출애굽기 20:20의 Halakhah

Not to make the form of a man, even for decoration: Not to make the form of a man from any object - whether from metals, whether from wood, or stone, or anything else - and even for decoration, as it is stated (Exodus 20:20), "Do not make with me (eeti)." And they, may their memory be blessed, expounded (Rosh Hashanah 24b), "Do not make Me (oti," which can be spelled with the same letters as eeti), meaning to say, do not make a replica of that form - being the body of man - about which I wrote in My Torah (Genesis 1:26), "Let us make man in Our image." And the intention of the verse is from the angle of the intellect that He gave in him. And that which it stated, "in Our image," about the intellectual side of man is because all intellect is in Him, blessed be He. But there is no other comparison between Him, Blessed be he, and any creature (that preceded its matter) of His creatures, God forbid. And the negative commandment of "You shall not make a statue" is that we not make any form that will be worshiped, [whereas] this prohibition is specifically about the form of a man - that we should not make it at all, even for decoration. And this is to distance idolatry.

And it appears that [also] included in this commandment is that anyone who the members of the community have chosen to appoint appointees over them for any matter, that they should put all of their attention and intellect [to it], to appoint those appropriate and good for that appointment that the community requires. And he should not be frightened from any man, to appoint someone that is not appropriate. And the Sages said (Avodah Zarah 52b, Sanhedrin 7b) about someone who sets up a judge that is not proper, [that it is] as if he puts up a stone pillar, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 16:22) [soon after the commandment to set up judges], "and you shall not set up a pillar for yourself." And if it is a place where there are Torah scholars in it, they said that it is like planting a tree-god, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 16:21), "You shall not plant a tree-god, any tree, beside the altar of the Lord, your God." And they also said (Sanhedrin 7b) that anyone who appoints a judge because of his wealth, about this is it stated (Shemot 20:20), "You shall not make with Me gods of silver and gods of gold." And they spoke at length about this matter and said (Talmud Yerushalmi Bikkurim 3:3) that it is forbidden to stand [for judgement] in front of a judge who gave money in order that he be appointed a judge. And they treated his honor very lightly, and said about him that the cloak with which he wraps himself should be like a donkey saddle in your eyes. And it was the way of the early Sages to flee from being appointed judges (Sanhedrin 14a), except in a place where there was no one greater than them.