“Law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and when they fail in this purpose they become the dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress.” - Martin Luther King Jr
(ה) מַהוּ שֹׁפְטִים וְשֹׁטְרִים, רַבָּנָן אָמְרֵי שֶׁיְהֵא הַשּׁוֹטֵר כַּשּׁוֹפֵט, כְּשֶׁיִהְיוּ הַמַּעֲשִׂים כְּנֶגֶד הַמַּקֵּל וְהָרְצוּעָה, וְשֶׁלֹא יְהֵא הַמַּכֶּה צָרִיךְ לִלְקוֹת. דָּבָר אַחֵר, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר בְּמָקוֹם שֶׁיֵּשׁ דִּין אֵין דַּיָּן, וּבְמָקוֹם שֶׁאֵין דִּין יֵשׁ דַּיָּן, וּמַהוּ כֵן, אֶלָּא אָמַר רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר, אִם נַעֲשָׂה הַדִּין לְמַטָּה, אֵין הַדִּין נַעֲשָׂה לְמַעְלָה, וְאִם לֹא נַעֲשָׂה הַדִּין לְמַטָּה הַדִּין נַעֲשָׂה לְמַעְלָה.
(5) What is meant by "judges and officials"? The Rabbis say that the official should be like the judge, that deeds correspond to the stick and the lash and the one delivering the punishment should not need to receive lashes. Another matter: Rabbi Eliezer says, "In a place where there is justice, there is no judge; in a place where there is no justice, there is a judge." And what is this? Rather, says Rabbi Eliezer,"If we make justice below, there will be no justice above. And if we do not make justice below, there will be justice above."
In 1853, Theodore Parker, a Unitarian minister, wrote: "I do not pretend to understand the moral universe. The arc is a long one. My eye reaches but little ways. I cannot calculate the curve and complete the figure by experience of sight. I can divine it by conscience. And from what I see I am sure it bends toward justice."
Micah 6:8 "He has told you, O mortal, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?" (NRSV).
Matthew 25 ‘When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats, and he will put the sheep at his right hand and the goats at the left. Then the king will say to those at his right hand, “Come, you that are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.” Then the righteous will answer him, “Lord, when was it that we saw you hungry and gave you food, or thirsty and gave you something to drink? And when was it that we saw you a stranger and welcomed you, or naked and gave you clothing? And when was it that we saw you sick or in prison and visited you?” And the king will answer them, “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family, you did it to me.”
A quote from St. Ambrose "It is not from your own goods that you give to the beggar; it is a portion of his own that you are restoring to him. The Earth belongs to all. So you are paying back a debt and think you are making a gift to which you are not bound."
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ﭑﭒ ﭓ ﭔ ﭕ ﭖ ﭗ ﭘ ﭙ ﭚ ﭛ ﭜ ﭝ ﭞ ﭟ ﭠﭡ ﭢ ﭣ ﭤ ﭥ ﭦ ﭧ ﭨ ﭩﭪ ﭫ ﭬ ﭭ ﭮ ﭯﭰ ﭱ ﭲ ﭳ ﭴ ﭵ ﭶ ﭷ ﭸ ﭹ ﭺ
SAHIH INTERNATIONAL
O you who have believed, be persistently standing firm in justice, witnesses for Allah, even if it be against yourselves or parents and relatives. Whether one is rich or poor, Allah is more worthy of both. So follow not [personal] inclination, lest you not be just. And if you distort [your testimony] or refuse [to give it], then indeed Allah is ever, with what you do, Acquainted.