Here Shakespeare is expressing the medieval stereotype of Christian mercy (Portia) as against Jewish justice (Shylock). He entirely fails to realize (how could he, given the prevailing culture?) that “justice” and “mercy” are not opposites in Hebrew but are bonded together in a single word, tzedek or tzedakah. Adding to the irony, the very language and imagery of Portia’s speech (“It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven”) is taken from Deuteronomy:
May my teaching drop as the rain, my speech distill as the dew, like gentle rain upon the tender grass, and like showers upon the herb … The Rock, his work is perfect, for all his ways are justice. A G-d of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and upright is he (Deuteronomy 32:2-4).
The false contrast between Jew and Christian in “The Merchant of Venice” is eloquent testimony to the cruel misrepresentation of Judaism in Christian theology until recent times.
Why then is justice so central to Judaism? Because it is impartial. Law as envisaged by the Torah makes no distinction between rich and poor, powerful and powerless, home born or stranger. Equality before the law is the translation into human terms of equality before G-d. Time and again the Torah insists that justice is not a human artifact. “Fear no one, for judgment belongs to G-d.” Because it belongs to G-d, it must never be compromised – by fear, bribery, or favoritism. It is an inescapable duty, an inalienable right.
Judaism is a religion of love: “You shall love the Lord your G-d”; “You shall love your neighbor as yourself”; “You shall love the stranger.” But it is also a religion of justice, for without justice, love corrupts. (Who would not bend the rules, if he could, to favor those he loves?)
It is also a religion of compassion, for without compassion law itself can generate inequity. Justice plus compassion equals tzedek, the first precondition of a decent society.
