"In righteousness shall you judge your neighbor"

Synopsis

This passage speaks about mercy and judgment and justice. When righteousness is triggered, there is no mercy in it, but when justice is triggered there is mercy. Everyone shall be treated equally. We are told that God is found in the place of justice. God judges below as he does above, with righteousness and justice.

Grades Judgment Precepts Torah Zeir Anpin

97. Rabbi Yosi commenced: "You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment (lit. 'justice')..." (Vayikra 19:15). "You shall do no unrighteousness in Judgment," has a literal meaning, but we learned that this portion has within it precious supernal words regarding the precepts of the Torah. This verse is explained at its end, as it is written: "but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor." Come and behold: two levels are mentioned here, Justice and Righteousness. What is the difference between the two? One is Mercy, meaning Justice, denoting Zeir Anpin. One is of Judgment, MEANING RIGHTEOUSNESS, DENOTING MALCHUT. One perfumes the other.

97. ר' יוֹסֵי פָּתַח קְרָא אֲבַתְרֵיהּ וְאָמַר, לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ עָוֶל בַּמִּשְׁפָּט וְגוֹ.' לֹא תַּעֲשׂוּ עָוֶל בַּמִּשְׁפָּט, כְּמַשְׁמָעוֹ. אֲבָל הָא אִתְּמַר, דְּפַרְשְׁתָּא דָּא מִלִּין עִלָּאִין וְיַקִּירִין אִית בָּהּ בְּפִקּוּדֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא. הַאי קְרָא מִסּוֹפֵיהּ קָא מַשְׁמַע, דִּכְתִּיב בְּצֶדֶק תִּשְׁפּוֹט עֲמִיתֶךָ. ת"ח, תְּרֵי דַּרְגִּין אִינּוּן הָכָא: מִשְׁפָּט, וְצֶדֶק. מַה בֵּין הַאי לְהַאי. אֶלָּא חַד רַחֲמֵי, וְחַד דִּינָא, וְדָא אִתְבְּסָם בְּדָא.

Judges Judgment

98. When Righteousness is triggered, it judges everyone collectively since there is no Mercy or forbearance in it. When Justice is triggered, there is mercy. It may be that there is only Justice; then comes the verse that says, "in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor." What is the reason? Righteousness does not judge the one and forgive the other, but all are JUDGED collectively. Similarly, "you shall not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty" (Ibid.), but treat all equally, with righteousness. It may be that all Judgments are in Righteousness alone. Hence, the verse says, "shall you judge your neighbor;" one needs to join them together, for one is not found without the other. This makes up the completeness of Judgment.

98. כַּד אִתְּעַר צֶדֶק, דָּאִין דִּינָא לְכֹלָּא כַּחֲדָא, דְּלֵית בֵּיהּ רַחֲמֵי, וְלָאו וַותְּרָנוּתָא. כַּד אִתְּעַר מִשְׁפָּט, אִית בֵּיהּ רַחֲמֵי. יָכוֹל יְהֵא כֹּלָּא בְּמִּשְׁפָּט. אָתָא קְרָא וְאָמַר, בְּצֶדֶק תִּשְׁפּוֹט עֲמִיתֶךָ. מ"ט. בְּגִין דְּצֶדֶק לָאו דָּאִין לְדָא וְשָׁבִיק לְדָא, אֶלָּא כֻּלְּהוּ כַּחֲדָא בְּשִׁקּוּלָא חֲדָא. כְּגַוְונָא דָּא לֹא תִשָּׂא פְנֵי דָל וְלֹא תֶהְדַּר פְּנֵי גָּדוֹל, אֶלָּא כֻּלְּהוּ בְּשִׁקּוּלָא חֲדָא, בְּצֶדֶק. יָכוֹל יְהֵא כֹּלָּא דִּינָא בְּצֶדֶק בִּלְחוֹדוֹי. אָתָא קְרָא וְאָמַר תִּשְׁפּוֹט, דְּבָעֵי לְחַבְּרָא לְהוּ כַּחֲדָא, דְּלָא יִשְׁתְּכַּח דָּא בְּלָא דָּא, וְהַאי שְׁלִימוּ דְּדִינָא.

Heavens Judges Judgment Shepherd Throne

99. What is the reason for all of this? Because the Holy One, blessed be He, is found there, IN THE PLACE OF JUSTICE. For this reason, wholeness of the Judgment is needed. Just as He does below, THE HOLY ONE, BLESSED BE HE, does above. Come and behold: the Holy One, blessed be He, sets up the seat of Judgment at the time the judges are sitting. This is what the verse says, "He has prepared His Throne for Judgment (or: 'Justice')" (Tehilim 9:8). From there is set up the Throne of the Holy One, blessed be He, BINAH. What is His Throne? Righteousness and Justice, as the verse says, "Righteousness and justice are the foundation of Your Throne" (Tehilim 89:15). The judge needs to sit at the seat of the King; if he harms one of them, IT IS SIMILAR TO causing harm to the chair of the King. Then the Holy One, blessed be He, departs from the midst of the judges and does not sustain in their judging. What does He say? "Now will I arise, says Hashem..." (Tehilim 12:6). And the Holy Spirit said, "Be You exalted, Elohim, above the heavens" (Tehilim 57:6).

99. וכ"כ לָמָּה. בְּגִין דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שְׁכִיחַ תַּמָּן. וּבְגִּינֵי כַּךְ בָּעֵי לְאַשְׁלְמָא דִּינָא. כְּגַוְונָא דְּאִיהוּ עָבֵיד לְתַתָּא, כְּגַוְונָא דִּילֵיהּ מַמָּשׁ עָבֵיד לְעֵילָּא. ות"ח, קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא שַׁוֵּי כּוּרְסְיָיא דְּדִינָא, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּדַיָינֵי יַתְבִין, הה"ד, כּוֹנֵן לְמִשְׁפָּט כִּסְאוֹ. וּמִתַּמָּן אִתְתָּקַּן כּוּרְסְיָה דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא. וּמַאן אִיהוּ כּוּרְסְיָה. אִלֵּין אִינּוּן צֶדֶק וּמִשְׁפָּט. הה"ד צֶדֶק וּמִשְׁפָּט מְכוֹן כִּסְאֶךָ. וּמַאן דְּדָאִין דִּינָא, בָּעֵי לְמֵיתַב בְּכוּרְסְיֵהּ דְּמַלְכָּא. וְאִי פָּגִים חַד מִנַּיְיהוּ, כְּאִלּוּ פָּגִים לְכוּרְסֵיהּ דְּמַלְכָּא. וּכְדֵין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אִסְתְּלַּק מִבֵּינַיְיהוּ דְּדַיְינֵי, וְלָא קָאֵים בְּדִינַיְיהוּ. וּמַאי אָמַר. עַתָּה אָקוּם יֹאמַר יְיָ' וְגוֹ.' וְרוּחָא דְּקוּדְשָׁא אָמַר, רוּמָה עַל הַשָּׁמַיִם אֱלֹהִים.