The Bribe in the Pocket

The pasuk in Parshas Mishpotim (Shemos 23:8) says that a bribe blinds the wise and distorts the words of the tzaddikim. Rav Yitzchok Isaac of Komarna writes in Heichal Habrachah (Mishpotim 2:4) that, according to Chazal (Kesubos 105a), even a complete tzaddik who takes a bribe will be blinded. This seems strange, he says, for how can a man who takes bribes be called a complete tzaddik? The Komarner answers with a true story about the Apta Rav.

In his younger days, Rav Avrohom Yehoshua Heschel was Rav of Kolbosov and served as a dayan in the beis din of that city and its surroundings. He once sat with two other judges to rule on an important matter. The other two had accepted a bribe to rule in favor of one of the litigants, but the Ohev Yisroel kept insisting that their ruling was wrong and contrary to Halachah.

The other dayanim advised the litigant to bribe the Ohev Yisroel as well. He knew, however, that a tzaddik like the Rav would never take a bribe directly from him. So they suggested a way to do it secretly. The man filled the pockets of the Rav's Rosh Chodesh bekeshe, the long, fine satin coat he wore in honor of Rosh Chodesh, with gold, and no one knew.

When the Rav sat in judgment, he was amazed to find that the arguments of the other judges suddenly seemed true to him, and that their earlier, crooked rulings now sounded correct. He knew in his heart that it was wrong, and so he kept putting off the decision. He could not understand how his own judgment had become so clouded.

Then Rosh Chodesh came. When he went to put on his coat, it felt unusually heavy. He put his hands into the pockets and was dumbfounded to find them full of gold coins. He asked his household and learned that the litigant had been seen visiting his rooms, and he realized he had been bribed in secret. At last he understood why his mind had been distorted. He summoned the litigant, who admitted what he had done. The Rav returned the money at once and removed himself from the case.

Now, said the Ohev Yisroel, he understood the pasuk. Even a complete tzaddik who unknowingly receives a bribe will find his words and judgments distorted.