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Text Excerpt
פסילנא לך לדינא. אמר ליה רב לרב כהנא: פוק דייניה. חזייה דהוה קא גאיס ביה. אמר ליה: אי צייתת – צייתת, ואי לא – מפיקנא לך רב מאונך.
I am disqualified to judge for you, because I may be partial to you due to what you’ve done for me. Rav said to Rav Kahana: Go out and judge the case. Rav Kahana saw that Rav’s host was acting haughtily due to his relationship with Rav, as he presumed that Rav Kahana was predisposed to favor him. Rav Kahana said to the host: If you are prepared to listen, then listen to me and follow my instructions. And if not, I will take Rav out of your ears. I will treat you harshly, and you will understand that your relationship with Rav will not help you at all.
״כקטן כגדל תשמעון״. אמר ריש לקיש: שיהא חביב עליך דין של פרוטה כדין של מאה מנה. למאי הלכתא? אילימא לעיוני ביה ומיפסקיה – פשיטא! אלא לאקדומיה.
§ The Talmud continues to interpret clauses from the verse cited above. “You should hear the small and the great alike” (Deuteronomy 1:17). Reish Lakish says: This teaches that the judgment of one peruta should be as dear, i.e., important, to you as the judgment of 100 maneh, i.e., 10,000 dinars. The Talmud asks: With regard to what halakha is this said? If we say it is with regard to the need to study it carefully and to decide the case justly, it is obvious that even cases relating to small sums must be judged thoroughly. Rather, Reish Lakish was speaking with regard to giving it precedence: The small claims case may not be deferred in favor of the larger claim merely because the disputed sum is smaller.
״לא תגורו מפני איש״. אמר רבי חנן: אל תכניס דבריך מפני איש. ״כי המשפט לאלהים הוא״. אמר רבי חמא ברבי חנינא: אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא, לא דיין לרשעים שנוטלין מזה ממון ונותנים לזה שלא כדין, אלא שמטריחין אותי להחזיר ממון לבעליו.
The Talmud continues the interpretation of the verse: “You should not be afraid before any man.” R' Ḥanan says: Do not suppress your statement of opinion due to any person. The verse continues: “For the judgment is God’s.” R' Ḥama, son of R' Ḥanina, says: God says: It is not enough for the wicked judges, that they take money from this person and they give it to that person unlawfully, but they even trouble Me to return the money to its rightful owners. As proper justice is ultimately in the hands of God, He takes responsibility to bring about the rectification of the errors of unfit judges.