Gaster's Exempla (1924), No. 255, remembers a forgotten act of judicial courage. King Yannai — the Hasmonean monarch — had a servant who had committed murder. Jewish law is uncompromising: the owner of a murderous slave bears a measure of responsibility. The Sanhedrin summoned the king to testify.
The court was presided over by Shimon ben Shetach, brother of the queen, one of the sternest judges in the tradition. Yannai arrived with his guard and his gold and his imperial posture. He refused to rise and answer questions as a defendant. He sat on a royal seat and glared at the court.
Shimon ben Shetach looked around at his fellow judges. "Stand with me," he said. "Ask this man to rise and testify." No one moved. The other judges, terrified of Yannai's power, kept their eyes on the floor. Only Shimon spoke.
Later, the story continues, the angel Gabriel came down and struck those silent judges dead for their cowardice. Heaven would not let the Sanhedrin survive if it had become a chamber of men too frightened to do their duty.
The Torah's courts do not work because the judges are fearless. They work because the judges know someone will be held accountable if they are not — and that someone is not the king.