ויעמוד העם על משה מן הבוקר עד הערב. ודרשו רבותינו ז"ל (שבת ד"י ע"א) כל דיין שדן דין אמת לאמתו וכו', הובא ברש"י, שמעתי ממורי ביאור דברי התוספות בפ"א דשבת הדן דין אמת לאמתו לאפוקי דין מרומה וכו', כי שני מדות חסד וגבורה לוין זה מזה ונכללין זה בזה, וכאשר מתחברין זה לזה נעשה תפארת וכו', ועל ידי הדיינים שהם סוד ג' רישין וכו', לכך צריך שיהיו שונאי בצ"ע שהוא אותיות שניות מן האבות אברהם וכו', וכאשר מברר ומייחד במחשבה ונעשה אמת לאמתו, והנה למטה יש גם כן סיספיתא דדהבא (זוה"ק וארא דכ"ד ע"ב, ויקהל ר"ג ע"א, פקודי רל"ו ע"ב) וכספא, שהם חוטפין וגוזלין זה מזה, ועל ידי הדין נתברר ודפח"ח: (תוי"י בסופו דר"ט ע"א).
And on the next day, Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood around Moses from morning to evening. (ibid. 18:13) Any judge who judges with absolute truth, even one hour a day, is considered by the Torah as though he were G‑d’s partner in the work of creation.2Shabbat 10a, quoted in Rashi on this verse. “…with absolute truth” – as opposed to a deceitful judgment.3Tosefos, Shabbat 10a, , s.v. din emes l’amiso. A deceitful judgment is based upon the false testimony of the witnesses. That is, if a judge knows that the witnesses are lying, but cannot prove it, he is still not obligated to closely analyze their words. This is judging with absolute truth. To heed the false words of the witnesses would be to issue a deceitful judgment. (See Tosefos, Bava Basra 8b, s.v. din emes l’amiso.) I heard from my Master (the Baal Shem Tov) an explanation of the gemara’s admonition to judge truthfully. The two attributes of Chesed and Gevurah borrow from each other and are included in each another. When they join together, they make Tiferes. This happens through the judges, who are the “three heads.” Therefore, they must hate illicit gain4As the verse says: “Now, you (Moshe) should seek out from among all the people capable, God-fearing men - men of truth, who hate unjust gain, and appoint them over [the people] as leaders of thousands, leaders of hundreds, leaders of fifties, and leaders of tens. And let them judge the people at all times” (Exodus 18:21-22). – “Botza” – which is formed from the second letters of the names Abraham, Yitzchok, Yaakov.5Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Avraham, Yitzchok and Yaakov) also correspond to Chesed, Gevurah and Tiferes. The second letters of their names, however, represent the forces of concealment. Thus, they spell out botza – illicit gain. When they clarify [the dispute] and are united in their thinking, they attain “absolute truth.” Furthermore, below, there exists gold and silver dross that steal from each other.6Due to the primordial “breaking of the vessels,” each of the supernal attributes also has a fallen manifestation. For instance, love of G‑d falls to the level of material lusts, awe of G‑d falls to the level of mortal fears. These fallen emotions must be refined of their “dross” and uplifted to the service of G‑d. Silver and gold correspond to the Sefiros of Chesed, Gevurah. Rather than combining together positively to serve, as do the supernal qualities, they “steal” from one another. (Only when the various attributes of the personality are used in the service of G‑d can opposite combine, as in the verse: “rejoice with trembling” (Psalms 2:11).) In the act of judging truthfully, the judges purify the fallen attributes and uplift them to their source in holiness. Through the judges, these traits are refined. Toldos Yaakov Yosef, p. 209a
ויעמוד העם על משה מן הבוקר עד הערב. ודרשו רבותינו ז"ל (שבת ד"י ע"א) כל דיין שדן דין אמת לאמתו וכו', הובא ברש"י, שמעתי ממורי ביאור דברי התוספות בפ"א דשבת הדן דין אמת לאמתו לאפוקי דין מרומה וכו', כי שני מדות חסד וגבורה לוין זה מזה ונכללין זה בזה, וכאשר מתחברין זה לזה נעשה תפארת וכו', ועל ידי הדיינים שהם סוד ג' רישין וכו', לכך צריך שיהיו שונאי בצ"ע שהוא אותיות שניות מן האבות אברהם וכו', וכאשר מברר ומייחד במחשבה ונעשה אמת לאמתו, והנה למטה יש גם כן סיספיתא דדהבא (זוה"ק וארא דכ"ד ע"ב, ויקהל ר"ג ע"א, פקודי רל"ו ע"ב) וכספא, שהם חוטפין וגוזלין זה מזה, ועל ידי הדין נתברר ודפח"ח:
(תוי"י בסופו דר"ט ע"א).
And on the next day, Moses sat to judge the people; and the people stood around Moses from morning to evening. (ibid. 18:13)
Any judge who judges with absolute truth, even one hour a day, is considered by the Torah as though he were G‑d’s partner in the work of creation.2Shabbat 10a, quoted in Rashi on this verse.
“…with absolute truth” – as opposed to a deceitful judgment.3Tosefos, Shabbat 10a, , s.v. din emes l’amiso. A deceitful judgment is based upon the false testimony of the witnesses. That is, if a judge knows that the witnesses are lying, but cannot prove it, he is still not obligated to closely analyze their words. This is judging with absolute truth. To heed the false words of the witnesses would be to issue a deceitful judgment. (See Tosefos, Bava Basra 8b, s.v. din emes l’amiso.)
I heard from my Master (the Baal Shem Tov) an explanation of the gemara’s admonition to judge truthfully. The two attributes of Chesed and Gevurah borrow from each other and are included in each another. When they join together, they make Tiferes. This happens through the judges, who are the “three heads.” Therefore, they must hate illicit gain4As the verse says: “Now, you (Moshe) should seek out from among all the people capable, God-fearing men - men of truth, who hate unjust gain, and appoint them over [the people] as leaders of thousands, leaders of hundreds, leaders of fifties, and leaders of tens. And let them judge the people at all times” (Exodus 18:21-22). – “Botza” – which is formed from the second letters of the names Abraham, Yitzchok, Yaakov.5Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Avraham, Yitzchok and Yaakov) also correspond to Chesed, Gevurah and Tiferes. The second letters of their names, however, represent the forces of concealment. Thus, they spell out botza – illicit gain. When they clarify [the dispute] and are united in their thinking, they attain “absolute truth.” Furthermore, below, there exists gold and silver dross that steal from each other.6Due to the primordial “breaking of the vessels,” each of the supernal attributes also has a fallen manifestation. For instance, love of G‑d falls to the level of material lusts, awe of G‑d falls to the level of mortal fears. These fallen emotions must be refined of their “dross” and uplifted to the service of G‑d. Silver and gold correspond to the Sefiros of Chesed, Gevurah. Rather than combining together positively to serve, as do the supernal qualities, they “steal” from one another. (Only when the various attributes of the personality are used in the service of G‑d can opposite combine, as in the verse: “rejoice with trembling” (Psalms 2:11).) In the act of judging truthfully, the judges purify the fallen attributes and uplift them to their source in holiness. Through the judges, these traits are refined.
Toldos Yaakov Yosef, p. 209a