Page 166 - Wisdom and Sound Advice from the Torah

WISDOM AND SOUND ADVICE FROM THE TORAH

wrong. When you give tes ti mo ny in a law suit, do not per vert
jus tice by sid ing with the crowd... Do not de ny jus tice to
your poor peo ple in their law suits. Have noth ing to do with
a false charge and do not put an in no cent or hon est per son to
death, for I will not ac quit the guilty. Do not ac cept a bribe, for
a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the right -
eous." (Exodus, 23:1-8)

... [If a man] judg es fair ly be tween man and man... (Ezekiel,
18:8)

... Should you not know jus tice?... But as for me, I am filled
with pow er, with the Spirit of the Lord, and with jus tice and
might. Hear this, you lead ers... who de spise jus tice and dis tort
all that is right. (Micah, 3:1, 8-9)

No one calls for jus tice; no one pleads his case with in teg ri ty.
They re ly on emp ty ar gu ments and speak lies; they con ceive
troub le and give birth to evil. (Isaiah, 59:4)

The way of peace they do not know; there is no jus tice in their
paths. They have turned them in to crook ed roads; no one who
walks in them will know peace. So jus tice is far from us, and

right eous ness does not reach us. We look for light, but all is
dark ness; for bright ness, but we walk in deep shad ows... We
look for jus tice, but find none; for de liv er ance, but it is far
away. (Isaiah, 59:8-9, 11)

Appoint judg es and of fi cials for each of your tribes in ev ery
town the Lord your God is giv ing you, and they shall judge
the peo ple fair ly. Do not per vert jus tice or show par ti al i ty.
Do not ac cept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise
and twists the words of the right eous. (Deuteronomy, 16:18-19)

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