IT’S WORSE THAN ANY CRIME
The proximity of the laws about judges to the laws of “asheira” (a tree worshipped as a god) in Parshat Shoftim prompts Reish Lakish (Sanhedrin 7b) to comment that if there is a judge who misbehaves it is like an “asheira” in the midst of the Jewish nation.
Rabbi Dunner questions this startling comparison, and goes on to suggest an explanation, using a story about diamond smugglers to illustrate his point.
There is a particular kind of self-destructive confidence that exists only at the very top of a brutal regime. It isn’t courage, and it certainly isn’t principle. It’s raw hubris,... Read More