(ב) כִּי שָׁמַעְתִּי בְּשֵׁם הַבַּעַל־שֵׁם־טוֹב, כִּי קֹדֶם כָּל גְּזַר דִּין שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, מְאַסְּפִין כָּל הָעוֹלָם אִם מַסְכִּימִין לְהַדִּין הַהוּא. וְאַף אֶת הָאִישׁ בְּעַצְמוֹ שֶׁנִּגְזַר עָלָיו הַדִּין, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, שׁוֹאֲלִין אוֹתוֹ אִם הוּא מַסְכִּים – אֲזַי נִגְמָר הַדִּין, חַס וְשָׁלוֹם. וְהָעִנְיָן, כִּי בְּוַדַּאי אִם יִשָּׁאֵל לוֹ בְּפֵרוּשׁ עַל עַצְמוֹ, בְּוַדַּאי יַכְחִישׁ וְיֹאמַר שֶׁאֵין הַדִּין כֵּן. אַךְ מַטְעִין אוֹתוֹ, וְשׁוֹאֲלִין אוֹתוֹ עַל כַּיּוֹצֵא בּוֹ, וְהוּא פּוֹסֵק הַדִּין, וַאֲזַי נִגְמָר הַדִּין. וְכָעִנְיָן שֶׁמָּצִינוּ בְּדָוִד הַמֶּלֶךְ עָלָיו הַשָּׁלוֹם, בְּבוֹא אֵלָיו נָתָן הַנָּבִיא וְכוּ', וְסִפֵּר לוֹ מַעֲשֵׂה הָאוֹרֵחַ (שמואל ב יב), עָנָה וְאָמַר: חַי ה' וְכוּ', וְאֶת הַכִּבְשָׂה וְכוּ'; אֲזַי נִפְסַק הַדִּין עַל דָּוִד כַּאֲשֶׁר יָצָא מִפִּיו. וְזֶהוּ: וְנִפְרָעִין מִן הָאָדָם מִדַּעְתּוֹ – כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁשּׁוֹאֲלִין דַּעְתּוֹ. וְאַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן הוּא שֶׁלֹּא מִדַּעְתּוֹ, כִּי אֵינוֹ יוֹדֵעַ שֶׁהַדִּין הוּא עָלָיו. וְהָעִנְיָן הוּא עָמֹק מְאֹד, אֵיךְ שׁוֹאֲלִין כָּל אָדָם. כִּי בְּכָל הַדִּבּוּרִים וְסִּפּוּרִים שֶׁאָדָם שׁוֹמֵעַ, יִמְצָא שָׁם דְּבָרִים גְּבוֹהִים וְרָמִים, וְצָרִיךְ לִזָּהֵר בָּזֶה מְאֹד, לִבְלִי לִגְמֹר הַדִּין עַד שֶׁיְּשַׁנֶּה וִישַׁלֵּשׁ, כִּי הוּא סַכָּנַת נְפָשׁוֹת.
I heard in the name of the Baal Shem Tov, that before a Heavenly decree is passed... the person himself whom the decree concerns is asked about it, and only then is the judgment sealed, G-d forbid. To explain: If one is asked outright if he agrees with his own punishment, he will certainly deny it! So a different approach is taken: The person in question is asked about a situation comparable to his own, upon which he passes judgment [against another], and then the judgment is sealed [against himself]. It is similar to the episode involving King David, when the prophet Nosson told him the tale of the guest and the sheep (II Shmuel 12:1), and the judgment was passed against him just as he had dictated. And that is what the mishna means, "payment is extracted with one's knowledge," that is, he is asked for his opinion [about another's sin and punishment]. Yet at the very same time, it is "without his knowledge," because he doesn't realize that he is ruling his own punishment. This is very deep... anyone one must know that there is something very profound, and one must be extremely cautious not to pass judgement until reviewing it again and again, for this is a matter of life and death.