שׁוֹפְטִים וְשׁוֹטְרִים תִּתֵּן לְךָ בְּכָל שְׁעָרֶיךָ, בְּכָל עִיר וָעִיר. לִשְׁבָטֶיךָ, אֲפִלּוּ עִיר שֶׁכֻּלָּהּ מִשְׁפָּחָה אַחַת, מַנֵּה לָהּ דַּיָּנִין. וְשָׁפְטוּ אֶת הָעָם מִשְׁפַּט צֶדֶק, לְלַמֶּדְךָ, שֶׁצְּדָקָה עוֹשִׂין עִם שְׁנֵיהֶם. עִם הַזַּכַּאי, שֶׁנּוֹטֵל אֶת שֶׁלּוֹ. וְעִם הַחַיָּב, שֶׁמּוֹצִיאִין גֶּזֶל מִתַּחַת יָדוֹ. דָּבָר אַחֵר, מִשְׁפַּט צֶדֶק, בִּזְמַן שֶׁעוֹסְקִין וְדָנִין בְּצֶדֶק, הֵן עוֹשִׂין צְדָקָה עִם הַבְּרִיּוֹת וּמַצִּילִין אוֹתָן מִן הַפֻּרְעָנֻיּוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: אֱמֶת מֵאֶרֶץ תִּצְמַח וְגוֹ' (תהלים פה, יב). בַּזְּמַן שֶׁדִּין אֱמֶת מֵאֶרֶץ תִּצְמַח, אָז צֶדֶק מִשָּׁמַיִם נִשְׁקָף (שם), הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא עוֹשֶׂה צְדָקָה עִם הַבְּרִיּוֹת וּמַצִּיל אוֹתָן מִפֻּרְעָנֻיּוֹת וּמִיִּסּוּרִין, וְטוֹבָה בָּאָה לְעוֹלָם. (Deut. 16:18:) “You shall appoint judges and law officers] for yourselves in all your gates,” in every single city; “for your tribes,” even when the whole city consists of a single family, appoint judges for it. (Deut. 16:18, cont.:) “So that they may judge the people with righteous judgment.” [This is] to teach you that one effects righteousness with both of them, with the innocent one who gets what belongs to him and with the guilty one from under whose hand they take away the stolen goods. Another interpretation (of Deut. 16:18), “righteous judgment”: During the time that they judge righteously, they effect righteousness (charity) with the people, as stated (in Ps. 85:12), “Faithfulness shall spring up from the land [while righteousness looks down from Heaven].” During the time that a faithful judgment springs up from the land, the Holy One, blessed be He, effects righteousness (charity) with the people. He also saves them from divine punishment and afflictions, while goodwill comes into the world.