אֱלֹהִ֖ים לֹ֣א תְקַלֵּ֑ל וְנָשִׂ֥יא בְעַמְּךָ֖ לֹ֥א תָאֹֽר׃

You shall not curse judges, and a prince among your people you shall not imprecate. It is prohibited to curse anyone. Perhaps the Torah imposes an additional prohibition against cursing judges because it is tempting for one who loses a court case to curse the judge who ruled against him. Similarly, rulers are likely to become the targets of those who feel they have been mistreated by the establishment.

מְלֵאָתְךָ֥ וְדִמְעֲךָ֖ לֹ֣א תְאַחֵ֑ר בְּכ֥וֹר בָּנֶ֖יךָ תִּתֶּן־לִּֽי׃

The surfeit of your crops and the outpouring of your juices you shall not delay. This is referring to agricultural produce, both food and beverage, which must be given to God in the form of teruma and tithes. In addition to the basic requirement to separate tithes, this verse teaches that one must do so at the proper time. The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me. As explained earlier, one does not actually give his firstborn son, but redeems him for money.

כֵּֽן־תַּעֲשֶׂ֥ה לְשֹׁרְךָ֖ לְצֹאנֶ֑ךָ שִׁבְעַ֤ת יָמִים֙ יִהְיֶ֣ה עִם־אִמּ֔וֹ בַּיּ֥וֹם הַשְּׁמִינִ֖י תִּתְּנוֹ־לִֽי׃

So you shall do to your cattle and to your flock, as the sanctity of the firstborn is not limited to people. However, in the case of an animal, seven days it shall be with its mother; on the eighth day, you shall give it to Me as an offering. One must leave a young calf or lamb with its mother for at least one week.

וְאַנְשֵׁי־קֹ֖דֶשׁ תִּהְי֣וּן לִ֑י וּבָשָׂ֨ר בַּשָּׂדֶ֤ה טְרֵפָה֙ לֹ֣א תֹאכֵ֔לוּ לַכֶּ֖לֶב תַּשְׁלִכ֥וּן אֹתֽוֹ׃ (ס)

You shall be holy people to Me; and one of the ramifications of this holy state is that you shall not eat meat of a mauled animal in the field that has been injured by a predator. However, you are permitted to derive other forms of benefit from the carcass, and therefore you shall cast it to the dog for it to eat.

לֹ֥א תִשָּׂ֖א שֵׁ֣מַע שָׁ֑וְא אַל־תָּ֤שֶׁת יָֽדְךָ֙ עִם־רָשָׁ֔ע לִהְיֹ֖ת עֵ֥ד חָמָֽס׃ (ס)

A collection of laws involving the court and the execution of justice is now presented. The first command is addressed to judges: You shall not accept a false report, testimony that is false or which is stated for no practical purpose other than to tarnish someone’s reputation. Do not place your hand with the wicked to be a corrupt witness. Do not collaborate with a wicked person to submit testimony even if you know that the testimony is true. Additionally, one may not join false witnesses even if their testimony would be admitted regardless of your participation. This is an elaboration of one of the Ten Precepts: “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.”

לֹֽא־תִהְיֶ֥ה אַחֲרֵֽי־רַבִּ֖ים לְרָעֹ֑ת וְלֹא־תַעֲנֶ֣ה עַל־רִ֗ב לִנְטֹ֛ת אַחֲרֵ֥י רַבִּ֖ים לְהַטֹּֽת׃

You shall not follow the majority for evil. Do not be influenced by the actions or opinions of the majority if you do not agree with them. This statement is always applicable, but is particularly important for a judge, who is obligated to reach a just verdict. It is absolutely prohibited for him to rely on the majority opinion and to ratify their ruling against his better judgment. And you shall not respond in a dispute to distort justice, by inclining after the majority.

וְדָ֕ל לֹ֥א תֶהְדַּ֖ר בְּרִיבֽוֹ׃ (ס)

You shall not favor a poor man in his legal dispute. This law, which is addressed to a judge, refers to the tendency to have mercy for the weaker litigant. A judge must issue a just verdict, even if a pitiful individual will thereby suffer.

כִּ֣י תִפְגַּ֞ע שׁ֧וֹר אֹֽיִבְךָ֛ א֥וֹ חֲמֹר֖וֹ תֹּעֶ֑ה הָשֵׁ֥ב תְּשִׁיבֶ֖נּוּ לֽוֹ׃ (ס)

If you encounter the ox of your enemy or his donkey lost and wandering, you shall return it to him. Not only is it prohibited to harm your enemy by injuring his animal, you must take positive action to return the animal to its owner.

כִּֽי־תִרְאֶ֞ה חֲמ֣וֹר שֹׂנַאֲךָ֗ רֹבֵץ֙ תַּ֣חַת מַשָּׂא֔וֹ וְחָדַלְתָּ֖ מֵעֲזֹ֣ב ל֑וֹ עָזֹ֥ב תַּעֲזֹ֖ב עִמּֽוֹ׃ (ס)

If you see the donkey of your enemy crouching under its burden, because it was laden with an overly heavy load and will not stand until part of the burden is removed, shall you refrain from assisting him, its owner? Not so; rather, you shall assist with him. You must help the owner to lighten the donkey’s burden.