A generation that judges its judges
A generation in which the judges themselves are corrupt, are judged by the people of their own generation, or are unfit to judge others.
(And the judge sought to impose the measure of judgment upon him, and he came and whipped the judge. He said: What he sought to do to me, I did to him. They said: Woe to the generation that judged its judges, for this is as it is written (and concerning this it is said), 'And it came to pass in the days of the judges that there was famine in the land' - Bereishit Rabbah (Vilna) Parashat Lech Lecha, section 42.)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
דּוֹר שֶׁשּׁוֹפֵט אֶת שׁוֹפְטָיו
Definition (Hebrew)
דּוֹר שֶׁבּוֹ הַשּׁוֹפְטִים עַצְמָם מְקֻלְקָלִים, נִשְׁפָּטִים ע"י בְּנֵי דּוֹרָם אוֹ אֵינָם רְאוּיִים לִשְׁפֹּט אֶת הָאֲחֵרִים.
("וְהָיָה הַדַּיָּן מְבַקֵּשׁ לְהַעֲבִיר עָלָיו מִדַּת הַדִּין, וְהָיָה הוּא בָּא וּמַלְקֶה אֶת הַדַּיָּן. אָמַר: מָה שֶׁבִּקֵּשׁ לַעֲשׂוֹת לִי עָשִׂיתִי לוֹ. אָמְרוּ: אוֹי לוֹ לַדּוֹר שֶׁשָּׁפְטוּ אֶת שׁוֹפְטֵיהֶם, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר) וַיְהִי בִּימֵי שְׁפֹט הַשֹּׁפְטִים וַיְהִי רָעָב בָּאָרֶץ"- בְּרֵאשִׁית רַבָּה (וִילְנָא) פָּרָשַׁת לֵךְ לְךָ פָּרָשָׁה מב)