On1Foot

-------- LEVITICUS 19:16 ----------------------------------------------------- Translation Original You shall not be a tale-bearer among your people; you shall not stand idly by the blood of your neighbor; I am Adonai. [translation by AJWS]  לֹא־תֵלֵךְ רָכִיל בְּעַמֶּיךָ לֹא תַעֲמֹד עַל־דַּם רֵעֶךָ אֲנִי ה': ....   -The Torah uses a number of different "stock characters" to discuss various obligations: brother, neighbor, stranger. What might be the implications of using neighbor here?

-------- BABYLONIAN TALMUD, YOMA 82A ----------------------------------------- Translation Original Nothing stands before [the duty of] saving life except for idolatry, incest and murder. [AJWS translation] שאין לך דבר שעומד בפני פקוח נפש חוץ מעבודה זרה וגילוי עריות ושפיכות דמים. ....   -Why make exceptions for these three particular things? 

-------- RAMBAM, MISHNEH TORAH, LAWS OF GIFTS TO THE POOR 7:1 ---------------- Translation Original It is a positive commandment to give charity to the poor, as is appropriate to the poor person, providing the giver can afford it, as it says, “You shall open your hand to him,” and “You shall strengthen the stranger who dwells with you,” and “Your brother shall live with you.” [AJWS translation] מצות עשה ליתן צדקה לעניים כפי מה שראוי לעני, אם היתה יד הנותן משגת, שנאמר פתוח תפתח את ידך לו ונאמר והחזקת בו גר ותושב וחי עמך ונאמר וחי אחיך עמך.

-------- RAMBAM, MISHNEH TORAH, LAWS OF GIFTS TO THE POOR 7:2 ---------------- Translation Original And any who sees a poor person begging and hides his eyes and does not give him charity transgresses a negative commandment, as it says (Deuteronomy 15:7), “Do not harden your heart or close your hand from your poor brother.” [AJWS translation] וכל הרואה עני מבקש והעלים עיניו ממנו ולא נתן לו צדקה עבר בלא תעשה שנאמר (דברים טו:ז) לא תאמץ את לבבך ולא תקפוץ את ידך מאחיך האביון.  -What does it mean to give "as is appropriate to the poor person?" Beyond providing for the physical needs of the poor person, with what else is Rambam concerned?

-------- RAMBAM, MISHNEH TORAH, LAWS OF GIFTS TO THE POOR 7:5 ---------------- Translation Original If a poor person comes and asks according to his or her need and the giver cannot afford to give, the giver should give according to his ability. And how much is that? The greatest way to fulfill this commandment is to give up to one fifth of your wealth. The average way to fulfill this commandment is to give 10% of your wealth. Less than this is considered an evil eye. One should never give less than 1/3 of a shekel in a year, and anyone who gives less than this has not fulfilled the commandment. Even a poor person who is supported by tzedakah is obligated to give tzedakah to another. [AJWS translation] בא העני ושאל די מחסורו ואין יד הנותן משגת נותן לו כפי השגת ידו וכמה עד חמישית נכסיו מצוה מן המובחר, ואחד מעשרה בנכסיו בינוני, פחות מכאן עין רעה, ולעולם לא ימנע עצמו משלישית השקל בשנה, וכל הנותן פחות מזה לא קיים מצוה, ואפילו עני המתפרנס מן הצדקה חייב ליתן צדקה לאחר.  - Why does Rambam limit the "choicest mitzvah" to 1/5? Why cap it at all?

-------- EMMANUEL LEVINAS, “PHILOSOPHY, JUSTICE, AND LOVE,” IN ENTRE NOUS (ENGLISH ED. NEW YORK : COLUMBIA UNIV PRESS, 1998.) ----------------- Translation Original If [the Other] were my only interlocutor, I would have nothing but obligations! But I don’t live in a world in which there is but one single ‘first comer’; there is always a third party in the world... my central idea is what I called an ‘asymmetry of intersubjectivity’: the exceptional situation of the I. I always recall Dostoyevsky on this subject; one of his characters says: we are all guilty for everything and everyone and I more than all others. But to this idea...I immediately add the concern for the third and, hence, justice. If there were no order of justice, there would be no limit to my responsibility.    -What does Levinas mean by an "asymmetry of inter-subjectivity?"

Created By

Naamah Paley

American Jewish World Service