Jewish Legal System

This week we read פרשת משפטים. It is filled with numerous laws that form the basis for the section of Shulchan Aruch known as חושן משפט.

It deals with matters related to property damage, personal injury, theft, and other forms of damage. This set of laws form the backbone of a society to function properly. They are practical and understandable. They are enforced by a fair system of courts and judges.

One of the special features of these laws is that they are dealt with swiftly. You do not have a system where it could take months for cases to be tried in court. The decisions are made efficiently, and the sentence or decision is carried out quickly.

There was a story told of one of the Chassidic masters who was challenged by local government officials in justifying why cases in Jewish courts were completed so quickly.

The Rebbe answered in a clever manner with a parable about a wolf and lion who were fighting over the carcass of a lamb. They went to the sly fox to decide the case. While he was deliberating, the hungry wolf began nibbling on the edges of the lamb.

By the time the fox decided that they should divide the lamb, there was little left to share.

The Rebbe explained that in a Jewish court, the litigants receive what is due to them. In a secular court, the fees consume so much that there is little left for the parties involved.

This story occurred 200 years ago, and even then, it was the lawyers who got rich. Jewish law tries to avoid this.