The Gemorah says that
the judge may back out before he knows which way the verdict will be leaning
toward, its only after the verdict is leaning one way that he can’t back down
from judging the case. Why is the judge allowed
to back down before he knows which way the case is leaning? Why is it different from the positive command
of בצדק תשפט עמיתך which always applies? The
S’ma (Choshem Mishpat 12:2) explains that the end of the possuk, כי המשפט לאלקים הוא refers to the end of the end for that is the indication of the
word משפט. The Taz asks a few
questions on his interpretation and gives a different explanation. He says the prohibition is only on a דיין, before the din seems to lean in any direction, the
judge doesn’t have a שם דיין.
Assuming the nature
of the issur is to ensure proper judgement is carried out, we can understand
the S’ma. The nature of the prohibition
is the same as the positive commandment, but the Torah allows you to back out
before the din is leaning in any way.
The Taz views the
nature differently; the issur is not a perversion of justice, rather it’s
an issur for a judge to misuse his position. It isn’t a lack of proper judgment, it’s an abuse
of the position of judge. It is an issur
between the judge and God, not between himself and the litigants. Hence, the issur only applies when the
judge assumes the שם דיין. This is reflected in
the commentary of the Ramban on the end of the possuk: וטעם כי המשפט לאלהים הוא – כטעם: כי לא לאדם תשפטו כי לי״י ועמכם בדבר
משפט (דברי הימים ב י״ט:ו׳), לומר כי לאלהים לעשות משפט בין יצוריו, כי על כן בראם
להיות ביניהם יושר וצדק, ולהציל גזול מיד עושקו. ונתן אתכם במקומו, ואם תגורו ותעשו
חמס, הנה חטאתם לי״י כי מעלתם בשליחותו
(Based upon Binyan Av
volume 3 #67.)
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