- Torah Portion and Tanach
- Shoftim
168
The Torah is clear in its condemnation of corruption and bias, especially in judicial and legal matters. The poor and the wealthy, the scholar and the unlettered, the well-connected and the unknown, all are to be equal before the eyes of judges and the law. The Torah defines true justice as being the pursuit of righteousness and fairness by just and righteous means. No unjust means can be condoned even in the pursuit of apparently just and righteous causes. The Torah therefore abhors corruption and all of its forms and methods. The premise of the Torah is that corruption is a natural state of being for humans. We are all somehow corrupted by our past experiences and our preset worldviews. It is interesting to note that therefore for example the results of many cases and issues brought before the United States Supreme Court are almost always predictable because of the previous strongly held views of the individual justices. They are certainly not corrupt in the criminal sense of the word but in the world of the Torah they are certainly not freed from the taint of corruption. The Torah demands an open mind, a listening ear, a flexibility of thought and an understanding of human nature and of the ways of the world from those who would serve as judges of other humans. These qualities are not found in abundance but they are nevertheless to be searched for and treasured and respected in Jewish life and law. True and absolute justice may be unattainable in this world. But the concept itself of true justice must always be present in all matters of Jewish law and society.

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