Are you Guilty of Taking Bribes? - Shoftim

Are you Guilty of Taking Bribes?
Parshat Shoftim

This week we read the Torah portion of Shoftim. The portion opens with a number of commandments related to establishing and maintaining the integrity of the courts. One of these laws is the prohibition against taking or accepting a bribe.

The Torah states (16:19) ולא תקח שחד כי השחד יעור עיני חכמים ויסלף דברי צדיקים - You shall not accept a bribe, for the bribe will blind the eyes of the wise and make just words crooked”.

On the surface,  this commandment seems to be a no-brainer. We should not pervert justice or let the law be swayed by a bribe. Judges should be impartial, non biased, and be completely beyond reproach. Our belief in the justice system is based on trust that the judicial system is ethical, moral and free of corruption. In addition, even if judges have no intention of perverting justice, they are still forbidden from taking any money or bribe, even to do the right thing, for money and bribes turn us into different people.

For the sake of clarity, what exactly is a bribe? A bribe is when we take money or even advice in order to deliver a certain outcome or guarantee. The bribe sways us from whatever thoughts or decisions we may come to on our own, pushing us in the direction of the one who offered the bribe.

As we make our way through the month of Elul, the preparatory month before the High Holidays, we should consider if we have taken a bribe? Maybe we have not taken a monetary bribe to pervert justice, but maybe we accepted a mental or emotional bribe? Have we perhaps “bribed” and convinced ourselves of what we can or cannot do? Has our Yetzer Ha'ra (evil inclination) convinced us that we cannot achieve great things or step up?

Perhaps the message of our parshah is to not allow ourselves to be swayed from our true selves! Do not accept a bribe against yourself! You are so much more than what you allow yourself or others to convince you. G-d put you on earth to achieve great things. You must believe in yourself, and for heaven's sake, don't take a bribe.

Shabbat Shalom.