, so, he who transgresses one mitzvah does the same, as it is written (Devarim 17:2-3) "to destroy His covenant (— turning to the worship of other gods.") And "the covenant" is nothing other than Torah, as it is written (Ibid. 28:69) "These are the words of the covenant, etc." Rebbi says "all" is written here (Bamidbar 15:22), and "all" is written elsewhere, (Devarim 5:8) "all likenesses." Just as "all" there speaks of idolatry, so, "all" here. (Bamidbar, Ibid.) "which the L-rd spoke to Moses": Whence is it derived that one who acknowledges idolatry denies the ten commandments? It is written (here, in respect to idolatry) "which the L-rd spoke to Moses," and there, (in respect to the ten commandments, Shemot 20:1) "And G-d spoke all these words, saying." (Psalms 62:12) "One thing has G-d spoken; (two things ['I am the L-rd your G-d, etc.' and 'There shall not be unto you other gods, etc.'] have I heard.") (Jeremiah 23:29) "Is My word not like fire, says the L-rd (and like a hammer shattering rock?") Whence do I derive (the same, i.e., that one who acknowledges idolatry denies [not only what we heard from G-d,]) but also what Moses was commanded (and relayed to us)? From (Ibid. 23) "All that the L-rd commanded you by the hand of Moses." And whence do I derive (the same for) what was commanded to the forefathers? From (Ibid.) "from the day that the L-rd commanded." And from when did the L-rd begin to command? From Adam, viz. (Bereshit 2:15) "And the L-rd G-d commanded the man, etc." And whence do I derive (the same for) what was commanded to the prophets? From (Ibid.) "and onwards throughout your generations." We are hereby apprised that one who acknowledges idolatry denies the ten commandments, and what was commanded to Moses, and what was commanded to the forefathers, and what was commanded to the prophets. And one who denies idolatry acknowledges the entire Torah.