EXOD509 Moses received the Torah at Sinai and handed it down to Joshua; Joshua to the elders; the elders to the prophets; and the prophets handed it down to the Men of the Great Assembly. They [the Men of the Great Assembly] said three things: Be deliberate [patient, careful] in judgment; raise up many students; and make a fence for the Torah... Pirkei Avot, Perek I mIshnah 1. The Men of the Great Assembly said three things, the first of which is, "Be deliberate in judgment." A judicial decision, particularly one involving religious law, must not be given thoughtlessly or in haste. Ill-considered judgments usually generate reversals by the same court and conflicting opinions by others. These in turn lead to a loss of respect for the courts and a downgrading of their authority. If you wish to render a judgment that will be just and final--be deliberate. We read in the Torah, "And you shall not ascend My altar by steps, so that your shame may not be revealed" [this verse]. This is followed by, "And these are the ordinances which you shall set before them." (Exodus 21:1) The meaning might be: Do not ascend the altar of the Almighty by taking precipitous steps, by a hasty skip or jump; the ordinances and judgments must be placed before the people slowly and deliberately. Far too many of us, in formulating opinions, jump to conclusions, overlook important considerations, and later regret in leisure what we decided in haste. Proceed slowly in matters pertaining to Jewish law, lest your "shame" be revealed: lest your judgment be held up to ridicule. Another reason for deliberation and judgment is that with a little time and effort, a settlement or compromise can be usually reached to which both litigants can agree. A judge can often settle a matter to the satisfaction of all concerned out of court, and his private chambers. A decision reached in haste would preclude such a possibility. In fact, says the Ba'al haTurim [Rabbi Jacob ben Asher (1269-1343), author of a commentary on Pentateuch; so called because he wrote a four-volume work on Jewish law entitled arba'ah turim ("the four rows")], the word hamishpatim, "the ordinances," is composed of the initial letters of the Hebrew for: "The judge is duty-bound to make an equitable compromise before he reaches an ultimate decision."