LEV432 At first glance, it would seem that reconciling affirmative action with Jewish tradition might prove difficult, as suggested by the following statement that says the rich and poor should not be treated differently by judges: “You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment; you shall not respect the person of the poor nor favor the person of the mighty, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor” (Leviticus 19:15). Yet even this clear position was bent to the realities of creating justice. In a well-known Talmudic story about a dispute between brothers, the rules of evidence were changed to put an excessive burden on the rich and powerful brother when witnesses for the weaker brother were fearful of testifying. “Thus we do for all who are powerful,” says the text. (Babylonian Talmud, Baba Metzia 39b). The promise of equality is not sufficient if there are obstacles that make the reality of equality impossible. (By Albert Vorspan and David Saperstein).