Judgement is Hashem’s

Parshat משפטים emphasizes the important role the judge plays in society. The Rabbis say that when a judge judges true judgement, it’s as if he is a partner with Hashem in creation. Despite the fact that we are taught that we are to go to a Jewish court to decide money matters and other disputes, there is also the realm of כי המשפט לאלוקים, that the ultimate judge is Hashem. A case in point was one brought before the Baal Shem Tov. One of his followers complained bitterly that he lost a case in court and was forced to pay money that he didn’t really own. The Baal Shem Tov consoled his student by telling him that he may not have owed the man money in this lifetime (גלגול), but he did owe him in a previous lifetime. Life is complicated. It is our job to try to do the right thing. But we must accept that there is a Higher Force that is really running the show!