Why God Gave Judgment and Law Only to Israel

"Judges and law officers, etc." (Deuteronomy 16:18). This is what Scripture says (Psalms 147:19): "He declares His words to Jacob, His statutes and His ordinances to Israel." HIS WORDS — these are the words of the Torah; HIS STATUTES — these are the midrashic expositions; and HIS ORDINANCES — these are the laws [to Israel]. The Holy One, blessed be He, gave the Torah and the laws to Israel alone. And from where do you learn this? That when Israel and a star-worshiping gentile have a matter of business one with the other, it is forbidden for Israel to say to the gentile, "Go with me to your courts," for he transgresses a prohibition, as it is said (ibid. v. 20): "He has not done so for any nation, and as for the ordinances, they have not known them." But were not the nations of the world commanded concerning the laws, since this is one of the seven commandments of the children of Noah? Then what is the meaning of "and as for the ordinances, they have not known them"? These are the fine points of the law. For thus have we learned: It once happened that Ben Zakkai examined witnesses concerning the stems of figs. And the children of Noah are put to death on the testimony of a single witness, and before a single judge, and without prior warning — which is not so in Israel. For monetary cases require three judges, and capital cases twenty-three judges, and it is written (Deuteronomy 19:15): "A single witness shall not stand against a man, etc.; by the mouth of two witnesses, etc." And they require examination and inquiry. How do they examine the witnesses? They bring them in and warn them solemnly, and they further examine them with seven inquiries: in which seven-year period, in which year, in which month, on which day of the month, on which day, in which place, did you warn him? And so you find among the leaders of Israel that they were praised only by reason of their judgment. Concerning Samuel it is written (1 Samuel 7:16): "And he went from year to year and went about to Beth-El, etc., and judged Israel, etc." And David too was praised only by reason of his judgment, as it is said (1 Chronicles 18:14): "And David executed judgment and righteousness for all his people."