Commento su Deuteronomio 1:17

לא תכירו פנים במשפט YE SHALL NOT RESPECT PERSONS IN JUDGMENT — This is addressed to him whose office it is to appoint judges — that he should not say, Mr. So-and-so is a fine or a strong man, I will make him a judge; Mr. So-and-so is my relative, I will make him a judge in the city, — while in reality he is not expert in the laws, and consequently he will condemn the innocent and acquit the guilty — I will account it unto him who appointed him as though he had shown favor in judgment (Sifrei Devarim 17:1).

FOR THE JUDGMENT IS G-D’S. The meaning thereof is as expressed in the verse, for ye judge not for man, but for the Eternal; and He is with you in giving judgment,⁸⁹II Chronicles 19:6. These were the words of Jehoshaphat, king of Judah, to the newly appointed judges. meaning to say: “It is for G-d to execute justice between His creatures for He created them with the intention that there be fairness and justice among them, and to deliver him that is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor,⁹⁰Jeremiah 22:3. and He designated you [the judges] in His stead. And if you will be afraid and act corruptly ye have sinned against the Eternal⁹¹Numbers 32:23. and you will have betrayed His mission.”

כי המשפט לאלוקים הוא, “for the judgment is G’d’s.” Nachmanides writes that it is one of G’d’s tasks to see to it that His creatures practice justice among themselves. He has created man so that he practices fairness, etc., and the judges on earth are performing their task as G’d’s delegates when they save the oppressed from his oppressor, etc. If they (the judges) were to display fear of any man they would at the same time commit a serious breach of the trust placed in them by G’d.

לא תכירו פנים במשפט, “Do not show favoritism in judgment.” This is a warning to a judge not to display a stern attitude versus one of the litigants and a mild attitude versus the other party.

This [command is addressed] to the one who appoints judges, etc. For it is already written [to the judges], “And you are to judge right.” But in Parshas Shoftim (below 16:19) regarding, “Do not display favoritism,” Rashi explains: Even at the time of litigation — this is a warning to the judge not to be gentle to one litigant and harsh to the other, etc. The answer is: It cannot be explained there the same as here. Otherwise, the verses should be reversed and say, “Do not show favor in judgment” before, “Do not bend justice,” [as will now be explained:] the previous verse was dealing with appointing judges. For it is written, “And they will judge the people justly,” and Rashi explains, “Appoint judges who are expert and righteous.” And since, “Do not show favor in judgment,” is written after, “Do not bend justice,” (which is referring to the judges), then it too must be referring to the judges. Rashi does not explain here as he does over there, because here the verse says, “And you are to judge right between a man and his brother.” If he should be gentle to one litigant and harsh to the other, it would not be judging rightly. Therefore, “Do not show favor in judgment,” is unnecessary. Rather, it must be referring to the one who appoints judges.

V. 17. לא תכירו פנים (siehe zu Wajikra 19, 15). — כקטן בגדול. Nachdem durch לא תכירו פנים bereits jede Rücksicht auf die im Rechtsstreit vor dem Richter stehende Persönlichkeit untersagt und gefordert ist, der Richter solle die vor ihm stehenden Personen im Gerichte "gar nicht kennen", indem nach jüdischem Rechtsbegriff der richtigste Wahrspruch erfolgt, wenn dem Richter die Personen völlig unbekannt sind (siehe daselbst): so kann das כקטן כגדול nicht weiter sich auf die soziale Stellung der Personen beziehen und wird Sanhedrin 8 a vielmehr auf die größere oder geringere Relevanz des Streitobjekts bezogen: שיהא חביב עליך דין של פרוטה כדין של מאה מנה und zwar nicht nur, dass dem geringsten Streitobjekt dieselbe Sorgfalt und Gewissenhaftigkeit im Schöpfen und Sprechen des Urteils, לעיוני ביה ולמפסקיה, wie dem bedeutendsten zugewandt werde, was sich von "selbst verstünde, sondern: לאקדומיה, dass dem früher angemeldeten Rechtsstreit von geringster Relevanz der Vorrang der Zeit nach in der Verhandlung vor dem später angemeldeten bedeutendsten Rechtsstreit verbleiben müsse.

לא תגורו מפני איש, (Moses is speaking to the judges, or potential judges) “do not display fear of anyone;” [you cannot be commanded not to have fear just as you cannot be commanded to love; but you can be commanded not to display your fear. Ed.] If a judge is afraid that the party whom he will convict will hate him henceforth, he is reminded that ultimately the judgment is G-ds and he had only carried out G-d’s will.

כקטן כגדל תשמעון YE SHALL HEAR THE SMALL AS WELL AS THE GREAT, i.e. that a lawsuit regarding a peruta shall be as dear to you (shall be as of equal importance) as a lawsuit regarding a hundred maneh — that if it (the former) comes before you first, you should not set it aside until the last (Sanhedrin 8a). — Another explanation of YE SHALL HEAR THE SMALL AS WELL AS THE GREAT — Understand it as the Targum has it: Ye shall hearken unto the words of the small as to those of the great — i.e. that you should not say: This is a poor man and his fellow (opponent) is rich, and is in any case bidden to support him; I will find in favour of the poor man, and he will consequently obtain some support in a respectable fashion (see Rashi on Leviticus 19:15). — Another explanation is: that you should not say, “How can I offend against the honour of this rich man because of one dinar? I will for the moment decide in his favour, and when he goes outside (leaves the court) I will say to him, ‘Give it to him because in fact you owe it to him'" (Sifrei Devarim 17:3).

כקטון כגדול תשמעון, “listen to claims involving minor sums of money as if it concerned major sums.” Do not relate to disputes involving pennies as a waste of the court’s time.

[Litigation involving a peruta] should be as dear to you, etc. It seems that the word כתרגומו is printed in the wrong place, and should read: “Small and great alike will you hear out,” can be explained as Targum Onkelos has [adding the word מילי (matter)]: Litigation involving a peruta should be as dear to you, etc. Rashi’s [first] explanation is Talmudic (Sanhedrin 8a), and the last two are from Sifrei (Nachalas Yaakov).

לא תגורו מפני איש, eigentlich: ihr habt vor niemanden zurückzuweichen (siehe Bereschit 23, 4). Sanhedrin 6 b wird daran gelehrt: מנין לתלמיד שיושב לפני רבו וראה זכות לעני וחובה לעשיר מנין שלא ישתוק שנאמר לא תנורו מפני איש לא תכנים דבריך מפני איש, dass selbst ein Rechtsjünger, wenn er in einem seinem Meister in seiner Gegenwart zwischen einem Armen und einem Reichen zur Entscheidung vorliegenden Rechtsfalle ein dem Armen günstiges Entscheidungsmotiv vorzubringen weiß, dies nicht aus Ehrfurcht vor seinem Lehrer und aus Scheu vor dem Reichen zurückhalten dürfe. Es wird daselbst 7 a die Bedeutung von גור als an sich nehmen, bei sich zurückhalten. לישני דכנושי, durch Hinweis auf ויין וגו׳ ולא תאגר (Kap. 28, 39) אגרה בקציר מאכלה(Prov. 6, 8), אוגר בקיץ (daselbst 10, 5), in welchen Stellen allen אגר ein Einsammeln von Früchten zur Aufbewahrung bedeutet. Wir haben schon wiederholt Gelegenheit gehabt, auf die Bedeutung der Wurzeln פ׳׳א aufmerksam zu machen, wie bei ihnen in der Regel der in den zwei letzten Buchstaben liegende Begriff durch das vorangesetzte א also individualisiert wird, dass das א den Zweck- und Zielbegriff der durch die folgenden Buchstaben ausgedrückten Handlung andeutet (siehe Jeschurun VIII, S. 278). Liegt in גר, wie wir glauben, der Begriff der Bodenlosigkeit, des seinem eigentlichen Boden Entnommenseins und -Werdens, so erhält durch das vorgesetzte א das Wort die Bedeutung: etwas für sich seinem Boden entnehmen. Es liegt somit der Wurzel אגר der Begriff גר zu Grunde und kann als Erläuterung desselben dienen. Tritt ja diese Bedeutung in מגורה Scheuer, der Aufbewahrungsort des eingesammelten Getreides, deutlich hervor. Und auch in גר liegt ja nicht nur der Begriff des Losgelöstseins von seiner Heimat, sondern zugleich des Aufgenommenseins an einem anderen Orte, er ist ja: der aus der Fremde bei uns heimisch Gewordene. Eine auf dem Boden der Überlegung erwachsene und gereifte Ansicht in die Scheuer des eigenen Bewusstseins niederlegen, d. i. sie für sich behalten, sie an sich halten, kann daher ganz füglich durch גור ausgedrückt sein, und das soll kein zur Abgebung seiner Urteilsmeinung Berufener aus Rücksicht vor irgend einem Menschen tun: כי המשפט לאלהים הוא — !לא תגורו מפני איש, mit dem Rechtsprechen treibt ihr Gottes Werk. Es ist nicht eure Sache, der ihr euch nach Belieben entschlagen dürftet, es ist Gottes Recht, das durch euch zur Verwirklichung kommen soll. Darum dürft ihr ebenso wenig euer gerechtes Urteil aus irgend einer Menschenfurcht zurückhalten, als ihr vielmehr anderseits auf Gottes Beistand, dessen Werk ihr vollbringet, rechnen dürft. כל דיין, heißt es Schabbat 10 a: כל דיין שדן דין אמת לאמתו מעלה עליו הכתוב כאלו נעשה שותף להקב׳׳ה במעשה בראשית, jeder Richter, der durch sein Urteil das wahre Recht zur Wahrheit bringt, wird betrachtet, als habe er Teil an Gottes Schöpfungswerk. Durch ihn erhält ja ein menschliches Verhältnis die Gestaltung, welche in der Absicht des Schöpfers lag, als er den Menschen zur freien Verwirklichung seines Gesetzeswillens in die Erdwelt setzte. So sehr wird die Rechtsprechung als im Namen Gottes zu vollziehendes Gotteswerk betrachtet, dass Sanhedrin 8 a zu dem Satze: כי רמשפט לאלקים הוא sich die Erläuterung findet: אמר הקב׳׳ה לא דיין לרשעים שנוטלין ממון מזה ונותנין לזה שלא כדין אלא שמטריחין אותי להחזיר ממון לבעליו, wie das falsche Urteil ein Verbrechen gegen den Menschen ist, indem es das Vermögen des Berechtigten dem Unberechtigten zuspricht, so ist es auch ein Verbrechen gegen die Gotteswaltung, die es als ihre Aufgabe erkennt, das in ihrem Namen gesprochene falsche Urteil durch Zurückerstattung an den Rechtsgekränkten zu korrigieren.

לא תגורו מפני איש means: YE SHALL NOT FEAR [ANY MAN]. — Another explanation of לא תגורו: Ye shall not gather in (shall not restrain) your words before any man. The word has the same meaning as in (Proverbs 10:5), "Gathering (אוגר) in summer” (cf. Sanhedrin 8a).

So if a [minor litigation] comes before you first, etc. For if you [incorrectly] think to interpret this verse literally as, “Whether the defendant is an average person or whether he is a figure of authority,” this can be learned from the phrase, “Between a man and his brother.” (Re”m).

והדבר וגו׳ תקריבון אלי ושמעתיו, bescheiden, wie Sanhedrin 7 a bemerkt ist, sagt ל Mosche nicht, ואשמיעכם, so will ichs euch sagen, sondern ושמעתיו, so will ich es vernehmen, אי גמירנא גמירנא ואי לא אזלינא וגמירנא: wenn ich es aus der mir bereits gewordenen Rechtskunde zu entscheiden vermag, will ich es entscheiden, wo nicht, werde ich mir die fehlende Belehrung erbitten. תקריבון אלי (siehe zu Schmot 18, 22).

כי המשפט לאלהים הוא FOR THE JUDGMENT IS GOD’S — Whatever you take from this man unjustly you will compel Me to restore to him; it follows, therefore, that you have wrested judgment against Me (Sanhedrin 8a).

Another explanation: Small and great alike will you hear out, etc. The first explanation is problematic, for the verse should say כמעט כהרבה (a little or a lot). Therefore, Rashi says: Another explanation... [This one is a poor man, etc.] And the second explanation is [also] problematic, for the verse should say גדול כקטן (the great like the small). I.e., you should rule in favor of the rich man if he is innocent, just as you would try to rule in favor of the poor man to support him in a tidy manner. Therefore, Rashi says: Another explanation: He should not say, [“How can I offend] etc.” Yet, this last explanation is [also] problematic, for the verse should say קטן כגדול (the small like the great) will you hear out. And with only the last two explanations there is [also] a problem, for the verse should say כעני כעשיר (wealthy and poor alike). Therefore, the first explanation is also needed.

תקרבון אלי [AND THE CAUSE THAT IS TOO HARD FOR YOU] BRING TO ME [AND I WILL HEAR IT] — On account of this utterance (that he could decide difficult cases) the law regarding the daughters of Zelophehad evaded him (Sanhedrin 8a; see Rashi on Numbers 27:5). Similarly, Samuel said to Saul (I Samuel 9:19), “I” am the seer. Whereupon the Holy One, blessed be He, said to him, “By your life, I will let you know that you are not a seer”. And when did he let him know this? When he came to anoint David. For Scripture states, (I Samuel 16:6, 7) “And when he saw Eliab he said, Surely before the Lord stands his anointed one”. The Holy One, blessed be He, said to him: "Did you not say, “I” am the seer? Look not at the outward appearance” (Sifrei Devarim 17:7).

Do not be afraid. I.e., a judge should not say, “I am afraid of this man, for perhaps he will kill me or he will set fire to my stockpile of grain.”

Do not gather in [suppress] your words, etc. For example, a disciple who is in the presence of his rabbi, and a judgment is presented to his rabbi and he judges incorrectly, the disciple should not remain silent. Rashi’s first explanation is problematic, for the verse should have said אל תיראו (do not be afraid). Therefore, Rashi says: Another explanation, Do not gather in, etc. But, the second explanation is problematic, for the verse should have said לא תאגורו (do not gather in) [with an aleph], an expression similar to אוגר בקיץ (gathering in the summer) (Mishlei 10:5). Therefore, the first reason is also needed. Re”m explains: Do not keep your words [hidden] in your heart out of fear to speak them out and tell the litigant that he is liable or guilty in his dispute.

That you diverted the judgment upon Me. Otherwise, what is the meaning of, “Justice belongs to Hashem”? Justice pertains only to the litigants!

Because of this [statement] the law eluded him, etc. Because Moshe likened himself to Hashem: For it is written, “For justice belongs to Hashem,” and afterwards it is written, “And the matter that will be too difficult for you, present to me,” as if Moshe himself were Hashem. Therefore, the laws pertaining to inheritance which are a simple matter eluded him. For everyone knows that if a man has no sons, then a daughter inherits instead of a son. For Rachel and Leah said (Bereishis 31:14), “Do we have a portion anymore, etc,” meaning: We do not share the inheritance along with the males. Yet, this eluded Moshe. Rashi did not explain that because of this statement the law regarding the woodchopper, or regarding the ritually impure eluded him — for those are not simple [laws], and therefore Moshe did not know. But the laws regarding inheritance are simple.