R. Elazar Hamodai offered his own interpretation of the five qualities required of judges, and his reading was both more vivid and more demanding than R. Yehoshua's.
"And you shall see from all the people" — R. Elazar Hamodai said this means to see them clearly, "as by the glass through which kings look." This was not ordinary perception and not even prophetic vision. It was the crystalline clarity of royal scrutiny, the kind of penetrating examination that leaves nothing hidden. Moses was to examine each candidate the way a king inspects his officers — with total transparency.
"Men of valor" — where R. Yehoshua said this meant wealthy men, R. Elazar Hamodai said it meant trustworthy men. The valor in question was not financial but moral. A judge's strength lies in his reliability, not his bank account.
"Fearers of God" — those who compromise in judgment. This surprising definition means judges willing to mediate, to find middle ground between disputing parties, rather than always ruling strictly for one side. A judge who fears God seeks peace, not merely correctness.
"Men of truth" — R. Elazar Hamodai gave a specific example: men such as R. Chanina ben Dossa and his colleagues, famous for their absolute integrity and saintly poverty.
"Haters of gain" — men who are prepared to lose their own money in the course of rendering honest judgment. If they are willing to suffer financial loss for the sake of justice, how much more carefully will they protect the money of others who come before them.