Our society is obsessed with success. We celebrate the wealthy, the powerful, and the famous. Our society holds them up as the paragons of virtue and ideals that we should all strive to emulate. Judaism is counter-cultural and views our life’s purpose very differently. God asks human beings to remain committed to growth and change; to become better people; to be good, kind, fair and compassionate. This is what God expects of us andis the Jewish measure of personal success. The other measure, of a society’s success, is how we treat the most vulnerable, “If, however, there is a needy person among you, one of your kin in any of your settlements in the land that your God is giving you, do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your needy kin. Rather, you must open your hand and lend whatever is sufficient to meet the need.” (Deuteronomy 15:7-8) Rashi (11th C Germany) interprets “you must open your hand,” as give a gift to the needy and “lend” as, if the needy person will not accept the gift then give them the loan. Ibn Ezra (12th C Spain) wrote that “needy kin” means that we must put the needs of the poor ahead of those of others. What a profound contrast to our own society. Jewish religion does not see poverty as a personal failing, but as an economic condition that cannot be tolerated and must be ameliorated. That is the sign of a moral and just society. Would that ours would be so.
Re’eh, Deuteronomy 11:26-16:17, Parshat Hashavua for Shabbat, August 12, 2023
August 11, 2023 by Dean Kertesz • Drashot
Our society is obsessed with success. We celebrate the wealthy, the powerful, and the famous. Our society holds them up as the paragons of virtue and ideals that we should all strive to emulate. Judaism is counter-cultural and views our life’s purpose very differently. God asks human beings to remain committed to growth and change; to become better people; to be good, kind, fair and compassionate. This is what God expects of us and is the Jewish measure of personal success. The other measure, of a society’s success, is how we treat the most vulnerable, “If, however, there is a needy person among you, one of your kin in any of your settlements in the land that your God is giving you, do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your needy kin. Rather, you must open your hand and lend whatever is sufficient to meet the need.” (Deuteronomy 15:7-8) Rashi (11th C Germany) interprets “you must open your hand,” as give a gift to the needy and “lend” as, if the needy person will not accept the gift then give them the loan. Ibn Ezra (12th C Spain) wrote that “needy kin” means that we must put the needs of the poor ahead of those of others. What a profound contrast to our own society. Jewish religion does not see poverty as a personal failing, but as an economic condition that cannot be tolerated and must be ameliorated. That is the sign of a moral and just society. Would that ours would be so.