Why is it important that there were four judges, and why do we have to know
their names?
(a) The MAHARSHA explains that these four judges represent the four examples
of "Sedom justice" that the Gemara describes immediately afterwards. The
name of the first judge, Shakra'i (which comes from the word "Sheker," or
"lie," which refers to a perversion of justice) represents the judgement in
the case of the person who hit his neighbor's pregnant wife, causing her to
miscarry. When the judges accept the perpetrator's claim that he should not
have to pay for the loss of the fetus since he can replace what he damaged
by impregnating the woman, that is an injustice.
The Maharsha asserts that the name of the second judge, Shakrura'i, should
actually read "Sheker Vadai" -- meaning absolute injustice. This represents
the judgement in the case of a person who hit his neighbor's donkey, causing
it to lose an ear. The judges would tell the victim to keep the ear until it
grows back. This is absolutely unjust, because the ear of an animal cannot
grow back.
The name of the third judge, Zayafei, represents the way the judges of Sedom
would rule in a case in which a person hit another person, wounding him and
causing him to bleed. The judges would rule that the *victim* must pay the
perpetrator for causing him to bleed, because he perpetrator performed the
service of bloodletting for him! This is falsified logic ("Ziyuf," or
"forgery"), because the victim did not need bloodletting at the time he was
wounded.
The name of the fourth judge, Matzlei Dina, corresponds to the judgement in
the fourth case that the Gemara mentions. The judges of Sedom instituted a
higher fee for one who crosses the river by foot than for one who crosses
the river by bridge. This was a corruption of justice done for personal
benefit ("Matzlei Dina," or a "bending of the law" for one's own benefit)
done simply to raise revenue, fraudulently, for the city.
(b) The BEN YEHOYADA explains that these four names are the names of courts,
not judges. This is why these names are in the plural form. He explains that
the system of justice of the Arab rulers in his day was similar. They had
four levels of courts, and each case that came before the lower courts was
reviewed by the higher courts, until the case was reviewed by the highest
court, which was the supreme authority. The Gemara is telling us the names
of these four levels of courts in Sedom.
(c) The MARGOLIYOS HA'YAM quotes the SEFER HA'MISILOS whose Girsa of the
four judges is Shakra'i, *Sha'arura'i*, *Gayafei*, and Matzlei Dina. He
explains that the words of our Gemara are based on a verse in Yirmeyahu
(23:14). The verse compares the evildoers of the Jewish people with those of
the city of Sedom, and it lists four evil traits: Sha'arurah
(disgracefulness), Na'of (adultery), Haloch ba'Sheker (constantly going in
falsehood), and Chizku Yedei Merei'im (strengthening the hands of
evildoers).
The Gemara here is listing the four judges who exemplified these evil traits
in Sedom. The case of the man who caused the loss of a woman's fetus, who
does not need to pay for the loss because he can return a fetus to her by
impregnating her, refers to the trait of Na'of, adultery. The name of this
judge (according to his Girsa) is Gayafei, which means "adulterer" in
Aramaic (see, for example, Targum Onkelos to Vayikra 20:10, and Shabbos
104a).
The case of the ear that was cut off of the donkey represents a ruling of
falsehood, "Shakra'i," as explained above. Making the victim pay the person
who harmed him for his wound is a case of giving strength to the "hand of
evildoers," represented by "Matzlei Dina" and which corresponds to "Chizku
Yedei Merei'im." Making the people pay extra money for not using the bridge
is a disgraceful act of brazenness, represented by the judge "Sha'arura'i,"
and corresponding to the trait of "Sha'arurah." (Y. Montrose)