That a judge not fear in judgment: That the judge is prevented from being afraid of a man, to judge a truthful judgment — even if he is a man [that is] destructive, brazen-faced and thick-headed — but rather, he should make the verdict and not put his heart at all to that which may befall him of the [possible] damage [to himself] as a result of the judgment. And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 1:17), “Do not fear any man.” And the language of Sifrei Devarim 17:2 [is] “Lest you say, ‘I am afraid of man x lest he kill me or kill one of the people of my home’ or ‘lest he burn my stacks or lest he cut down my plantings.’ [Hence] we learn to say, ‘Do not fear any man.’”
2
שֹׁרֶשׁ מִצְוָה זוֹ הַשֵּׂכֶל מֵעִיד עָלָיו.
The intellect testifies to root of the commandment.
The laws of the commandment are that which they said (Sanhedrin 6b), “Two [litigants] that come before you in judgment — one is gentle and one is difficult — before you hear their statements, or even after you hear their statements but you do not yet know where the judgment is leaning, it is permitted for you to say to them, ‘I am not available to you,’ lest he will be found liable, and it will turn out that he will pursue after the judge to kill him. But once you hear their statements and you know where the judgment is leaning, you may not say to them, ‘I am not available to you,’ as it is stated, ‘Do not fear any man.’” And so [too] (Sanhedrin 6b), “A student who is sitting before his teacher and he sees innocence for a poor person and guilt for a wealthy person is not allowed to be silent, as it is stated, ‘Do not fear any man.’”
And this commandment is practiced in every place and at all times by males, as judgment is theirs. And one who transgresses this and did not want to judge [a case] from when he knows where the judgment is leaning — as we have said — out of fear of the judged, has violated this negative commandment. And if he also perverts the judgment out of his fear of him, he has violated this negative commandment, besides having violated the negative commandment of “Do not pervert justice.”
שֶׁלֹּא יִירָא הַדַּיָּן בַּדִּין – שֶׁנִּמְנַע הַדִּין מִלִּירֹא מֵאִישׁ מִלָּדוּן דִּין אֱמֶת, וַאֲפִלּוּ הוּא אִישׁ מַזִּיק עַז פָּנִים עָב הַמֹּחַ, אֶלָּא יַחְתֹּךְ אֶת הַדִּין, וְלֹא יָשִׂים לִבּוֹ כְּלָל לְמָה שֶׁיִּקְרֶה עָלָיו מֵהַהֶזֵּק בִּשְׁבִיל דִּינוֹ, וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר (דברים א יז) לֹא תָגוּרוּ מִפְּנֵי אִישׁ. וּלְשׁוֹן סִפְרֵי (כאן) שֶׁמָּא תֹּאמַר יָרֵא אֲנִי מֵאִישׁ פְּלוֹנִי, שֶׁמָּא יַהַרְגֵנִי אוֹ יַהֲרֹג אֶחָד מִבְּנֵי בֵּיתִי, אוֹ שֶׁמָּא יַדְלִיק אֶת גְּדִישִׁי אוֹ שֶׁמָּא יִקְצֹץ אֶת נְטִיעָתִי? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר לֹא תָגוּרוּ מִפְּנֵי אִישׁ.
That a judge not fear in judgment: That the judge is prevented from being afraid of a man, to judge a truthful judgment — even if he is a man [that is] destructive, brazen-faced and thick-headed — but rather, he should make the verdict and not put his heart at all to that which may befall him of the [possible] damage [to himself] as a result of the judgment. And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 1:17), “Do not fear any man.” And the language of Sifrei Devarim 17:2 [is] “Lest you say, ‘I am afraid of man x lest he kill me or kill one of the people of my home’ or ‘lest he burn my stacks or lest he cut down my plantings.’ [Hence] we learn to say, ‘Do not fear any man.’”
שֹׁרֶשׁ מִצְוָה זוֹ הַשֵּׂכֶל מֵעִיד עָלָיו.
The intellect testifies to root of the commandment.
דִּינֵי הַמִּצְוָה. מָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (סנהדרין ו, ב) שְׁנַיִם שֶׁבָּאוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּדִין, אֶחָד רַךְ וְאֶחָד קָשֶׁה, עַד שֶׁלֹּא תִּשְׁמַע אֶת דִּבְרֵיהֶם, אוֹ אֲפִלּוּ מִשֶּׁתִּשְׁמַע אֶת דִּבְרֵיהֶן, וְאִי אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ לְהֵיכָן הַדִּין נוֹטֶה, אַתָּה רַשַּׁאי לוֹמַר לָהֶם אֵינִי נִזְקָק לָכֶם, שֶׁמָּא יִתְחַיֵּב וְנִמְצָא רוֹדֵף אַחַר הַדַּיָּן לְהָרְגוֹ, אֲבָל מִשֶּׁתִּשְׁמַע אֶת דִּבְרֵיהֶן וְתֵדַע לְהֵיכָן הַדִּין נוֹטֶה אִי אַתָּה רַשַּׁאי לוֹמַר לָהֶם אֵינִי נִזְקָק לָכֶם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לֹא תָגוּרוּ מִפְּנֵי אִישׁ. וְכֵן (סנהדרין שם) תַּלְמִיד הַיּוֹשֵׁב לִפְנֵי רַבּוֹ, וְרָאָה זְכוּת לֶעָנִי וְחוֹבָה לֶעָשִׁיר אֵינוֹ רַשַּׁאי לִהְיוֹת שׁוֹתֵק, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לֹא תָגוּרוּ מִפְּנֵי אִישׁ.
The laws of the commandment are that which they said (Sanhedrin 6b), “Two [litigants] that come before you in judgment — one is gentle and one is difficult — before you hear their statements, or even after you hear their statements but you do not yet know where the judgment is leaning, it is permitted for you to say to them, ‘I am not available to you,’ lest he will be found liable, and it will turn out that he will pursue after the judge to kill him. But once you hear their statements and you know where the judgment is leaning, you may not say to them, ‘I am not available to you,’ as it is stated, ‘Do not fear any man.’” And so [too] (Sanhedrin 6b), “A student who is sitting before his teacher and he sees innocence for a poor person and guilt for a wealthy person is not allowed to be silent, as it is stated, ‘Do not fear any man.’”
וְנוֹהֶגֶת מִצְוָה זוֹ, בְּכָל מָקוֹם וּבְכָל זְמַן בִּזְכָרִים, כִּי לָהֶם הַמִּשְׁפָּט. וְהָעוֹבֵר עַל זֶה וְלֹא רָצָה לָדוּן, מִשֶּׁיּוֹדֵעַ לְהֵיכָן הַדִּין נוֹטֶה כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ, מִיִּרְאַת הַנִּדּוֹן, עָבַר עַל לָאו זֶה, וְאִם הִטָּה הַדִּין גַּם כֵּן מִיִּרְאָתוֹ עָבַר עַל לָאו זֶה, מִלְּבַד שֶׁעָבַר עַל לָאו דְּלֹא תַטֶּה מִשְׁפָּט.
And this commandment is practiced in every place and at all times by males, as judgment is theirs. And one who transgresses this and did not want to judge [a case] from when he knows where the judgment is leaning — as we have said — out of fear of the judged, has violated this negative commandment. And if he also perverts the judgment out of his fear of him, he has violated this negative commandment, besides having violated the negative commandment of “Do not pervert justice.”