Siman 26
Presented here for study, not as a practical ruling. The Shulchan Aruch rules by Sephardi custom, the Rema's glosses by Ashkenazi custom, and the Kitzur follows Ashkenazi custom. For a practical question, ask your rabbi.
א שלא לדון בדיני עכו"ם. ובו ד סעיפים: אסור לדון בפני דייני עכו"ם ובערכאות שלהם (פי' מושב קבוע לשרים לדון בו) אפי' בדין שדנים בדיני ישראל ואפי' נתרצו ב' בעלי דינים לדון בפניהם אסור וכל הבא לידון בפניהם הרי זה רשע וכאלו חירף וגידף והרים יד בתורת מרע"ה: הגה ויש ביד ב"ד לנדותו ולהחרימו עד שיסלק יד עכו"ם מעל חבירו (מהרי"ק שורש קנ"ד) וכן מחרימין המחזיק ביד ההולך לפני עכו"ם (ריב"ש סי' ק"ב) ואפי' אינו דן לפני עכו"ם רק שכופהו ע"י עכו"ם שיעמוד עמו לדין ישראל ראוי למתחו על העמוד (מרדכי פרק הגוזל קמא) וע"ל סי' שפ"ח מי שהלך בערכאות של עכו"ם ונתחייב בדיניה' ואח"כ חוזר ותבעו לפני דייני ישראל י"א שאין נזקקין לו (מהרי"ק שורש קפ"ח) וי"א דנזקקין לו (מרדכי בפרק הגוזל בתרא) אם לא שגרם הפסד לבעל דינו לפני עובדי כו"ם (מהר"ם מריזבורג) והסברא ראשונה נ"ל עיקר:
1 It is forbidden to appear for trial before heathen Judges and in their Courts of Law, i.e., [ the locality wherein ] permanent judicial sessions are held by the [ civil ] magistrates, even regarding a lawsuit that they [the heathen Judges] adjudicate like the Israelite Law. Even if the two litigants agreed to be tried before them, it is forbidden. And whosoever appears for trial before them is considered a wicked person and is as though he blashphemed, reproached and rebelled against the Law of Moses. Rema: The [ Israelite ] Court of Law has the authority to pronounce against him the less severe [ Niddui ] and [ even ] the more severe [ Herem ] ban until he suspends the [ legal ] rights [ which he delegated to ] the heathen [ authorities ] from upon his fellow [- litigant ]. Likewise, is the ban pronounced against him who strengthens the hand [ s ] of the one who goes to law before a heathen [ Court ]. And even if he does not go to law before a heathen [ Court ] but compels him [ his adversary ] by means of a heathen [ Court ] to appear with him for trial [ before ] a Jewish [ Court of Law ], — he is fit to be laid out on the post [ for a flogging ]., infra § 388. One who resorted to heathen Courts and was pronounced guilty by their laws, and then he [ the guilty person ] summoned him [ his fellow-litigant ] again before Israelite Judges, — some say that we do not attend to his [ case ]; while others say that we do attend to his [ case ] unless he was the cause of a loss to his fellow-litigant before the heathen [ Courts ]. However, the former opinion seems to me to be fundamental.
ב היתה יד עכו"ם תקיפה ובעל דינו אלם ואינו יכול להציל ממנו בדייני ישראל יתבענו לדייני ישראל תחלה אם לא רצה לבא נוטל רשות מב"ד ומציל בדיני עכו"ם מיד בעל דינו: הגה ויש רשות לב"ד לילך לפני עכו"ם ולהעיד שזה חייב לזה (בה"ת בשם ר' שרירא) וכל זה דוקא כשאינו רוצה להיות ציית דין אבל בלא"ה אסור לב"ד להרשות לדון לפני עכו"ם (מהרי"ק שורש א'):
2 [If] the hand of the heathen [Judges] was powerful, and his fellow-litigant is a stern individual [refusing to appear for trial in a Jewish Court] and he [the claimant] cannot retrieve [his claim] from him through Israelite Judges, — [then] he should summon him [the recalcitrant defendant] before Israelite Judges first. If he refuses to appear, — [then] he obtains permission from the [Jewish] Court of Law and retrieves [his claim] through heathen Courts from the hand of his fellow-litigant. Rema: The [ members of the Jewish ] Court of Law have the right to go before the heathen [ Courts ] and bear testimony that this party is guilty to that party. This entire [ ruling is applicable ] only when [ the recalcitrant person ] refuses to heed the [ Jewish Court of ] Law, but otherwise the [ Jewish ] Court of Law is forbidden to give [ one ] permission to appear for trial before a heathen [ Court ].
ג המקבל עליו בקנין לידון עם חבירו לפני עכו"ם אינו כלום ואסור לידון בפניהם ואם קבל עליו שאם לא ילך בפניהם יהיה עליו כך וכך לעניים אסור לילך לדון עמו לפני עכו"ם וחייב ליתן מה שקבל עליו לעניים ויש מי שאומר שאין ב"ד מוציאין ממנו אלא מודיעין אותו שחל הנדר עליו:
3 Whosoever accepted by means of a Kinyan to be tried before a heathen [Court], — [the law is that] it has no legal effect and it is forbidden to be tried before them. However, if one accepted [in the presence of witnesses] that if he will not go [and be tried] before them [the heathens], [then] he will be obliged to give such and such a sum [of money] to the poor, — [the law is that] he is forbidden to go and be tried with him [his adversary] before a heathen [Court] and he is obliged to give whatever he undertook [to contribute] to the poor. There is [an authority] who states that the [Jewish] Court of Law does not exact [this pledge] from him [against his will] save that they inform him that the vow takes effect upon him.
ד שטר שכתוב שיוכל לתבעו בדיני העכו"ם אינו רשאי לתבעו בפניהם ואם מסר השטר לעכו"ם שיתבענו בדיניהם חייב לשלם לו כל מה שהפסיד יותר ממה שהוא חייב בדיני ישראל: הגה וכל זה כשיוכל לכופו בדין ישראל אבל אם הלוה אלם מותר למסרו לעכו"ם (ב"י ס"ו בשם הריטב"א) וע"ל ס"ס שס"ט (הרא"ש בתשובה כלל י"ח סי' א') מדין עכו"ם המוכר שטר חוב לישראל על ישראל אחר אם דן הוא בדין עכו"ם:
4 [Even if one produces] a note [in] which it is written that he [the claimant] can summon him [the defendant] through heathen Law, — [the law is that] he is not permitted to summon him [to appear] before them. If, however, he handed over the note to the heathen [Court] so that [the latter] summon him through their laws, — he [the claimant] is obliged to compensate him [the defendant] for whatever loss he caused him, [i.e., the amount] over and above what he [the defendant] is obliged [to pay] according to the Israelite Law. Rema: And this entire [ ruling is applicable only ] where he can compel him [ to appear for trial ] in an Israelite [ Court of ] Law, but if the debtor is a stern individual, he may hand it [ the note ] over to a heathen [ Court of Law ]., infra § 369 end regarding the law of a heathen who sells a note of indebtedness to an Israelite [ which was produced ] against another Israelite, — whether he [ the buyer ] may resort to heathen law.