Yosef Karo

“ But in the case of an individual in conflict with an entire community, the law is that if he is one of the townspeople they may take the law into their own hands in order to safeguard their interests, provided if they know that the law is in their favor, although they are unable to prove this before the Court of Law, — for they cannot testify since they are all interested parties in the matter. ”

“ And it is permissible to compel an individual to comply with the laws pertaining to matters of taxes by means of a non-Jewish Court and to cause him to suffer a loss if they cannot collect from him the tax otherwise. ”

“ And all this is where the individual who is in conflict with the community is not a scholar, but if he is a scholar where the study of the Torah is his sole profession and he has a claim in this matter on account of taxes, he is not required to give them a pledge and they too are not called actual possessors with respect to him. ”