Pirkei Avot 2:16

This tractate of the Mishnah contains ancient wisdom and ethics of the rabbinic sages. Traditionally, the work is studied between Passover and Shavuot. Perhaps because of the tractate’s place in the liturgical calendar, it has spawned many commentaries over the centuries.

The Torah is Judaism's foundational text, described as given by God to the people of Israel at Mount Sinai. The five books that make up the Torah are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. They tell of the origins and development of the Israelite nation and present the foundational laws of Judaism. In some contexts, “Torah” refers broadly to both the Written and Oral Torah, which includes not only the five books of the Torah but the entire Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), rabbinic literature, and any interpretations relating to those texts.

The Torah commands “Justice, justice you shall pursue” as a condition for inhabiting the land of Israel. The Torah further commands specific measures to be put in place in order to establish just societies, including just courts and fair and honest weights and measures. Several biblical prophets critique those who prioritize ritual practice but ignore the Torah’s imperatives to act justly, and sources throughout the rabbinic tradition discuss and analyze the requirements and parameters of justice.