(א) ואלה המשפטים. "וְאֵלֶּה" מוֹסִיף עַל הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, מָה הָרִאשׁוֹנִים מִסִּינַי, אַף אֵלּוּ מִסִּינַי;(מכילתא):
(1) ואלה המשפטים NOW THESE ARE THE JUDGMENTS — ...“and these” adds something to the former subject. So also here: “And these are the judgments”: Just as the עשרת הדברות were given at Sinai, So these, too, were given at Sinai! (Mekhilta
אמר רב יהודה האי מאן דבעי למהוי חסידא לקיים מילי דנזיקין:
Rav Yehuda says: One who wants to be pious should observe the matters of tractate Nezikin, so as to avoid causing damage to others.
ותניא היה ר"ט אומר כל מקום שאתה מוצא אגוריאות של עובדי כוכבים אע"פ שדיניהם כדיני ישראל אי אתה רשאי להיזקק להם שנאמר (שמות כא, א)
And it is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Tarfon would say: With regard to any place where you find gentile courts [agoriot], even if their laws are like Jewish laws, you may not attend them, as it is stated: “Now these are the ordinances which you shall set before them” (Exodus 21:1).
(ג) לפניהם. וְלֹא לִפְנֵי גוֹיִם, וַאֲפִילּוּ יָדַעְתָּ בְדִין אֶחָד שֶׁהֵם דָּנִין אוֹתוֹ כְּדִינֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, אַל תְּבִיאֵהוּ בְעַרְכָּאוֹת שֶׁלָּהֶם, שֶׁהַמֵּבִיא דִּינֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לִפְנֵי גוֹיִם, מְחַלֵּל אֶת הַשֵּׁם וּמְיַקֵּר שֵׁם עֲ"זָ לְהַשְׁבִּיחָהּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר כִּי לֹא כְצוּרֵנוּ צוּרָם וְאוֹיְבֵינוּ פְּלִילִים (דברים ל"ב) – כְּשֶׁאוֹיְבֵינוּ פְּלִילִים זֶהוּ עֵדוּת לְעִלּוּי יִרְאָתָם (תנחומא):
(3) לפניהם BEFORE THEM — but not before the heathens. Even if you know that in the case of a particular matter of law they will decide it in the same way as Jewish law would, do not bring it before their courts; for he who brings Israel’s law-cases before the heathens defames the Name of the Lord and pays honour to the name of the idol (in the name of which the heathen court administers justice), thereby giving it undue importance, as it is said, (Deuteronomy 32:31) “For their rock is not as our Rock that our enemies should be judges over us”, which implies: when our enemies are judges over us (i. e. if we make them judges over us) it is a testimony to the superiority of that which they reverence (their idol) (Tanchuma).
(ז) כָּל הַדָּן בְּדַיָּנֵי עַכּוּ''ם וּבְעַרְכָּאוֹת שֶׁלָּהֶן אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהָיוּ דִּינֵיהֶם כְּדִינֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הֲרֵי זֶה רָשָׁע וּכְאִלּוּ חֵרֵף וְגִדֵּף וְהֵרִים יָד בְּתוֹרַת משֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כא א) "וְאֵלֶּה הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים אֲשֶׁר תָּשִׂים לִפְנֵיהֶם" לִפְנֵיהֶם וְלֹא לִפְנֵי עַכּוּ''ם
When any person has a judgment adjudicated by gentile judges and their courts, he is considered a wicked person. It is as if he disgraced, blasphemed, and lifted up his hand against the Torah of Moses our teacher. This applies even if their laws are the same as the laws of the Jewish people. This is indicated by Exodus 21:1: "These are the judgments that you shall place before them." "Before them" and not before gentiles;
היסוד השמיני היות התורה מן השמים והוא שנאמין כי כל התורה הזאת הנתונה ע"י משה רבינו ע"ה שהיא כולה מפי הגבורה כלומר שהגיעה אליו כולה מאת יקוק יתברך בענין שנקרא על דרך השאלה דבור
The eighth principle That the Torah is from Heaven and that is that we believe that this Torah that is given to us through Moshe, our teacher - peace be upon him - is completely from the mouth of the Almighty; which is to say that it all came to him from God, may He be blessed, in a manner that is metaphorically called speech.