(יח) שֹׁפְטִ֣ים וְשֹֽׁטְרִ֗ים תִּֽתֶּן־לְךָ֙ בְּכָל־שְׁעָרֶ֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יי אֱלֹקֶ֛יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ לִשְׁבָטֶ֑יךָ וְשָׁפְט֥וּ אֶת־הָעָ֖ם מִשְׁפַּט־צֶֽדֶק׃ (יט) לֹא־תַטֶּ֣ה מִשְׁפָּ֔ט לֹ֥א תַכִּ֖יר פָּנִ֑ים וְלֹא־תִקַּ֣ח שֹׁ֔חַד כִּ֣י הַשֹּׁ֗חַד יְעַוֵּר֙ עֵינֵ֣י חֲכָמִ֔ים וִֽיסַלֵּ֖ף דִּבְרֵ֥י צַדִּיקִֽם׃ (כ)צֶ֥דֶק צֶ֖דֶק תִּרְדֹּ֑ף לְמַ֤עַן תִּֽחְיֶה֙ וְיָרַשְׁתָּ֣ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יי אֱלֹקֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לָֽךְ׃
(18) You shall appoint magistrates and officials for your tribes in all the settlements that Adonai your God is giving you, and they shall govern the people with justice. (19) You shall not judge unfairly: you shall show no partiality; you shall not take bribes, for bribes blind the eyes of the discerning and upset the plea of the just. (20)Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may thrive and occupy the land that Adonai your God is giving you.
צדק צדק תרדף. הַלֹּךְ אַחַר בֵּית דִּין יָפֶה:
Justice, justice shall you pursue. Seek out a reliable court.
צדק צדק. עם בעלי הריב ידבר וטעם שני פעמים לדבר צדק שירויח בו או יפסיד או פעם אחר פעם כל ימי היותך או לחזוק:
Justice, justice.This is addressed to each of the contending parties. The repetition of "justice" implies that they should pursue a just result, whether it brings them profit or loss. Or perhaps it means that they should continue to pursue justice time after time, as long as they live. Or it may simply be for emphasis.
Justice, justice... The rabbis say that if one hastens to give tzedakah, it is worth double, as if one gave tzedakah twice. "Tzedek tzedek"means that it will be considered as two tzedakahs if "you pursue" it, striving to give it as soon as possible.
Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azulay (18th century Jerusalem/Western Europe/North Africa)
Rabbi Chaim Yosef David Azulay (18th century Jerusalem/Western Europe/North Africa)
Justice, justice you shall pursue...With justice, you shall pursue justice. Even the pursuit of justice must employ only just means, and not falsehood.
Rabbi Simcha Bunim of Pshishcha (18th century Poland)
Rabbi Simcha Bunim of Pshishcha (18th century Poland)
הענין שנכפל בכאן צדק, הראשון הוא נגד השי"ת שידקדק במעשיו עד כחוט השערה, והשני הוא נגד חבירו שבאם יראה שחבירו חלילה עבר רצון השי"ת וירצה לכעוס עליו, על זה נאמר צדק שהשי"ת לא ירצה שאחד יקטרג על חבירו וכמו שנתבאר בחלק ראשון, כמו שהסנהדרין היה מלינים את הדין אף שידעו ששפטו משפט צדק, אכן פן יאיר השי"ת את עיניהם ויפתח להם אור חדש ללמד זכות על נפש מישראל.
The reason why the word "tzedek" is repeated is as follows: The first "tzedek" refers to how God watches our conduct vigilantly. The second refers to us: if you should see a friend transgressing the Torah (God forbid!), and you feel angry at him, the Torah tells you "tzedek!", because God does not want you to resent or blame your friend! ... This is akin to the way in which the Sanhedrin would postpone carrying out a punitive sentence after judgment had been rendered - even if they knew they had ruled correctly! - in the hope that God would open their eyes and shine a new light by way the judges could discover a way to acquit a Jew who had been indicted.