BAIS HAVAAD ON THE PARSHA PARSHAS SHOFTIM BRIBERY(RABBI FRAND BONUS)

In this week's parsha the Torah commands us to establish a judicial system.[1] Considering that the first verses of the parsha against corruption and bribes are actually directed to the Beit Din, the grammatical structure of the narration is peculiar. The Torah begins by speaking in third person but continues in the second person throughout the narration. Rav Nissan Alpert explains that we tend to think that there are unique laws that apply only to judges, just like there are -- for example -- unique laws that apply only to Kohanim (priests) and that such laws do not relate to us. This is incorrect. Everyone in life is a judge. We are constantly judging. When we meet someone, the first thing that we do is to judge him. We are confident -- based on the way a person looks or dresses -- that we are 100% accurate in our judgment. We check the kind of Yarmulke or clothes the person is wearing and with these details we pass judgment. The Torah realizes this is so and is telling us to judge fairly and not be influenced by outside events. The above is a homiletical explanation how the prohibition against bribery applies to each and every one of us. In truth there are many practical halachic applications of bribery that apply to each and every one of us as well. This week's journal will focus on practical applications of the prohibition of bribery.[2]

PRINTER FRIENDLY JOURNAL HERE -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] Devorim 16:8. [2] Based on the following article from Torah.org