Q&A: Secular Courts — What Is the Permission?
Secular Courts — What Is the Permission?
Question
Hello Rabbi,
I learned today in Gittin 88b:
And it was taught: Rabbi Tarfon would say, 6 wherever you find courts of idolaters, even if their laws are like the laws of Israel, you are not permitted to bring a case before them, as it is said (Exodus 21:1), “And these are the ordinances that you shall set before them” — before them, and not before idolaters …
My question is: what is the permission to go to a non-Jewish court, or to a Jewish court that does not rule according to Jewish law?
Thank you very much.
Answer
Who said there is any permission? I assume you know that you’ve stepped into a question that has been discussed very extensively in many places, and you can easily read about it. You’re probably not expecting a short answer from me here.
You can read my position here on the site in column 448.
Right. That’s all I asked for.
Thank you very much.