בֵּ֣ית דָּוִ֗ד כֹּ֚ה אָמַ֣ר יְהוָ֔ה דִּ֤ינוּ לַבֹּ֙קֶר֙ מִשְׁפָּ֔ט וְהַצִּ֥ילוּ גָז֖וּל מִיַּ֣ד עוֹשֵׁ֑ק פֶּן־תֵּצֵ֨א כָאֵ֜שׁ חֲמָתִ֗י וּבָעֲרָה֙ וְאֵ֣ין מְכַבֶּ֔ה מִפְּנֵ֖י רֹ֥עַ מעלליהם [מַעַלְלֵיכֶֽם׃]
Hai keluarga Daud, beginilah firman Yang Mahakekal: Laksanakanlah keadilan pada waktu pagi, dan lepaskanlah orang yang dirampok dari tangan penindas, supaya murka-Ku jangan keluar seperti api lalu menyala tanpa ada yang dapat memadamkannya, karena kejahatan perbuatan-perbuatan kalian.
Bartenura
המלך לא דן ולא דנין אותו – and specifically the kings of Israel who do not listen to the words of the Sages. But a king from the kings of the House of David, [serve as] judges and we judge him, as it says (Jeremiah 21:12): “O House of David, thus said the LORD: Render just verdicts morning by morning…”
Rabbeinu Yonah
Rabbi Shimon says: There are three crowns: the crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood and the crown of monarchy: The crown of priesthood was given to the House of Aharon, as it is stated (Numbers 25:13), "It shall be for him and his descendants after him a pact of priesthood for all time." And the crown of monarchy was given to the House of David, as it is stated (Psalms 89:37), "His seed shall be forever; his throne, as the sun before Me." But the crown of Torah rests [available] for all those that come to the world - one who wants to merit it, let him come and merit. And this crown is greater than the [other] two crowns, as the rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 368), "There are three [decorative] rims: the rim of the table, the rim of the inner altar and the rim of the cover on top of the ark in which rests the Torah, engraved upon the tablets. And the cover and its rim rests inside the dividing curtain, [whereas] the other two rest outside the dividing curtain. Behold for you that the Torah is more glorious than the table that corresponds to the table of the kings; and likewise [than] the altar that is the crown of priesthood, since they burn incense upon it every day." And there is another proof. That is that there are houses for monarchy and priesthood: a house for monarchy, as it is stated (Jeremiah 21:12), "House of David, thus said the Lord, 'Decide justice in the morning'"; a house for priesthood, as it is stated (Psalms 135:19-20), "House of Aharon... House of Levi." But for fear of God, which is the crown of Torah, there is no special house, as it is stated (Psalms 135:20), "those who fear the Lord, bless the Lord" - "in every place where I cause My name to be mentioned I will come to you and bless you" (Exodus 20:21).
Ramban
HATING UNJUST GAIN. “Men who disdain their own money in a law-suit, just as we say:115Baba Bathra 58b. ‘Any judge from whom money is collected by a judgment is not qualified as a judge.’” Thus Rashi’s language. By this, Rashi meant to explain that they disdain all money which they know can be collected from them by law, and return it themselves even though it is truly theirs, such as the case wherein one bought a slave without witnesses,116And the owner comes to reclaim him. Now even though the slave is rightfully the buyer’s, the latter knows that because he has no witnesses who can attest to the sale, the original owner will regain possession of the slave in a law-suit. The buyer therefore voluntarily returns the slave to the original owner. See my Hebrew commentary, p. 381, as to why Ramban mentioned such a specific case. or a similar example.
But the text in the Mechilta is not so, [i.e., as Rashi commented]. Rather, this is the way it is taught there:117Mechilta on the verse here. “‘Hating unjust gain. I.e., those who, when sitting in judgment, disdain to accept money.’ These are the words of Rabbi Yehoshua. Rabbi Eleazar of Modi’im says: ‘Hating unjust gain. I. e., those who disdain their own money. If they disdain their own money, how much more will they despise the money of their friends!’” The explanation [of this text of the Mechilta] is that Rabbi Yehoshua interprets the expression hating ‘botza’ as meaning “hating bribery,” the usage of the word [betza] being similar to: Every one is greedy for ‘botza’ (gain);118Jeremiah 6:13. Each one ‘l’bitzo’ (to his gain), one and all.119Isaiah 56:11. Rabbi Eleazar of Modi’im explained that hating ‘botza’ means that they despise abundance of money and have no desire to increase their silver and gold, something like the verse, If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much.120Job 31:25. Money [or profit] is called betza [in Hebrew]: What ‘betza’ (profit) is it if we slay our brother?121Genesis 37:26. Is it any ‘betza’ (gain) to Him, that thou makest thy ways blameless?122Job 22:3. And thou shalt devote ‘bitz’am (their gain) unto the Eternal, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.123Micah 4:13.
Again, I have seen in the Yelamdeinu:124See Sifre, Devarim 17. For the name Yelamdeinu, see Seder Bo, Note 196. “Hating unjust gain [means] those who disdain their own money, and needless to say, they disdain the money of others. They are the ones who say, ‘Even if this man will burn my stack, even if he will destroy my plants, I will render judgment correctly.’” This is the intent of Rabbi Eleazar of Modi’im, who said that they disdain their own money, meaning that they pay no regard to their property when sitting in judgment, that is, if they will suffer a loss of money on account of it. Moses further admonished them on this, saying, Ye shall not be afraid of the face of any man.125Deuteronomy 1:17. [Thus according to the Yelamdeinu], betza means money, as I have explained. Onkelos rendered it: “those who hate to receive money.” But the word “money,” [as Onkelos uses it], does not mean a bribe, [which of course is forbidden in itself]. It means rather that they should never accept money from people as a gift or loan, so that they should show them no favoritism at the time of judgment. It is similar to what the Rabbis have said:126Kethuboth 105b. “A judge who is in the habit of borrowing things [from his neighbors] is forbidden to act as judge in a law-suit involving them.”
In line with the plain meaning of Scripture, men of truth, hating ‘botza’, means those who love the truth and hate “oppression.” When they see oppression and violence, they cannot tolerate them, their whole desire being only to deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor.127Jeremiah 21:12.
But the text in the Mechilta is not so, [i.e., as Rashi commented]. Rather, this is the way it is taught there:117Mechilta on the verse here. “‘Hating unjust gain. I.e., those who, when sitting in judgment, disdain to accept money.’ These are the words of Rabbi Yehoshua. Rabbi Eleazar of Modi’im says: ‘Hating unjust gain. I. e., those who disdain their own money. If they disdain their own money, how much more will they despise the money of their friends!’” The explanation [of this text of the Mechilta] is that Rabbi Yehoshua interprets the expression hating ‘botza’ as meaning “hating bribery,” the usage of the word [betza] being similar to: Every one is greedy for ‘botza’ (gain);118Jeremiah 6:13. Each one ‘l’bitzo’ (to his gain), one and all.119Isaiah 56:11. Rabbi Eleazar of Modi’im explained that hating ‘botza’ means that they despise abundance of money and have no desire to increase their silver and gold, something like the verse, If I rejoiced because my wealth was great, and because my hand had gotten much.120Job 31:25. Money [or profit] is called betza [in Hebrew]: What ‘betza’ (profit) is it if we slay our brother?121Genesis 37:26. Is it any ‘betza’ (gain) to Him, that thou makest thy ways blameless?122Job 22:3. And thou shalt devote ‘bitz’am (their gain) unto the Eternal, and their substance unto the Lord of the whole earth.123Micah 4:13.
Again, I have seen in the Yelamdeinu:124See Sifre, Devarim 17. For the name Yelamdeinu, see Seder Bo, Note 196. “Hating unjust gain [means] those who disdain their own money, and needless to say, they disdain the money of others. They are the ones who say, ‘Even if this man will burn my stack, even if he will destroy my plants, I will render judgment correctly.’” This is the intent of Rabbi Eleazar of Modi’im, who said that they disdain their own money, meaning that they pay no regard to their property when sitting in judgment, that is, if they will suffer a loss of money on account of it. Moses further admonished them on this, saying, Ye shall not be afraid of the face of any man.125Deuteronomy 1:17. [Thus according to the Yelamdeinu], betza means money, as I have explained. Onkelos rendered it: “those who hate to receive money.” But the word “money,” [as Onkelos uses it], does not mean a bribe, [which of course is forbidden in itself]. It means rather that they should never accept money from people as a gift or loan, so that they should show them no favoritism at the time of judgment. It is similar to what the Rabbis have said:126Kethuboth 105b. “A judge who is in the habit of borrowing things [from his neighbors] is forbidden to act as judge in a law-suit involving them.”
In line with the plain meaning of Scripture, men of truth, hating ‘botza’, means those who love the truth and hate “oppression.” When they see oppression and violence, they cannot tolerate them, their whole desire being only to deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor.127Jeremiah 21:12.