In the Marx brothers movie Coconuts, the most famous joke begins “Why a Duck”? That could be the title of the Talmud passage from tractate Shevuot 30b. As some know, I often study Daf Yomi a daily passage of Talmud.
This week, we came across a bizarre story involving a duck. The famous judge Rav Nachman is presiding over a case involving the wife of an equally famous Rabbi, Rav Huna. Protocol would have Rav Nachman stand before Rav Huna’s wife in respect, but he is acutely aware that as a judge he is expected to be scrupulously fair to both litigants, and so he is in a quandry. How can he stand before one of them only!? He solves the problem by having the bailiff throw a live duck at him and he stands to escape the duck, standing before Rav Huna’s wife, but not obviously out of respect.
A bizarre story, but it shows the length that judges went to avoid even the appearance of favoritism or bias. How different in our own day when corrupt judges often rule in favor of powerful litigants or those who shower them with gifts!
From Rabbi Doug Sagal aka “the Boxing Rabbi”