Julius Love and Brotherhood
Julius Love and Brotherhood
Love and Brotherhood
Many people think of Judaism as the religion of cold, harsh
laws, to be contrasted with Christianity, the religion of love and brotherhood.
This is an unfair characterization of both Judaism and Jewish law. Love and
kindness have been a part of Judaism from the very beginning. When Jesus said,
"love thy neighbor as thyself," he was merely quoting Torah, and he
was quoting the book that is most commonly dismissed as a source of harsh laws:
Leviticus 19:18.
Vayikra - Leviticus - Chapter 19
18 You shall neither take revenge from nor bear a grudge against the members of
your people; you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.
The point is repeated in Leviticus 19:34: love [the stranger] as thyself.
34 The stranger who sojourns with you shall be as a native from among you, and
you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. I
am the Lord, your God.
Love and Brotherhood in Jewish Sources
A large part of Jewish law is about treating people with kindness. The same
body of Jewish law that commands us to eat only kosher food and not to turn on
lights on Shabbat, also commands us to love both Jews and strangers, to give
tzedakah (charity) to the poor and needy, and not to wrong anyone in speech or
in business. In fact, acts of kindness are so much a part of Jewish law that
the word "mitzvah" (literally, "commandment") is informally
used to mean any good deed.
Pirkei Avot, a book of the Mishnah, teaches that the universe depends on three
things: on Torah (law), on avodah (service to G-d), and on g'milut chasadim
(usually translated as "acts of lovingkindness") (Avot
1:2), perhaps drawing from Psalm
89:3, "the universe is built on kindness" (more commonly
translated as "forever is mercy built"). In fact, this quote has
become a popular song in synagogues: Al Shlosha D'varim (On Three Things). The
Mishnah also describes g'milut chasadim as one of the few mitzvot
(commandments) for which there is no minimum amount sufficient to satisfy your
obligation. (Pe'ah 1:1;
reiterated in Talmud Chagigah
7a). That verse also describes g'milut chasadim as one of the few things
that one derive benefit from in this world and yet still be rewarded for in the
world to come. The Talmud says that g'milut chasadim is greater than tzedakah
(charity), because unlike tzedakah, g'milut chasadim can be done for both poor
and rich, both the living and the dead, and can be done with money or with
acts.
(Talmud Sukkah 49b).
O man, what is good, and what the Lord doth require of thee: Only to do justly,
and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? 30 ‘To do justly’ means [to
act in accordance with] justice; ‘to love mercy’ refers to acts of loving
kindness’31 ‘and to walk32 humbly with thy God’
The Talmud tells a story of Rabbi Hillel, who lived around the time of Jesus. A
pagan came to him saying that he would convert to Judaism if Hillel could teach
him the whole of the Torah in the time he could stand on one foot. Rabbi Hillel
replied, "What is hateful to yourself, do not do to your fellow man. That
is the whole Torah; the rest is just commentary. Go and study it."
(Talmud Shabbat 31a).
In my Talmud it is spelled Shabbath 31a
‘Make me a proselyte, on condition that you teach me the whole Torah while I
stand on one foot.’ Thereupon he repulsed him with the builder's cubit which
was in his hand.12 When he went before Hillel, he said to him, ‘What is hateful
to you, do not to your neighbour:13 that is the whole Torah, while the rest is
the commentary thereof; go and learn it.’
Sounds a lot like Jesus' "Golden Rule"? But this idea was a
fundamental part of Judaism long before Hillel or Jesus. It is a common-sense
application of the Torah commandment to love your neighbor as yourself (Lev.
19:18), which Rabbi Akiba described as the essence of the Torah (according
to Rashi's commentary on the verse).
The true difference between Judaism and Christianity lies in Hillel's last
comment: Go and study it. Judaism is not content to leave love and brotherhood
as a lofty ideal, to be fulfilled as each individual sees fit. Judaism spells
out, in intricate detail, how we are meant to show that love.
Commandments of Kindness
Jewish law includes within it a blueprint for a just and ethical society, where
no one takes from another or harms another or takes advantage of another, but
everyone gives to one another and helps one another and protects one another.
Again, these are not merely high ideals; the means for fulfilling these ideals
are spelled out in the 613 commandments.
Everyone knows that the Ten Commandments command us not to murder. The full
scope of Jewish law goes much farther in requiring us to protect our fellow
man. We are commanded not to leave a condition that may cause harm, to
construct our homes in ways that will prevent people from being harmed, and to
help a person whose life is in danger, so long as it does not put our own lives
in danger. These commandments regarding the preservation of life are so
important in Judaism that they override all of the ritual observances that
people think are the most important part of Judaism. Almost any commandment may
be violated to save a life.
We are commanded to help those in need, both in physical need and financial
need. The Torah commands us to help a neighbor with his burden, and help load
or unload his beast. See Treatment of Animals. We are required to give money to
the poor and needy, and not to turn them away empty handed. See Tzedakah:
Charity.
Jewish law forbids us from cheating another or taking advantage of another.
Jewish law regarding business ethics and practices is extensive. It regulates
conduct between a businessman and his customer (for example, not to use false
weights and measures, not to do wrong in buying and selling, not to charge
interest) and between a business man and his employee (to pay wages promptly,
to allow a worker in the field to eat the produce he is harvesting, and not to
take produce other than what you can eat from the employer while harvesting).
Entire books have been written on the subject of Jewish laws against wronging
another person in speech. We are commanded not to tell lies about a person, nor
even uncomplimentary things that are true. We are commanded to speak the truth,
to fulfill our promises, and not to deceive others. See Speech and Lashon
Ha-Ra.
Contrary to what many people think, most of these laws regarding treatment of
others apply not only to our treatment of our fellow Jews, but also to our
treatment of gentiles, and in many cases even to our treatment of animals. In
fact, some of the laws instituted by the sages even extend kind treatment to
inanimate objects. The bread on the Shabbat table is covered during the
blessing over the wine, so that it's "feelings" are not hurt by
having the wine take precedence over it. Of course, we do not believe that bread
actually has feelings, but this practice helps to instill an enormous
sensitivity to others. If we can show concern for a loaf of bread, how can we
fail to show concern for our fellow man?
By Julius
Comments
Post a Comment