אֲפִילּוּ צַדִּיק גָּמוּר וְלוֹקֵחַ שׁוֹחַד – אֵינוֹ נִפְטָר מִן הָעוֹלָם בְּלֹא טֵירוּף דַּעַת.

even if he is completely righteous but he took a bribe, he will not leave this world without becoming demented.

כִּי אֲתָא רַב דִּימִי אָמַר: דָּרַשׁ רַב נַחְמָן בַּר כֹּהֵן: מַאי דִּכְתִיב ״מֶלֶךְ בְּמִשְׁפָּט יַעֲמִיד אָרֶץ וְאִישׁ תְּרוּמוֹת יֶהֶרְסֶנָּה״ אִם דּוֹמֶה דַּיָּין לְמֶלֶךְ, שֶׁאֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ לִכְלוּם – יַעֲמִיד אָרֶץ, וְאִם דּוֹמֶה לְכֹהֵן שֶׁמְּחַזֵּר עַל הַגְּרָנוֹת – יֶהֶרְסֶנָּה.

When Rav Dimi came from Eretz Yisrael to Babylonia, he said that Rav Naḥman bar Kohen interpreted a verse homiletically as follows. What is the meaning of that which is written: “The king by justice establishes the land, but he who exacts gifts [ terumot ] overthrows it” (Proverbs 29:4)? If a judge is like a king, in that he does not need anything and is not dependent on anyone, he establishes the land, i.e., he can serve as a judge. But if he is like a priest, who seeks out his terumot from various granaries, as he is dependent on others, he overthrows the land.

אֲמַר רַבָּה בַּר רַב שֵׁילָא: הַאי דַּיָּינָא דְּשָׁאֵיל שְׁאֵילָתָא – פָּסוּל לְמֵידַן דִּינָא. וְלָא אֲמָרַן – אֶלָּא דְּלֵית לֵיהּ לְאוֹשׁוּלֵי, אֲבָל אִית לֵיהּ לְאוֹשׁוּלֵי – לֵית לָן בָּהּ.

§ Rabba bar Rav Sheila said: This judge who borrows items from others is disqualified from rendering judgment because it is as though he accepts a salary. And we said this only in a case where he does not have articles to lend out to others but is constantly borrowing without lending objects in turn. However, if he has items to lend out to others, we have no problem with it.

אִינִי? וְהָא רָבָא שָׁאֵיל שְׁאֵילָתָא מִדְּבֵי בַּר מָרְיוֹן, אַף עַל גַּב דְּלָא שָׁיְילֵי מִינֵּיהּ! הָתָם לְאַחְשׁוּבִינְהוּ הוּא דְּבָעֵי.

The Gemara asks: Is that so? But Rava would borrow items from the house of bar Maryon even though they would not borrow from him. The Gemara answers: There, he wanted to cause them to be considered more important in the community. Rava was very wealthy and did not need to borrow for his own benefit. On the contrary, by borrowing from the house of bar Maryon he raised their standing in the community.

אֲמַר רָבָא: מַאי טַעְמָא דְּשׁוּחֲדָא? כֵּיוָן דְּקַבֵּיל לֵיהּ שׁוּחֲדָא מִינֵּיהּ – אִיקַּרְבָא לֵיהּ דַּעְתֵּיהּ לְגַבֵּיהּ, וְהָוֵי כְּגוּפֵיהּ, וְאֵין אָדָם רוֹאֶה חוֹבָה לְעַצְמוֹ. מַאי שׁוֹחַד – שֶׁהוּא חַד. אָמַר רַב פַּפָּא: לָא לֵידוּן אִינִישׁ דִּינָא לְמַאן דְּרָחֵים לֵיהּ, וְלָא לְמַאן דְּסָנֵי לֵיהּ. דְּרָחֵים לֵיהּ – לָא חָזֵי לֵיהּ חוֹבָה, דְּסָנֵי לֵיהּ – לָא חָזֵי לֵיהּ זְכוּתָא.

Rava said: What is the reason for the prohibition against taking a bribe? Once a judge accepts a bribe from one party, his thoughts draw closer to him and he becomes like his own self, and a person does not find fault in himself. The Gemara notes that the term itself alludes to this idea: What is the meaning of shoḥad , bribe? It can be read as: Shehu ḥad , as he is one, i.e., at one mind with the litigant. Rav Pappa said: A person should not judge a case involving one whom he loves, nor involving one whom he hates. He should not judge one whom he loves, as he will not find any fault in him, while with regard to one whom he hates, he will not find any merit in him.

אֲמַר אַבַּיֵי: הַאי צוּרְבָא מֵרַבָּנַן דִּמְרַחֲמִין לֵיהּ בְּנֵי מָתָא – לָאו מִשּׁוּם דְּמַעֲלֵי טְפֵי, אֶלָּא מִשּׁוּם דְּלָא מוֹכַח לְהוּ בְּמִילֵּי דִּשְׁמַיָּא.

Abaye said: With regard to this Torah scholar who is beloved by the residents of his town, it is not because he is a superior Sage than others; rather, it is because he does not reprove them in Heavenly matters. He is beloved because he is not strict with them with regard to the observance of mitzvot.

אֲמַר רָבָא: מֵרֵישׁ הֲוָה אָמִינָא: הָנֵי בְּנֵי מְחוֹזָא כּוּלְּהוּ רַחֲמוּ לִי, כֵּיוָן דַּהֲוַאי דַּיָּינָא, אָמִינָא: מִינַּיְיהוּ סָנוּ לִי, וּמִינַּיְיהוּ רַחֲמוּ לִי. כֵּיוָן דַּחֲזַאי דְּמַאן דְּמִיחַיַּיב לֵיהּ הָאִידָנָא קָא זָכֵי לְמָחָר, אָמִינָא: אִם מִרְחַם – כּוּלְּהוּ רַחֲמוּ לִי, אִי מִסְנוּ – כּוּלְּהוּ סָנוּ לִי.

Rava said: At first I would say that all these residents of Meḥoza love me; however, once I became a judge I said that some of them hate me and some of them love me, as I assumed that their feelings toward me depended on the success of their case. When I saw that the one I declared guilty today would be found innocent the following day, I realized that my rulings do not determine their attitudes, and therefore I said: If they love, then they all love me, and if they hate, then they all hate me, regardless of what happens in the courtroom.

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: ״וְשׁוֹחַד לֹא תִקָּח״ – אֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר שׁוֹחַד מָמוֹן, אֶלָּא אֲפִילּוּ שׁוֹחַד דְּבָרִים נַמִי אָסוּר. מִדְּלָא כְּתִיב ״בֶּצַע לֹא תִקָּח״. הֵיכִי דָּמֵי שׁוֹחַד דְּבָרִים?

§ The Sages taught: “And you shall take no bribe” (Exodus 23:8). It is not necessary to say that this includes bribery by means of money; however, even verbal bribery, assisting by means of speech, is also prohibited. The halakha that a bribe is not necessarily monetary is derived from the fact that it is not written: And you shall take no profit. The Gemara asks: What are the circumstances of bribing with words?

כִּי הָא דִּשְׁמוּאֵל הֲוָה עָבַר בְּמַבְרָא, אֲתָא הַהוּא גַּבְרָא יָהֵיב לֵיהּ יְדֵיהּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מַאי עֲבִידְתֵיךְ? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: דִּינָא אִית לִי. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: פְּסִילְנָא לָךְ לְדִינָא.

The Gemara explains: This can be demonstrated by that episode involving Shmuel, who was once crossing a river on a narrow ferry. A certain man came along and gave him a hand to help him out of the ferryboat. Shmuel said to him: What are you doing in this place? The man said to him: I have a case to present before you for judgment. Shmuel said to him: I am disqualified from presiding over your case, as you did me a favor. Although no money changed hands, a bond was formed between the pair.

אַמֵימָר הֲוָה יָתֵיב וְקָא דָּאִין דִּינָא פָּרַח גַּדְפָא אַרֵישֵׁיהּ, אֲתָא הַהוּא גַּבְרָא שְׁקַלֵיהּ, אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מַאי עֲבִידְתֵיךְ? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: דִּינָא אִית לִי. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: פְּסִילְנָא לָךְ לְדִינָא. מָר עוּקְבָא הֲוָה שְׁדִי רוּקָּא קַמֵּיהּ, אֲתָא הַהוּא גַּבְרָא כָּסְיֵיהּ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מַאי עֲבִידְתֵיךְ? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: דִּינָא אִית לִי. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: פְּסִילְנָא לָךְ לְדִינָא.

The Gemara relates a similar story. Ameimar was sitting and judging a case when a feather floated and landed on his head. A certain man came by and removed it from his head. Ameimar said to him: What are you doing here? He said to him: I have a case to present before you. Ameimar said to him: I am disqualified from presiding over your case, due to the favor you performed for me. The Gemara likewise relates: There was spittle lying before Mar Ukva. A certain man came by and covered it. He said to him: What are you doing here? He said to him: I have a case to present before you. Mar Ukva said to him: I am disqualified from presiding over your case.

רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל בְּרַבִּי יוֹסֵי הֲוָה רָגִיל אֲרִיסֵיהּ דַּהֲוָה מַיְיתֵי לֵיהּ כָּל מַעֲלֵי שַׁבְּתָא כַּנְתָּא דְּפֵירֵי. יוֹמָא חַד אַיְיתֵי לֵיהּ בְּחַמְשָׁה בְּשַׁבְּתָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מַאי שְׁנָא הָאִידָנָא? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: דִּינָא אִית לִי, וְאָמִינָא: אַגַּב אוֹרְחִי אַיְיתֵי לֵיהּ לְמָר. לָא קַבֵּיל מִינֵּיהּ, אֲמַר לֵיהּ: פְּסִילְנָא לָךְ לְדִינָא.

The Gemara cites another incident. The sharecropper of Rabbi Yishmael, son of Rabbi Yosei, was accustomed to bringing him a basket [ kanta ] full of fruits every Shabbat eve. One day, he brought him the basket on a Thursday. Rabbi Yishmael said to him: What is different that you came early now, this week? The sharecropper said to him: I have a case to present before you, and I said to myself that along my way I will bring to the Master the basket of fruits, as in any case I am coming on Thursday, the day the courts are in session. Rabbi Yishmael did not accept the basket of fruits from him, and he said to him: I am disqualified from presiding over your case.

אוֹתֵיב זוּזָא דְּרַבָּנַן, וְקָדָיְינִין לֵיהּ. בַּהֲדֵי דְּקָאָזֵיל וְאָתֵי אֲמַר: אִי בָּעֵי טָעֵין הָכִי, וְאִי בָּעֵי טָעֵין הָכִי, אָמַר: תִּיפַּח נַפְשָׁם שֶׁל מְקַבְּלֵי שׁוֹחַד! וּמָה אֲנִי, שֶׁלֹּא נָטַלְתִּי, וְאִם נָטַלְתִּי – שֶׁלִּי נָטַלְתִּי, כָּךְ, מְקַבְּלֵי שׁוֹחַד – עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה.

Rabbi Yishmael seated a pair of rabbinic scholars and they judged the sharecropper’s case. As Rabbi Yishmael was coming and going, he said to himself: If he wants, he could claim this, and if he wants, he could claim that, i.e., he kept thinking of all the ways in which the litigant who brought him the fruits could win his case. He said to himself: Blast the souls of those who accept bribes. If I, who did not accept anything, and if I had accepted, I would have accepted my own property, as it is my sharecropper and the fruits legally belong to me, am nevertheless in this state of mind due to the proposed gift, all the more so are those who actually accept bribes inevitably biased in favor of the one who bribed them.

רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל בַּר אֱלִישָׁע אַיְיתֵי לֵיהּ הַהוּא גַּבְרָא רֵאשִׁית הַגֵּז. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מֵהֵיכָא אַתְּ? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מִדּוּךְ פְּלָן. וּמֵהָתָם לְהָכָא לָא הֲוָה כֹּהֵן לְמֵיתְבָא לֵיהּ? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: דִּינָא אִית לִי, וְאָמִינָא: אַגַּב אוֹרְחַאי אַיְיתֵי לֵיהּ לְמָר. אֲמַר לֵיהּ: פְּסִילְנָא לָךְ לְדִינָא. לָא קַבֵּיל מִינֵּיהּ,

The Gemara likewise relates with regard to Rabbi Yishmael bar Elisha, who was a priest, that a certain man once brought him the first shearing. Rabbi Yishmael said to him: From where are you? The man said to him: I am from such and such a place. Rabbi Yishmael said to him: And from there to here was there no priest to whom you could give the first shearing? He said to him: I have a case to present before you, and I said to myself that along my way I will bring to the Master the first shearing. Rabbi Yishmael said to him: I am disqualified from presiding over your case, and he would not accept the first shearing from him.

אוֹתֵיב לֵיהּ זוּגָא דְּרַבָּנַן וְקָדָיְינִי לֵיהּ. בַּהֲדֵי דְּקָאָזֵיל וְאָתֵי אֲמַר: אִי בָּעֵי טָעֵין הָכִי, וְאִי בָּעֵי טָעֵין הָכִי, אֲמַר: תִּיפַּח נַפְשָׁם שֶׁל מְקַבְּלֵי שׁוֹחַד! וּמָה אֲנִי שֶׁלֹּא נָטַלְתִּי, וְאִם נָטַלְתִּי – שֶׁלִּי נָטַלְתִּי, כָּךְ, מְקַבְּלֵי שׁוֹחַד – עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה.

Rabbi Yishmael bar Elisha seated a pair of rabbinic scholars and they judged his case. As Rabbi Yishmael was coming and going, he said to himself: If he wants, he could claim this, and if he wants, he could claim that. He said to himself: Blast the souls of those who accept bribes. If I, who did not accept anything, and if I had accepted, I would have accepted my own property, as I am a priest and am entitled to receive the first shearing, am nevertheless in this state of mind, all the more so are those who accept bribes.

רַב עָנָן אַיְיתֵי לֵיהּ הַהוּא גַּבְרָא כַּנְתָּא דְּגִילְדָנֵי דְּבֵי גִּילֵּי, אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מַאי עֲבִידְתֵיךְ? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: דִּינָא אִית לִי. לָא קַבֵּיל מִינֵּיהּ, אֲמַר לֵיהּ: פְּסִילְנָא לָךְ לְדִינָא.

The Gemara relates: There was a certain man who once brought to Rav Anan a basket of small fish [ gildanei devei gilei ]. He said to him: What are you doing here? The man said to him: I have a case to present before you. Rav Anan would not accept the basket from him, and he said to him: I am disqualified from presiding over your case, due to your actions.

אֲמַר לֵיהּ: דִּינָא דְּמָר לָא בָּעֵינָא, קַבּוּלֵי לְקַבֵּיל מָר, דְּלָא לְמָנְעָן מָר מֵאַקְרוּבֵי בִּכּוּרִים. דְּתַנְיָא: ״וְאִישׁ בָּא מִבַּעַל שָׁלִישָׁה וַיָּבֵא לְאִישׁ הָאֱלֹהִים לֶחֶם בִּכּוּרִים עֶשְׂרִים לֶחֶם שְׂעוֹרִים וְכַרְמֶל בְּצִקְלוֹנוֹ״, וְכִי אֱלִישָׁע אוֹכֵל בִּכּוּרִים הֲוָה? אֶלָּא לוֹמַר לְךָ: כָּל הַמֵּבִיא דּוֹרוֹן לְתַלְמִיד חָכָם – כְּאִילּוּ מַקְרִיב בִּכּוּרִים.

The man said to him: I do not need the Master’s judgment. However, let the Master accept my gift anyway, so that the Master does not prevent me from presenting first fruits. What does the mitzva of first fruits have to with this situation? As it is taught in a baraita : “And there came a man came from Ba’al Shalisha, and he brought the man of God bread of the first fruits, twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of corn in his sack” (II Kings 4:42). But did Elisha, the recipient of these gifts, eat first fruits? After all, he was not a priest. Rather, this verse comes to tell you: Whoever brings a gift to a Torah scholar, it is as though he has presented first fruits. This visitor to Rav Anan wished to fulfill this mitzva.

אֲמַר לֵיהּ: קַבּוּלֵי לָא בָּעֵינַן דְּאִיקַּבֵּיל, הָשְׁתָּא דְּאָמְרַתְּ לִי טַעְמָא – מְקַבֵּילְנָא. שְׁדַרֵיהּ לְקַמֵּיהּ דְּרַב נַחְמָן, שָׁלַח לֵיהּ: נִידַיְינֵיהּ מָר לְהַאי גַּבְרָא, דַּאֲנָא עָנָן פְּסִילְנָא לֵיהּ לְדִינָא. אֲמַר: מִדְּשָׁלַח לִי הָכִי, שְׁמַע מִינָּהּ קְרֵיבֵיהּ הוּא, הֲוָה קָאֵים דִּינָא דְּיָתְמֵי קַמֵּיהּ, אֲמַר

Rav Anan said to him: I do not want to take it from you, but now that you have explained to me the reason that you wish to give it to me I will accept it from you. Rav Anan sent the man to Rav Naḥman, and he also sent him a letter: Let the Master judge this man’s case because I, Anan, am disqualified from judging his cases. Rav Naḥman said to himself: From the fact that he sent me this letter, I can conclude from here that the reason he is disqualified from judging the case is because he is his relative. At that time, a case involving orphans was being heard before Rav Naḥman. He said: