Each man according to the gift of his hand, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you. The Sages (Chagigah 8b) learned from this verse that one who has abundant possessions should bring many burnt offerings, and if he has many mouths to feed, meaning his sons and household members who are called “the blessing of God” as it is said (Psalms 128:3-4), Your children will be like olive saplings around your table. Behold, thus shall the man who fears God be blessed. Therefore, it first refers to the burnt offerings which depend on possessions, whether many or few, each man according to the gift of his hand, meaning according to his possessions, the measure of the generosity of his hand and his means. And afterward it says regarding the peace offerings which depend on having many people to feed, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you, for this depends on how God has blessed and multiplied you.

And because throughout the entire passage, Moses speaks directly to Israel, if so, it should have said, “according to the gift of your hand” [using the direct form], but it says his hand in the hidden [third person] form. Perhaps his/HIs hand refers to the Holy One, Blessed be He, as it is written For all things come from You, and of Your own have we given You (First Chronicles 29:14). And he used this language regarding burnt offerings, which are entirely consumed for the Most High, lest one feel bad about giving so much of his own property to the Most High, so many burnt offerings. Therefore, he said that one is not giving from his own, but from what he received from the hand of the Holy One, Blessed be He. And this is what is meant by according to the gift of His hand — of the Holy One, Blessed be He. If from His blessed hand one has been given abundant possessions, then one should return and give to Him from His own, and bring abundant burnt offerings. And it may be that “many eaters” refers to the stranger, the orphan, and the widow, etc., and for their needs one should bring many peace offerings [from which one eats and distributes to others], and “let your eye not be evil when you give to them,” but rather according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you — you are not giving from your own but from His, blessed be He.

Judges and officers shall you appoint for yourself etc., and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment. It should have said “and they shall judge you” because the word “you” would correspond to appoint for yourself, and instead of and they shall judge [v’shaftu] it should have said “and they will judge” [v’yishpetu] because “v’shaftu” is not a command but rather a statement of fact that this is what will happen.

The explanation of this matter is, that this verse is a command to anyone who has the power to appoint judges, that he should appoint them with the understanding that they will be judges who will not flatter even the person who appointed them. This is what it means by you shall appoint for yourself — referring to [judgments] concerning yourself. And it follows a fortiori that they will judge the entire people with righteous judgment, for if they do not flatter you, all the more so [they will not flatter] the entire people. Therefore it says and they shall judge in a declarative form, to say that this will certainly be the case, as a logical inference. This is unlike the custom of our generation, where anyone who has the power to appoint judges selects his relative or friend, as if he explicitly stipulated with them the condition that he should flatter him, and this is what they do. And from this it follows that even for all the people, even those who are not close to them, they will not judge righteously, because a judge needs to be consistent in all of his judgments so that people will not say to him: “Yesterday you ruled such-and-such for your relative or your friend or your fellow townsman, and now you are changing the law in this case.”

By way of allusion, one could say that wherever “the people” [ha-am] is mentioned, it refers to the wicked, as Rashi explained on the verse And the people were as complainers (Numbers 11:1). And our Sages of blessed memory said (Avot 1:8), “When litigants stand before you, regard them as wicked, etc.” Therefore it says, and they shall judge the people, because during judgment they should be in your eyes like the rest of the people who are characterized as wicked. However, righteous judgment means that after the judgment, the wickedness turns to righteousness, because they should be in your eyes as righteous people when they have accepted the verdict upon themselves. Another explanation: Judges and officers shall you appoint for yourself — first adorn [correct] yourself (Bava Metzia 107b), and afterward they shall judge the people — to adorn [correct] others. For any judge from whom money is extracted in judgment is not [fit to be] a judge (Bava Batra 58b).

You shall not bend judgment, you shall not recognize faces, and you shall not take bribes. From the fact that it does not say “and you shall not recognize faces” with a vav [conjunction] but does say and you shall not take bribes with a vav, we can infer that you shall not bend and you shall not recognize are each independent matters, but you shall not take bribes is a consequence of you shall not recognize faces. This is because the wealthy are called “the faces of the land,” as Rashi explained in Parashat Miketz (41:56). When it says you shall not recognize faces, it refers to the wealthy who are called “the faces of the land,” and when you do not recognize them, then naturally you will not take bribes. For one who recognizes the faces of the wealthy does so because of the expectation of bribes that he hopes to receive from them. The language of “bending” indicates that the two litigants should be equal in his eyes, as if both were placed on equal scales, without any tilt or inclination to either side. This is the meaning of you shall not recognize faces — that it should seem as if he recognizes neither of them.

And regarding the term “shochad” [bribe], our Sages of blessed memory said (Ketubot 105b) that it means “she-hu chad” [that he is one], as the receiver and the giver become one person, and subsequently one does not see fault in oneself. This explanation is not clear, because “shochad” is the word for the money, not the word for the owners. Why should the money be named after them just because it causes the owners to become united? It seems to me that “she-hu chad” means “sharpness,” from the phrase iron sharpens iron (Proverbs 27:17). For money is like a sharp knife that cuts quickly, and every judge needs to be deliberate so as not to render judgment hastily. When he accepts a bribe, he immediately knows which way the judgment leans and cuts it quickly as if cutting with a sharp knife. It is not the judge who cuts the judgment, but the money cuts, and it is sharp. And since he hinted here that a judge needs to be deliberate in judgment, which might lead to delaying the judgment more than appropriate, therefore it says, Justice, justice shall you pursue. This is because the prophet accuses Israel, saying, Righteousness lodged in it (Isaiah 1:21), as we explained above in Parashat Devarim (1:18), that in capital cases, they conclude on the same day for acquittal but not for conviction. But they reversed the approach and would let the righteousness, namely the acquittal, remain overnight. Regarding this, it says here that justice shall you pursue, because the term “pursuit” indicates swiftness — that one should hasten to render judgment when innocence [that is, justice] has been established. And the repetition of justice — one is literal and one is to exclude guilt, which must be delayed overnight.

Another explanation: “shochad” [bribe] is “chad” [sharp] like a cutting sword, similarly, the perversion of justice brings a sharp sword to the world, as it states in Pirkei Avot (5:11): “The sword comes to the world because of the delay of justice and because of the perversion of justice.” Therefore, the bribe that perverts justice is called “shochad” because it is “chad” [sharp] like a sword. And afterward, it also warned about the delay of justice by saying Justice, justice shall you pursue — that one should hasten to declare, “You are innocent,” to reveal his righteousness so that you may live and be saved from the sword, and inherit the land. Rashi explained: “The appointment of proper judges is worthy of keeping Israel alive and settling them on their land.” The reason for that you may live is because “if not for the fear [of authority], a man would swallow his fellow alive” (Avot 3:2). Therefore, they said that the appointment of judges causes life — meaning that people will not swallow each other alive — and settles them on their land, as it is written A king through justice establishes the land (Proverbs 29:4). But the corruption of justice causes the destruction of the land, as the generation of the Flood proves. And so Jethro said, And all the people will come to their place in peace (Exodus 18:23). It should have said, “each man will sit in his place in peace,” but it speaks of the general place designated for all the people, which they now wanted to come to, and Jethro said that by virtue of appointing judges, they would merit to come there.

And by way of allusion, one can say that it mentions here justice and righteousness, because sometimes there is a judge who performs righteousness and justice together, as King David did, rendering justice to one and righteousness to another (Sanhedrin 6b). There is a distinction between justice and righteousness, for justice must be done with deliberation, while righteousness should be pursued with eagerness and haste, as it is written: He who pursues righteousness and kindness finds life (Proverbs 21:21). And it is written: Keep justice and do righteousness (Isaiah 56:1). Keep [shemor] is related to “sediment [shemarim],” for when a liquid stands on its sediment for a long time, the sediments fall to the bottom and the liquid becomes clear, similar to what is said: When my heart was embittered, etc. (Psalms 73:21). Likewise, one who is deliberate in judgment causes the removal of all errors that cloud the intellect. But do righteousness immediately without delay — give to him right away and do not put him off. Thus it says here, Do not take a bribe, which is sharp [in Hebrew: ‘chad’] and cuts through judgment quickly. Rather, one must be deliberate in matters of justice. But righteousness is not so; rather, Justice, justice shall you pursue with eagerness and haste, so that you may live, for he who pursues righteousness and kindness finds life. And you shall inherit the land, because proper laws establish people on their land, and a king through justice establishes the land.

You shall not plant, etc., and you shall not set up, etc., you shall not sacrifice, etc. In the Midrash they said (Devarim Rabbah 5:6) that on King Solomon’s throne were six steps, and written on the first was You shall not pervert [judgment], on the second You shall not show partiality, on the third You shall not take [a bribe], on the fourth You shall not plant [an Asherah], on the fifthYou shall not set up [a pillar], on the sixth You shall not sacrifice [a blemished animal]. Any intelligent person would be astonished at this sight — what is the connection between You shall not sacrifice,You shall not set up, and You shall not plant to Solomon’s throne which was prepared for judgment? And the statement You shall not sacrifice which seems in your eyes to be remotely connected to a throne of judgment — I will show you that this matter is actually very closely connected, as they said (in Yevamot 101a): “Just as the court was clean in righteousness, so were they clean from blemishes,” as it says (Song of Songs 4:7), You are entirely beautiful, my beloved, and there is no blemish in you. And it is known that there is nothing that comes from the received tradition that does not have support from the Torah, for we do not derive matters of Torah from matters of received tradition (Chagigah 10b). So from where did they learn to say this from the Torah, that the Sanhedrin must be free from all blemishes? Rather, certainly because everyone agrees — even one who does not generally interpret adjacent passages — nevertheless, in Deuteronomy everyone interprets adjacent passages (Yevamot 4a). If so, for what purpose were these six prohibitions placed adjacent to each other? It is to tell you that they all depend on one who sits on the seat of judgment. And the Torah did not say for no reason that the place where the Sanhedrin sits should be near the altar. Rather, it is certainly to learn one from the other, and anything that invalidates the altar itself and the offerings brought upon it — this is what also invalidates the Sanhedrin.

Regarding those that are sacrificed on the altar, it is written, You shall not sacrifice to the Lord your God an ox or a sheep which has a blemish, any evil thing (Deuteronomy 17:1). Just as a blemish disqualifies a sacrifice, so too it disqualifies one from being in the Sanhedrin. For every external blemish reveals some internal evil hidden within the body, whether in humans or in animals. Therefore, regarding animals, it says any evil thing, because the visible blemish indicates that there is some hidden evil within it — any sickness or wound. The Torah wrote this for us to reveal the reason why a blemish also disqualifies someone from the Sanhedrin, because the external blemish stems from a root that produces gall and wormwood, as we explained above in Parashat Emor (21:21) on the verse he has a blemish, see there. For example, if he is blind in one eye, we know that bribery caused this; if he is lame, we know that his foot did not stand on level ground and he limps and hesitates between two opinions, and similarly with all blemishes. This is what is meant by “just as they need to be clean in justice, etc.” Why is the blemish associated with justice? Certainly because one depends on the other, as the blemish indicates a corruption of justice. Therefore, the verse you shall not sacrifice is placed adjacent to the verse justice, justice shall you pursue.

Just as the altar had to consist of many stones and not a single stone monument, so too the Sanhedrin, because only the One judges alone (Avot 4:10). Therefore, the Sanhedrin needed to be many members, for people of high standing are compared to precious stones in many places in Scripture. Therefore, it was written on Solomon’s throne: You shall not erect for yourself a monument. And regarding You shall not plant for yourself an Asherah, our Sages taught (in Sanhedrin 7b): Anyone who appoints an unworthy judge is as if he planted an Asherah, and if appointed in a place of Torah scholars, it is as if he planted it next to God’s altar. This is a serious warning against arrogance, and we learn this also from the altar, as God did not desire an altar of silver and gold, but rather an altar of earth you shall make for Me, which indicates the trait of humility. And our Sages said (Avot 4:9): One who is arrogant in rendering legal decisions is a fool, wicked, and haughty. As it is written (Psalms 25:9): He guides the humble in justice. We elaborated on the reason for this matter above in Parashat Mishpatim, based on the Midrash quoted in the Yalkut on this parashah regarding the verse Judges and officers. A parable of a king who had a beautiful orchard and had a young son, etc., and there we provided a precious explanation of this Midrash that confirms this concept that arrogance corrupts all judgments. The root of the corruption sprouts from judges who were appointed for prestige and happiness due to their own haughtiness or that of their relatives who pursue excessive honor and authority. They establish this Asherah so that one may be “fortunate” [me’ushar] in the land, as suggested by the term “Asherah.” Our Sages (in Sotah 5a) said, “Anyone who is arrogant deserves to be cut down like an Asherah,” which implies that the Asherah and those who seek its shelter share the same fate — both are cut down and destroyed. And “in a place of Torah scholars, it is as if they planted it next to the altar,” referring to where the Sanhedrin sat, which is the place of Torah scholars.

And in our generation, how many asherot are planted in every city! They do not discriminate whether it is in a place of Torah scholars or not. Even if there is in his city an exceptional Torah scholar of great learning and piety, all his wisdom will not help him. For in any case, each person will choose his relative or his in-law, whom he knows will flatter him or oppose his enemy. And this breach is fully widespread among the many of my people — for the honor of the seed of Abraham it is time to be brief. Nevertheless, I have succeeded in providing a precious explanation of the connection between these six prohibitions.