DIN: Ha Ha , he thought he was writing for Ami Magazine who would censure any negative comment on an article like this, he is in for a huge surprise, his naive and dumb column was immediately shredded!
See below the article!
When the guilty verdicts in former President Donald Trump’s recent New York trial were handed down, Trump and his supporters — including some in my own Orthodox community — rejected the decree, saying that the legal system had been rigged against him.What came to my mind was a passage from the Talmud that describes how the losing party in a case should feel and behave.
Much in Western legal systems like our own owes itself to millennia-old Jewish jurisprudence. American law drew extensively from ideas of courts, witnesses and evidence rooted in the Torah. Concepts central to the areas of crime and torts, property and economics, charity and education, labor and other legal realms likewise have origins in the Jewish religious tradition.
But there is much, too, in American law that stands in stark contrast to Judaism’s view. Incarceration isn’t an option for punishment in Torah. Where, for example, “rights” reign supreme in our legal system, in Judaism, while things like property rights exist, the greater emphasis is not on rights but rather on doing right. American constitutional law speaks of the right to pursue interests; Jewish law’s stress is on obligations and responsibility.
Then there is the idea of appealing a decision. While Jewish law, at least in the past, included a “Supreme Court,” the Great Sanhedrin, its function was essentially to sit on capital cases, and to resolve questions of law that were in doubt or the subject of dispute. There is no Jewish jurisprudential option for a disgruntled defendant to simply appeal any court’s rendered judgment to another court.
And, in fact, there’s no option in Judaism even for disgruntlement — which was the essence of the passage that floated into my head after the Trump trial verdict. Even when the very cloak on someone’s back was seized, the Talmud (in Sanhedrin 7a) says, since the court ruled that it belonged to the other litigant, the loser of the case should “sing a song and go happily on his way.” He has, after all, the commentaries explain, been relieved of the burden of possessing something that really, legally, wasn’t his.
Not quite the reaction we routinely witness in our famously litigious world, and recently witnessed from Trump and much of his supportive mediaverse, where not only the verdict was derided as unfair or “rigged,” but where some overheated pundits and politicians, with scant basis other than their own disappointment, derided the entire judicial system as hopelessly corrupt.
That latter reaction — the attempt to undermine a law-based society’s courts — is not only wrongheaded but dangerous.
To be sure, there are courts in some countries that are inherently untrustworthy. And even an “international” court can prove itself beholden to particular interests and hence unworthy of respect. But the American legal system is inherently sound. Over its almost 250 years, it has experienced its ups and downs, even errors and reversals, but it has proven itself to be as self-correcting and sound as could be expected of any human system of law. The appeals process has proved a valuable tool to reverse unsound judgments.
There are legitimate reasons, by my lights, for Jews concerned with Israeli security to want to see Trump back in the White House (and many tell pollsters they do). And there are equally legitimate reasons for Jews to want a second term for President Joe Biden. I don’t mean to address the election here, only to make a vital point.
Namely, that delegitimizing American courts out of personal or partisan sentiment is pulling not just the rug but the very floor out from under the republic. Just as the results of elections — whoever wins — must be respected by the citizenry, the decisions of courts, especially when there is the option of appealing to higher courts for proper redress, are, or should be, sacrosanct.
It might be too much to ask of any of us to not feel upset at losing a court case. The Talmud asking a losing litigant to sing happily is describing only an ideal, after all. But disappointment in any particular verdict is mere bathwater. It’s essential to hold the baby tight.
It is Rabbi Avi Shafran who is radically out of step with the Talmud.
The Talmud does not teach that a defendant should be judged by a jury of left wing partisans who were picked by the prosecution for their extreme bias against the defendant.
There is no way to justify using Torah sources the Stali...
See moreShafran should go work for AlJezzera or the BBC.
I'm an American who knows this was a witch hunt trial. A democratic jusge should have recused himself. His daughter holds a well-paying Democratic appointed job. Biden knifed Netanyahu in the back along with Obama and GB Prime Minister at Soros' direction.
Now we find a juror discussed a guilty ve...
See moreShafran is an Agudist, Aguda supports the political Zionism of the State of Israel, political Zionism, being a secular ideology, is a negation of Torah true Judaism, ergo, Shafran has no business expounding on Torah Judicial concepts. He should keep out of American politics!
It’s interesting that author comments on attacks of the justice system by Trump supporters but not by the Democratic supporters who unceasingly critique the Supreme Court. Last I heard Chuck Shomer is Jewish
Jewish law does not have jury trials and requires judges to recuse themselves if there is any hint of bias. This case WAS rigged.
Judaism doesn't hold gentile courts in high regard and bans Jews from using them unless all other options are exhausted.
The author is confused about this.
We live in a world of Rabbinic manufactured Judaism. I am not aware of any provision in the Torah that abrogates a litigant's right to appeal. It is a rule enacted by the rabbis who assume that all dayanim are honest, knowledgeable and fair. In my experience as a participant in cases before a Bet D...
See moreGive me a break, there's no question that it was a politically motivated conviction, the Dems are trying to derail his candidacy, because they know Biden can't honestly win an election. Where is Clinton's conviction for paying hush money to Paula Jones? Where is the string of convictions of the Bus...
See moreWith all due respect Rabbi you very quickly gloss over the fact that even at this very moment no one knows what the criminal charge is that resulted in President Trump's conviction. In order to bring these misdemeanors from 8 years ago back to life because they far exceeded the two-year statute of ...
See moreTwo points - the Jewish ruling also dictate and expec a fully objective justice. "I'm going to indict this guy when I am DA." and "pay no attention to the expert that I'm refusing to testify." are not objective. Going the through the technical process is not the same as a valid court case. Red ...
See moreTrump had no shot with a Manhattan jury. None. The verdict was preordained
dear Rabbi - we are in Amerika - if u don't think the courts have been/are rigged u need to have your head examined - just as Trump said about Jews who vote for Biden. In case u don't know our Jewish nation is at war now - the time has come for unity and for u in particular to expound with all your wisdom how to achieve winning the war.
Life is a little too complicated for you Avi. Not all trials are equal.
I don’t think the Rabbi understands what’s going on here.
Would he say the same about courts of the former USSR which even had strict laws against anti-semitism?
Soros and his progressive ilk have dislocated the public prosecutors nationwide where certain people are prosecuted while others are not.
If...
See moreYour opinion does not equal the Jewish view of anything. Please speak for yourself and not the Jewish people and not of Torah..
When the courts sentenced Rubashkin there wasn't this much of a favorable attitude about the American justice system
the author brings shame on himself associating the holy Torah, which prohibits the perversion of justice, even the mere appearance of favoritism, to the show trial of a political oponent by the party in power.
With all due respect, I'd suggest starting the discussion with a clear statement of the objection to the verdict that critics have raised. What are the issues to which the objectors are calling attention?
Once you've answered that question, you'll be able to evaluate their objections as sound or uns...
See moreu have to be deaf and dumb not to understand that everything was planned/rigged in advance. Just for starters the misdemeanors took place 8 years ago. Why did they become felonies only after Trump announced his candicacy?
You can always rely on shafran to twist Jewish law
The premise that calling out a corrupt justice system is somehow a violation of the Jewish religion is simply inane. The author really had to twist the truth into knits in order to get there but would have to be a complete moron to buy into this lunacy. In fact supporting and defending a corrupt j...
See moreI burst out laughing at this. This is the best counterargument you could come up with? On an Israeli newspaper's comments log, you decided your best line of attack was the Talmud? 😂😂😂
Ah the Talmud says, so that passage written centuries ago must, most assuredly, apply to current events.
The corruption apparent in this trial should cause fear in each and every one of us lest it is pointed at us next time. As for relying on the appeal process, that's also immaterial. That proces...
See moreNo president has done more for Israel and the Jewish community than Trump. Though his mouth is his worst enemy. His administration added protections for Anti semitism for universities.
And as a lifelong Democrat until last week, Biden and Obama are the greatest threats to our republic. Just look at...
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I beg to differ. I'm a lifelong Democrat, and I believe that everything about this conviction stinks to high heaven. Anyone who sets aside partisanship—and personal dislike of Trump—should be able to see how farcical this was.
The decision to bring criminal charges is supposed to be based on the mer...
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As a lawyer and immigrant from Stalinist Eastern Europe I firmly believe that this trial is legally flawed and is no different from a Stalinist show trial. I fail to see how disputing a rigged election is a Jewish problem.
Please don't project. The trial news coverage was a circus because of who Trump is. But the jury was 12 ordinary citizens chosen by both the prosecution and the defense, the prosecution was Trump's home city in a local court, not a federal court, and Trump had the best defense available. But the ci...
See moreJews in America in lock step follow the Democrats. They are like lemmings blindly following the leader, in this case to the destruction of the Constitution in America.
TRUMP trial included judicial misconduct, conducted in hostile NY court , biased Judge and jury. 34 verdicts that no one can name. Higher courts will dismiss the case. Not a Jewish problem: the best will be elected regadless of the verdict.
Republicans approved in Congress, weapons and jets for Israel . Biden isn"t sending rhem even though they were approved by Congress.
He has a corrupt New York DOJ and is a cupey doll smiling crook.
So the rabbi thinks that jews should be "singing happily" whenever they loose in the court. And it does not matter if a court is rigged or not. I wonder if this applies to the ICC? It's a court too. How about tennis? They also play on the court.
Shame on you. To you Truth does not matter. The verdict will be overturned but that is not important to you. Keep writing for The New York Times. They love you. Do not speak for us Jews.
Trump facing a jury in NYC, is no different than a Jew being tried by the Inquisition.
I'm not sure that "the trial was rigged" was the best criticism to level, but it's hard to dispute that "the legal system was weaponized." Anyone feeling good about this verdict should understand that their temporary satisfaction will be regretted later on when future administrations go after their...
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If following "our" commandments no politician would be elected in America. Joe Biden every day breaks commandments and laws in America.
u like that convicted felon don't u? MLK, Gandhi and Mandella were also felons.
4 comments:
Avi Shaffrin LOVES attention. He would support Hitler just to get people rilled up.If a majority of jews feel one way (legitimately) expect to find "frum" Avi taking the opposite side.There's always one who leaves his people for attention he never got from his parents.
On the other hand, this same American law & justice system seems to be ok with Bill Clinton having flown 27 times in Jeffrey Epstein's jet.
The same folks who screamed that Rubashkin was being persecuted by that same justice system and that the verdict there was garbage, remember?
Shafran loved Obama when he was in office! He's a politcal stooge for the OU to sound centrist nothig more nothing less.
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