Jewish Hunger Resource
Psalms 39:13
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| Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my cry; do not disregard my tears; for like all my forebears I am an alien, resident with You. [JPS translation] |
יג) שִׁמְעָה תְפִלָּתִי יְקֹוָק וְשַׁוְעָתִי הַאֲזִינָה אֶל דִּמְעָתִי אַל תֶּחֱרַשׁ כִּי גֵר אָנֹכִי עִמָּךְ תּוֹשָׁב כְּכָל אֲבוֹתָי
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Suggested Discussion Questions
1. Why should God listen to David’s cries?
2. What does this text imply about the experience of being in a foreign environment?
3. How should we treat people who feel like strangers?
Yalkut Shimoni, Genesis 1:13
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Original |
| God gathered the dust [of the first human] from the four corners of the world - red, black, white and green. Red is the blood, black is the inards and green for the body. Why from the four corners of the earth? So that if one comes from the east to the west and arrives arrives at the end of his life as he near departing from the world, it will not be said to him, "This land is not the dust of your body, it's of mine. Go back to where you were created." Rather, every place that a person walks, from there he was created and from there he will return." [AJWS translation] |
התחיל לקבץ עפרו מד' פנות העולם אדום שחור לבן ירקרק. אדום זה הדם שחור אלו הקרבים ירקרק זה הגוף. ולמה מד' פנות העולם שאם יבא מן המזרח למערב ויגיע קצו להפטר מן העולם שלא תאמר הארץ אין עפר גופך משלי חזור למקום שנבראת אלא כל מקום שאדם הולך משם הוא גופו ולשם הוא חוזר.
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Suggested Discussion Questions
1. Who are the players in this text – seen and unseen?
2. What power dynamics are at play?
3. How could this text be used to create better immigration policies?
Jacob Milgrom, “Reflections on the Biblical GER,” Leviticus 17-22 (Anchor Bible, 2000).
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The ger. . . is a resident alien; he has uprooted himself (or has been uprooted) from his homeland and has taken permanent residence in the land of Israel...Having severed his ties with his original home, he has no family to turn to for support. Thus deprived of both land and family, he was generally poor, listed together with the Levite, the fatherless, and the widow among the wards of society (Deut. 26:12), and exposed to exploitation and oppression. (Ezek.22:7)...
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Suggested Discussion Questions
What does this insight add to your understanding of the "Ger?" How should you treat the Ger, and what forms of justice would this treatment invoke?
Exodus 12:49
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Original |
| There shall be one law for the citizen and for the stranger who dwells among you. [JPS translation] |
תּוֹרָה אַחַת יִהְיֶה לָאֶזְרָח וְלַגֵּר הַגָּר בְּתוֹכְכֶם:
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Suggested Discussion Questions
1. Why might we assume that there would be separate laws for citizens and strangers?
2. Do we uphold this today in our society?
3. How might the statement of this text guide the way we set public policy in our own societies?
Leviticus 19:9-10
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Original |
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When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap all the way to the corners of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. You shall not pick your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the Lord your God.
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ט ובקצרכם את-קציר ארצכם, לא תכלה פאת שדך לקצר; ולקט קצירך, לא תלקט. י וכרמך לא תעולל, ופרט כרמך לא תלקט: לעני ולגר תעזב אתם, אני י-ה-ו-ה א-להיכם.
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Suggested Discussion Questions
1. Who are the players in this text - seen and unseen?
2. What power dynamics are at play?
3. What social justice themes emerge from this text?
Leviticus 25:11-24
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That fiftieth year shall be a jubilee for you: you shall not sow, neither shall you reap the aftergrowth or harvest the untrimmed vines, for it is a jubilee. It shall be holy to you: you may only eat the growth direct from the field. In this year of jubilee, each of you shall return to his holding. When you sell property to your neighbor, or buy any from your neighbor, you shall not wrong one another. In buying from your neighbor, you shall deduct only for the number of years since the jubilee; and in selling to you, he shall charge you only for the remaining crop years: the more such years, the higher the price you pay; the fewer such years, the lower the price; for what he is selling you is a number of harvests. Do not wrong one another, but fear your God; for I the Lord and your God. Follow my decrees and be careful to obey my laws, and you will live safely in the land. Then the land will yield its fruit, and you will eat your fill and live there in safety.You may ask, "What will we eat in the seventh year if we do not plant or harvest our crops?" I will send you such a blessing in the sixth year that the land will yield enough for three years. While you plant during the eighth year, you will eat from the old crop and will continue to eat from it until the harvest of the ninth year comes in.The land must not be sold permanently, because the land is mine and you are but aliens and my tenants. Throughout the country that you hold as a possession, you must provide for the redemption of the land.
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יא יובל הוא, שנת החמשים שנה--תהיה לכם; לא תזרעו--ולא תקצרו את-ספיחיה, ולא תבצרו את-נזריה. יב כי יובל הוא, קדש תהיה לכם; מן-השדה--תאכלו, את-תבואתה. יג בשנת היובל, הזאת, תשבו, איש אל-אחזתו. יד וכי-תמכרו ממכר לעמיתך, או קנה מיד עמיתך--אל-תונו, איש את-אחיו. טו במספר שנים אחר היובל, תקנה מאת עמיתך; במספר שני-תבואת, ימכר-לך. טז לפי רב השנים, תרבה מקנתו, ולפי מעט השנים, תמעיט מקנתו: כי מספר תבואת, הוא מכר לך. יז ולא תונו איש את-עמיתו, ויראת מאלהיך: כי אני יהוה, אלהיכם. יח ועשיתם, את-חקתי, ואת-משפטי תשמרו, ועשיתם אתם--וישבתם על-הארץ, לבטח. יט ונתנה הארץ פריה, ואכלתם לשבע; וישבתם לבטח, עליה. כ וכי תאמרו, מה-נאכל בשנה השביעת: הן לא נזרע, ולא נאסף את-תבואתנו. כא וצויתי את-ברכתי לכם, בשנה הששית; ועשת, את-התבואה, לשלש, השנים. כב וזרעתם, את השנה השמינת, ואכלתם, מן-התבואה ישן; עד השנה התשיעת, עד-בוא תבואתה--תאכלו, ישן. כג והארץ, לא תמכר לצמתת--כי-לי, הארץ: כי-גרים ותושבים אתם, עמדי. כד ובכל, ארץ אחזתכם, גאלה, תתנו לארץ. |
Suggested Discussion Questions
1. Who are the players in this text – seen and unseen?
2. What power dynamics are at play?
3. What social justice themes emerge from this text?
Psalms 145:16
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Original |
| [God] gives it open-handedly, feeding every creature to its heart's content. |
פותח את-ידך; ומשביע לכל-חי רצון.
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Suggested Discussion Questions
1. How do you understand this text?
2. How can you reconcile this text with the reality that many people in the world are hungry?
Mishna, Pe'ah 1:2
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Original |
| One is prohibited from designating less than a sixtieth for pe'ah. Even though it says that there is no measure for pe'ah, all is according to the size of the field and the number of poor people and the yield. [AJWS translation] |
אין פוחתין לפאה מששים ואע"פ שאמרו אין לפאה שיעור הכל לפי גודל השדה ולפי רוב העניים ולפי רוב הענוה:
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Suggested Discussion Questions
1. Who are the players in this text – seen and unseen?
2. How might we fulfill the laws of pe'ah today?
3. In what ways is this text seeking not only to alleviate hunger, but also to prevent it?
Babylonian Talmud, Ta'anit 7a
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| Said Rabbi Abahu: The day of rain is greater than the resurrection of the dead, for the resurrection of the dead concerns only the righteous, while the rain concerns both the righteous and the unjust. Rav Yosef disagreed, as Rav Yosef said: since it is equal with the resurrection of the dead -- they fixed it (in the liturgy) with resurrection of the dead. Rav Yehuda said: The day of rain is greater than the day on which the Torah was given. |
אמר רבי אבהו: גדול יום הגשמים מתחיית המתים, דאילו תחיית המתים לצדיקים, ואילו גשמים ־ בין לצדיקים בין לרשעים. ופליגא דרב יוסף, דאמר רב יוסף: מתוך שהיא שקולה כתחיית המתים ־ קבעוה בתחיית המתים. אמר רב יהודה: גדול יום הגשמים כיום שניתנה בו תורה,
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Suggested Discussion Questions
1. Why do you think the rabbis mentioned here put so much emphasis on the importance of rain?
2. What does this text say about "unjust" people? What do they deserve despite their unjust ways?
3. What might this text teach us about the importance of food? Is there ever a time when we can deny someone access to food?
Avot d’Rabbi Natan 7:1
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| When that great calamity came upon Job, he said to the Holy One, blessed be He: "Master of the universe, did I not feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty. . . ? And did I not clothe the naked?" Nevertheless the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Job: ''Job, you have not yet reached even half the measure of Abraham. You sit and stay in your house and the wayfarers come in to you. To him who is accustomed to eat wheat bread, you give wheat bread to eat; to him who is accustomed to eat meat, you give meat to eat; to him who is accustomed to drink wine, you give wine to drink. But Abraham did not act in this way. Instead, he would go out and around everywhere, and when he found wayfarers, he brought them into his house. To him who was unaccustomed to eat wheat bread, he gave wheat bread to eat; to him who was unaccustomed to eat meat, he gave meat to eat; to him who was unaccustomed to drink wine, he gave wine to drink. And more than that, he arose and built large mansions on the highways and left food and drink there, and every passerby ate and drank and blessed Heaven. That is why delight of spirit was given to him. [AJWS translation] |
וכשבא עליו ההוא פורענות גדול, אמר לפני הקדוש ברוך הוא: - ריבנו של עולם, לא הייתי מאכיל רעבים ומשקה צמאים? שנאמר: (איוב לא) "ואוכל פתי לבדי ולא אכל יתום ממנה". - ולא הייתי מלביש ערומים? שנאמר: (שם) "ומגז כבשי יתחמם". אף על פי כן אמר לו הקדוש ברוך הוא לאיוב: איוב, עדיין לא הגעת לחצי שיעור של אברהם. אתה יושב ושוהה בתוך ביתך, ואורחין נכנסים אצלך. את שדרכו לאכול פת חטים האכלתו פת חטים, את שדרכו לאכול בשר האכלתו בשר, את שדרכו לשתות יין השקיתו יין. אבל אברהם לא עשה כן. אלא יוצא ומהדר בעולם, וכשימצא אורחין מכניסן בתוך ביתו. את שאין דרכו לאכול פת חטין, האכילהו פת חטין. את שאין דרכו לאכול בשר, האכילהו בשר. ואת שאין דרכו לשתות יין, השקהו יין. ולא עוד אלא עמד ובנה פלטרין גדולים על הדרכים, והניח מאכל ומשקה. וכל הבא ונכנס, אכל ושתה וברך לשמים. לפיכך נעשית לו נחת רוח.
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Suggested Discussion Questions
1. Based on this text, what actions should we strive to do?
2.What does it mean for us to "build"?
3. In what ways can we follow this model in our own lives? What are the obstacles in our way and how can we navigate around those obstacles?
Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Gifts to the Poor 8:10
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| Redeeming captives takes precedence over providing food and clothing for the poor. There is no greater mitzvah than redeeming captives, for the captive is in the category of the starving, the thirsting, and the naked, indeed in danger of losing his own life. One who remains indifferent to his redemption transgresses, “Do not harden your heart," and "Do not clench your hand," and "Do no stand idly by blood of your brother,” and "he shall rule ruthlessley in your sight," and "You shall open your hand to your poor," and "Your brother shall live with you," and, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” and "Save those taken to their death." There is no more inclusive mitzvah than redeeming captives. [AJWS translation] |
פדיון שבויים קודם לפרנסת עניים ולכסותן, ואין לך מצוה גדולה כפדיון שבויים שהשבוי הרי הוא בכלל הרעבים והצמאים והערומים ועומד בסכנת נפשות, והמעלים עיניו מפדיונו הרי זה עובר על לא תאמץ את לבבך ולא תקפוץ את ידך ועל לא תעמוד על דם רעך ועל לא ירדנו בפרך לעיניך, ובטל מצות פתח תפתח את ידך לו, ומצות וחי אחיך עמך, ואהבת לרעך כמוך, והצל לקוחים למות והרבה דברים כאלו, ואין לך מצוה רבה כפדיון שבויים.
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Suggested Discussion Questions
1. Who we we classify as captives today?
2. What do the quoted verses mean to you?
3. What social justice themes emerge from this text?
Tur, Yoreh De'ah 251
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| One who comes and says, "Feed me," we don't investigate to see if he is deceiving, rather we feed him immediately. If he were naked and comes and says, "Clothe me," we investigate to see if he is deceiving. [AJWS translation] |
מי שבא ואומר האכילוני אין בודקין אחריו אם הוא רמאי אלא מאכילים אותו מיד היה ערום ובא ואמר כסוני בודקין אחריו אם הוא רמאי.
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Suggested Discussion Questions
1. What is the author's reasoning here for when to investigate requests for help?
2. What power dynamics are at play in this text?
3. What realities would exist to make the author write this? What realities exist today?
Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah 256:1
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| In every city in which there are Jews, they are obligated to appoint of themselves tzedakah collectors who are known to the community and trustworthy. These collectors would return to the community each week and collect from every person the amount that is fitting for that person to give. They then distribute the monies each week and give each and every poor person food that will last them for seven days. This is called the tzedakah fund. [AJWS translation] |
כל עיר שיש בה ישראל חייבין להעמיד מהן גבאי צדקה ידועים ונאמנים שיהו מחזירין על העם מערב שבת לערב שבת ולוקחין מכל אחד מהן מה שהוא ראוי ליתן ודבר הקצוב עליהן והן מחלקין המעות מערב שבת לע"ש ונותנין לכל עני ועני מזונות המספיקין לשבעת הימים והוא הנקרא קופה של צדקה.
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Suggested Discussion Questions
1. What goal does the tzedakah fund accomplish that individual donors could not do themselves?
2. This text does not call for a collection of donations, but rather for a group to collect mandated amounts. What is the significance of this detail?
3. What can we learn about tzedakah giving from this text - on local, national and international levels?
Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah 250:1
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| How much is it appropriate to give to the poor? ‘Sufficient for his needs in that which he lacks.’ If he is hungry, one must feed him. If he needs clothing, one must clothe him. If he lacks housing utensils, one must provide him with housing utensils… To each person according to what he needs. [AJWS translation] |
כמה נותנין לעני, די מחסורו אשר יחסר לו. כיצד, אם היה רעב, יאכילוהו. היה צריך לכסות, יכסוהו. אין לו כלי בית, קונה לו כלי בית...וכן לכל אחד ואחד לפי מה שצריך.
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Suggested Discussion Questions
1. What is the extent of this law - how do we gauge how much is enough?
2. What is the minimum amount we are to give?
3. Looking globally, how are we doing?
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