Character as an Element of Social Justice
Mishna, Pirkei Avot 5:13
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| [There are] four types of character in [respect of] almsgiving. 1) Someone who desires that they should give, but that others should not give: their eye is evil towards that which appertains to others; 2) Someone who desires that others should give, but that they themselves should not give: their eye is evil towards that which is their own; 3) Someone who desires that they themselves should give, and that others should give: they are pious; 4) Someone who desires that they themselves should not give and that others too should not give: they are wicked. [Soncino translation. Edited for gender neutrality] |
ארבע מדות בנותני צדקה הרוצה שיתן ולא יתנו אחרים עינו רעה בשל אחרים. יתנו אחרים והוא לא יתן עינו רעה בשלו. יתן ויתנו אחרים חסיד. לא יתן ולא יתנו אחרים רשע:
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Suggested Discussion Questions
1. What are the implications of this for the notion of Social Justice?
Mishna, Pirkei Avot 5:10
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| There are four types of character: 1) Someone that says, "Mine is mine, and yours is yours." This is a neutral type; some say this is a Sodom-type of character. 2) Someone that says, "Mine is yours and yours is mine," is an unlearned person. 3) Someone that says, "Mine is yours and yours is yours," is a pious person. 4) Someone that says, "Mine is mine, and yours is mine," is a wicked person. [Soncino translation. Edited for gender neutrality] |
ארבע מדות באדם האומר שלי שלי ושלך שלך זו מדה בינונית ויש אומרים זו מדת סדום שלי שלך ושלך שלי עם הארץ שלי שלך ושלך שלך חסיד שלי שלי ושלך שלי רשע:
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Suggested Discussion Questions
1. What power dynamics are at play?
2. What social justice themes emerge from this text?
Midrash Tehillim, Psalm 41
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| Rabbi Yona said “Happy is one who is thoughtful of the person in need” (Psalms 41:2). What does “thoughtful” mean? That the giver examines the situation and contemplates how best to to give life [to the needy]. [AJWS translation] |
אמר ר' יונה אשרי משכיל ונותן אל דל, מהו משכיל, שמסתכל וחושב עליו היאך להחיותו
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Suggested Discussion Questions
1. What kind of social justice model does this text advocate? What kind of model does it negate?
2. How can we be thoughtful when we give tzedakah (charity)? How can we improve our interactions with the receivers of tzedakah?
BabylonianTalmud, Ketubot 111b
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| The person who [by smiling affectionately] shows their teeth to their friend is better than one who gives milk to drink. [Edited for gender neutrality.] |
טוב המלבין שינים לחבירו יותר ממשקהו חלב.
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Suggested Discussion Questions
1. Is smiling better than providing food? When? Under what circumstances?
2. What social justice themes emerge from this text?
Rambam, Guide for the Perplexed, Section 3, Chapter 32
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| It is not in the nature of humans, reared in slavery, in bricks and straw and the like, to wash their hands of their dirt and suddenly rise up and fight with the giants of Canaan. God in God's wisdom contrived that they wander in the wilderness until they had become schooled in courage, since it is well known that physical hardships toughen and the converse produce faintheartedness. A new generation was born which had not been accustomed to slavery and degradation. [Hebrew translated from Judeo-Arabic. Edited for gender neutrality] |
כי כמו שאין בטבע האדם שיגדל על מלאכת עבדות בחמר ובלבנים והדומה להם ואחר כן ירחץ ידיו לשעתו מלכלוכם וילחם עם ילידי הענק פתאום, כי אין בטבעו שיגדל על מינים רבים מן העבודות ומעשים מורגלים, שכבר נטו אליהם הנפשות עד ששבו כמושכל ראשון, ויניחם כלם פתאום, וכמו שהיה מחכמת השם להסב אותם במדבר עד שילמדו גבורה, כמו שנודע שההליכה במדבר ומיעוט הנאות הגוף מרחיצה וכיוצא בהם יולידו הגבורה והפכם יולידו רך לבב, ונולדו גם כן אנשים שלא הרגילו בשפלות ובעבדות
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Suggested Discussion Questions
1. What does this text imply about oppression and the will of the oppressed to liberate themselves?
2. Should people be "schooled in courage," as the Children of Israel were in the desert, or should the oppressed be assisted by others?
3. Do we have to see examples of Social Justice being pursued before we engage in it ourselves, or do we have an innate understanding of the imperative for Social Justice and therefore pursue Social Justice for ourselves and others? Give examples.
Mishna, Brachot 9:5
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| A person is obligated to bless the bad things as they bless the good as it says, "And you shall love Adonai your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might" (Deuteronomy 6). "With all your heart" - with both your inclinations - the good inclination and the bad. "With all your soul" - even if God takes your soul. "With all your might" - with all your money. Another interpretation: "with all your might" - with every trait and characteristic God bestows upon you, for God bestows very very much. [AJWS translation] |
חייב אדם לברך על הרעה כשם שהוא מברך על הטובה שנא' (דברים ו) ואהבת את ה' אלהיך בכל לבבך ובכל נפשך ובכל מאדך בכל לבבך בשני יצריך ביצר טוב וביצר רע ובכל נפשך אפילו הוא נוטל את נפשך ובכל מאדך בכל ממונך דבר אחר בכל מאדך בכל מדה ומדה שהוא מודד לך הוי מודה לו במאד מאד
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Suggested Discussion Questions
1. What do "heart," "soul," and "might" have to do with Social Justice?
2. Isn't it enough to just fulfill the mitzvah (obligation/commandment) of tzedakah charity/righteousness)? Does conscious intention really matter?
Jeremiah 22:13-17
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Original |
| Ha! One who builds one's house with unfairness and one's upper chambers with injustice, who makes their fellow work without pay and does not give them their wages, who thinks: I will build me a vast palace with spacious upper chambers, provided with windows, paneled in cedar, painted with vermilion! Do you think you are more a king because you compete in cedar? Your ancestors ate and drank and dispensed justice and equity -- then all went well with them. They upheld the rights of the poor and needy -- then all was well. That is truly heeding Me -- declares God. But your eyes and your mind are only on ill-gotten gains, on shedding the blood of the innocent, on committing fraud and violence. [JPS translation. Edited for gender neutrality] |
הוֹי בֹּנֶה בֵיתוֹ בְּלֹא צֶדֶק וַעֲלִיּוֹתָיו בְּלֹא מִשְׁפָּט בְּרֵעֵהוּ יַעֲבֹד חִנָּם וּפֹעֲלוֹ לֹא יִתֶּן לוֹ: הָאֹמֵר אֶבְנֶה לִּי בֵּית מִדּוֹת וַעֲלִיּוֹת מְרֻוָּחִים וְקָרַע לוֹ חַלּוֹנָי וְסָפוּן בָּאָרֶז וּמָשׁוֹחַ בַּשָּׁשַׁר: הֲתִמְלֹךְ כִּי אַתָּה מְתַחֲרֶה בָאָרֶז אָבִיךָ הֲלוֹא אָכַל וְשָׁתָה וְעָשָׂה מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה אָז טוֹב לוֹ:דָּן דִּין עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן אָז טוֹב הֲלוֹא הִיא הַדַּעַת אֹתִי נְאֻם ה': כִּי אֵין עֵינֶיךָ וְלִבְּךָ כִּי אִם עַל בִּצְעֶךָ וְעַל דַּם הַנָּקִי לִשְׁפּוֹךְ וְעַל הָעֹשֶׁק וְעַל הַמְּרוּצָה לַעֲשׂוֹת:
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Suggested Discussion Questions
1. Are the wealthy more, less, or equally obligated to treat others justly?
2. Have we let go of some wisdom of the past regarding communal responsibility and Social Justice? Are these past teachings relevant today?
3. What are the implications of this text for the notion of Social Justice in our own time?
Mishna, Pirkei Avot 1:13
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Original |
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If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?
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הוא היה אומר אם אין אני לי מי לי וכשאני לעצמי מה אני ואם לא עכשיו אימתי:
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Suggested Discussion Questions
1. What is Hillel saying?
2. What is the overall guiding moral and ethical principle of Hillel’s teaching?
3. How can we translate this teaching into our Social Justice work today?
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