Judges Sense the Divine Presence Among Them in Court

Midrash Tanchuma Buber, Shoftim 6:4

Curated by Arthur·Translated by Maggid (Beta)·

Another interpretation (of Deuteronomy 16:19): "You shall not turn aside justice." The judges should always regard it as if the Divine Presence (Shekhinah) is among them, as it is stated (in Psalms 82:1): "He pronounces judgment in the midst of the gods." From here it follows for litigants that they should conduct themselves with awe within themselves.

Themes

Divine JusticeJudgesJudgmentShekhinahLaw

Biblical References

Continue Reading

Legends of the JewsAccount of SodomIn Sodom, a stranger once found himself embroiled in a dispute. We don't know exactly what it was about, but it was serious enough to bring before the court. ThLegends of the JewsThe Wicked Judges of Sodom Gomorrah and AdmahFire and brimstone, a pillar of salt, and some very unhappy angels. But the details… the details are truly something else. The Ginzberg’s Legends of the Jews saLegends of the JewsSolomon's Court Was More Theater Than CourtroomForget your gavels and stern judges. Imagine something far more… theatrical. The image comes to us from Legends of the Jews, that incredible compilation of rabbIdra ZutaLife of SamuelThe Idra Zuta, part of the Zohar, gets right into it. It poses the question: what exactly is a watcher? And then it answers it, drawing on the Book of Samuel. TTikkunei ZoharGod Judges the World Through Chaos, Void, and AbyssIt's woven right into the fabric of creation itself. The passage But not in some detached, courtroom-in-the-sky kind of way. Instead, this judgment is enclothedMekhilta DeRabbi YishmaelHe devoted his life to the judges, and they were called byThe Mekhilta DeRabbi Yishmael, the early halakhic midrash on Exodus from the school of Rabbi Yishmael, reads a striking lesson out of a single word. The verse c