Save ""Judge thy neighbor favorably:" "
"Judge thy neighbor favorably:"

(טו) לֹא־תַעֲשׂ֥וּ עָ֙וֶל֙ בַּמִּשְׁפָּ֔ט לֹא־תִשָּׂ֣א פְנֵי־דָ֔ל וְלֹ֥א תֶהְדַּ֖ר פְּנֵ֣י גָד֑וֹל בְּצֶ֖דֶק תִּשְׁפֹּ֥ט עֲמִיתֶֽךָ׃

(15) You shall not render an unfair decision: do not favor the poor or show deference to the rich; judge your kinsman fairly.
לא תעשו עול במשפט. מְלַמֵּד שֶׁהַדַּיָּן הַמְקַלְקֵּל אֶת הַדִּין קָרוּי עַוָּל, שָׂנוּי וּמְשֻׁקָּץ, חֵרֶם וְתוֹעֵבָה, שֶׁהָעָוֶל קָרוּי תּוֹעֵבָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר כִּי תוֹעֲבַת ה' וְגוֹ' כֹּל עֹשֵׂה עָוֶל (דברים כ"ה), וְהַתּוֹעֵבָה קְרוּיָה חֵרֶם וְשֶׁקֶץ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר וְלֹא תָבִיא תוֹעֵבָה אֶל בֵּיתֶךָ וְהָיִיתָ חֵרֶם כָּמֹהוּ שַׁקֵּץ תְּשַׁקְּצֶנּוּ וְגוֹ' (שם ז'):
לא תעשו עול במשפט YE SHALL NOT DO INJUSTICE IN JUDGMENT — This teaches us that the judge who perverts judgment is called an "unjust person" (עַוָּל), hateful and detested, doomed to destruction, and an abomination. He is rightly called thus for the unjust person (עַוָּל) is called by Scripture "abomination", as it is said (Deuteronomy 25:16) "For all that do [such things] all that do injustice (עַוָּל=עֹשֵׂה עָוֶל) are an abomination (תועבה) unto the Lord thy God”. The abomination (תועבה), on its part, is called by Scripture חרם and שקץ, as it is said (Deuteronomy 7:26) "Neither shalt thou bring an abomination (תועבה) into thine house, lest thou be a doomed thing (חרם) like it; but thou shall regard it as שקץ.
לא תשא פני דל. שֶׁלֹּא תֹאמַר עָנִי הוּא זֶה, וְהֶעָשִׁיר חַיָּב לְפַרְנְסוֹ, אֲזַכֶּנּוּ בַדִּין וְנִמְצָא מִתְפַּרְנֵס בִּנְקִיּוּת (ספרא):
לא תשא פני דל THOU SHALT NOT RESPECT THE PERSON OF THE INDIGENT — i. e. thou shalt not say, "This is a poor man, and the rich man has in any case the duty of supporting him; I will find in favor of him (the poor man) and he will consequently obtain some support in a respectable fashion (Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 4 2).
ולא תהדר פני גדול. שֶׁלֹּא תֹאמַר עָשִׁיר הוּא זֶה, בֶּן גְּדוֹלִים הוּא זֶה, הֵיאַךְ אֲבַיְּשֶׁנּוּ וְאֶרְאֶה בְּבָשְׁתּוֹ? עֹנֶשׁ יֵשׁ בַּדָּבָר לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר וְלֹא תֶהְדַּר פְּנֵי גָדוֹל:
ולא תהדר פני גדול NOR HONOR THE PERSON OF THE MIGHTY — thou shalt not say, “This is a rich man, or, this man is of noble descent (lit., the son of great people) how can I possibly put him to shame and be witness to his shame? There is punishment for such a thing!” It is for this reason that Scripture states, "thou shalt not honor the person of the mighty” (Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 4 3).
והתועבה קרויה שקץ. וגם התועבה קרויה שנאוי, שנא' כי כל תועבת ה' אשר שנא בפרשת ראה:
And an abomination is called accursed and detestable. And an abomination is also called hateful as it says in parshas Re’eh (Devarim 12:31), “Because whatever is abominated by G-d, what He hates, [they have done].”
לכף זכות. ר"ל דוקא כשהוא חבירך תדין אותו לכף זכות, אבל אם הוא רשע הוי דן אותו לחובה, ועיין בפירוש הרמב"ם פ"ק דמסכת אבות:
Favorably. I.e., you only need to judge him favorably if he is “your fellow.” But if he is wicked, judge him unfavorably. See the commentary of the Rambam in maseches Avos, chapter 1.
[א] "לא תעשו עול במשפט" – בדין. מלמד שהדיין המקלקל את הדין קרוי עול, שנאוי, משוקץ, חרם, ותועבה. וגורם לחמשה דברים: מטמא את הארץ, ומחלל את השם, ומסלק את השכינה, ומפיל את ישראל בחרב, ומגלה אותו מארצו.

1) (Vayikra 19:15) ("You shall not do wrong in judgment. You shall not lift up the face of the poor man, and you shall not favor the face of the great one. In righteousness shall you judge your neighbor.") "You shall not do wrong in judgment.": We are hereby taught that a judge who perverts justice is called "wrong," "hated," "revolting," "rejected,." "abominable," and he leads to five things: He defiles the sanctuary, he desecrates the Name, he drives out the shechinah, he causes Israel to fall by the sword, and he exiles it from its land.

ואמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל במזוזה הלך אחר היכר ציר מאי היכר ציר אמר רב אדא אבקתא היכי דמי כגון פיתחא דבין תרי בתי בין בי גברי לבי נשי
And Rav Yehuda says that Shmuel says: The halakha is that a mezuza must be affixed to the doorpost on its right side, and the right side is determined by the direction from which one enters the room. With regard to a mezuza, when deciding which side is the right side, one should follow the indication of the hinge. The The Gemara asks: What is the indication of the hinge? Rav Adda said: The socket into which the hinge is inserted. The room with the socket is considered the inside room, and the mezuza is affixed to the side which is on one’s right when entering that room. The Gemara asks: What are the circumstances, i.e., in what kind of case was this guideline to follow the indication of the hinge necessary? The Gemara answers: This indication is necessary in a case where there is an entrance that is between two houses, e.g., between a room for men and a room for women, as in such a situation the direction of the entrance is unclear.