Parashat Shoftim – Bribery

As we near the end of the final book of the Torah, the Jews are getting closer and closer to entering into the land of Israel. This week’s Torah portion talks about some of the things the people will have to do once they enter.

The Parashat tells the people that once they enter the land, they must set up judges and police in all of their cities. It then instructs these judges to not pervert justice, not to play favorites, and not to take bribes; because brings can “blind the eyes of the wise and pervert the words of the richeous”.

It’s interesting to note the importance of this commandment to form courts, not only is it one of the 613 commandments that the Jews have to follow, it is one of the 7 Noahide laws that are binding on all people. The seven Laws of Noah are: no idol worship, no cursing G-d’s name, no murder, no theft, no sexual immorality, no eating the limb torn off a live animal, and setting up courts. G-d is saying that one of the seven basics of a moral society is the presence of a just legal system.

The prohibition against taking bribes is an interesting one, because it extends far beyond the realm of the legal system. Doctors being taken out to lunches by drug company reps, businessmen being taken out for a round of golf, these could all be viewed as judges. People say that these things are no problem, because they’re common practice, noting is expected in return, and that the “free gift” won’t sway their decision in any way.

Jewish teachings disagree. The story is told of a wise Judge who sends his assistant out to buy him some fresh tobacco for his pipe. Unknowingly, the assistant goes to buy the tobacco from a tobacconist who has a case being herd by the Judge the next day. The tobacconist assumes that the reason the assistant is buying the tobacco from him, is that the Judge is looking for a bribe (which he wasn’t), so the tobacconist gives the assistant a bag of tobacco and slips a bribe into the bottom of the bag.

The next day the Judge is sitting on a 3-judge panel and hears the tobacconist’s case. The other two judges convict, but our Judge acquits. Our judge has great respect of the other two judges on the panel, so he assumes that he must have misheard some of the evidence. He goes over and over the evidence, but every time he arrives at the same verdict, in favour of the tobacconist. After a few days of this, our judge finally reaches the bottom of his bag of tobacco and sees the bribe. He then realizes what has happened, and knows why he wasn’t able to see the fact straight. Even if you don’t know about it, a bribe will “blind the eyes of the wise and pervert the words of the richeous”.

Shabbat Shalom