א. מִי שֶׁסָּבְאוֹ מָהוּל בְּמַיִם, הַשָּׂרִים אֵינָם נוֹהֲגִים עִמּוֹ בְּיַשְׁרָנוּת. When a person sells diluted wine, public officials will treat him unfairly.
ב. מִי שֶׁאֵין דָּן אֶת חֲבֵרוֹ לְכַף זְכוּת, כְּאִלּוּ הֲרָגוֹ, גַּם הַשָּׂרִים אֵינָם נוֹהֲגִים עִמּוֹ בְּיַשְׁרָנוּת. Not judging a fellow Jew favorably is tantamount to killing him. One who does so will be treated unjustly by public officials.
ג.. אֲמִירַת הַלֵּל וּצְדָקָה מְסֻגָּלִין לְחֵן בְּעֵינֵי הַשָּׂר. Reciting the Hallel prayer and giving charity are a segulah for finding favor in the eyes of public officials.
ד. עַל יְדֵי אֲכִילַת פַּת עַכּוּ"ם מוֹנְעִין הַיַּעַר מִלַּחְטב עֵצִים. Eating bread baked by a non-Jew causes [those in charge] to prohibit using the forest to chop firewood.
ה. בִּשְׁבִיל אַרְבָּעָה דְּבָרִים נִכְסֵי בַּעֲלֵי בָּתִּים נִמְסָרִים לַמַּלְכוּת. There are four things that cause a person’s possessions to be handed over to the government: [holding on to a paid IOU, charging usury for lending money, being in a position to object to some wrongdoing and not doing so, and pledging charity in public but not giving it].