As the title suggests, impartial judgment is an enemy we must avoid in the next Torah portion. The name given to the scriptures, including Exodus 21:1-24:18, is Mishpatim, meaning judgments. The community of Israelites chose upright and just men from each tribe to be judges for them. They were not self-appointed and formed what became known as the Sanhedrin, an assembly of rulers that God tasked with establishing righteousness and justice in the community of Israel. Essentially, they kept the peace in the Middle East. These judges also referred to as rulers and elders in other scriptures, were endowed with divine discernment, an essential aspect of their job.
Exodus 18:21: Moreover you shall select from all the people able men, such as fear God, men of truth, hating covetousness; and place such over them to be rulers of thousands, rulers of hundreds, rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens.
There are certain boundaries for the judges of Israel. This Torah Portion stipulates that the judges should not favor the poor but protect them in the name of justice (Ex 23.3 & 6). The judges should not favor the rich and powerful or be afraid of their influence (Lv 19.15). In Deuteronomy 1:16, Moses encourages the judges to “hear out” or be patient while people produce evidence to the court. The Proverbs, a source of profound wisdom, guides us, preventing us from making judgment calls before hearing the whole story (Pr 18.13 &17).
For the average Israelite, it was not a command in the Torah to judge your neighbor. It was a job given to specific people for a particular purpose of keeping the peace. It is natural for us to make internal judgments all day, urryday. We need to train our minds on how to judge righteously. For instance, when we see someone in need, we should not judge them for their situation but instead offer help and support. The Greek scriptures implore us not to judge others because it will manifest back to us (Mt 7.2). We will receive the same measure of mercy or judgment we give to others. If we judge favorably, then we will be judged favorably.
When we judge others, we also become active participants. Instead of being mere witnesses to a situation, we become emotionally involved, which can lead to bias and division. We should seek to understand and empathize with others when they are in challenging situations rather than imposing our opinions on what we think they should do.
I would not have envied a position in the beit din or the ‘house of just law.’ It sounds like a job I would instead leave to Elohim, the Hebrew name usually translated as God, which means Divine Judge. He sees our hearts and motives and shows zero partiality towards humans, a comforting assurance of the fairness of divine judgment.
Harsh judgments, corrupt judgment, and impartiality can impact people’s livelihood. Instead of making ourselves judges over others, let’s find ways to encourage, share burdens, and give God the space He needs to bring peace and justice to the marginalized.
Matthew 7:2: For with the judgment you judge, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
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