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Pesikta d’Rav Kahana 9:1

 

פסיקתא דרב כהנא ט:א

Original Text:

ר' יהושע בן לוי סליק לרומי וראה שם עמודים של שייש מכורכים בקיטיות, בשרב שלא יפקעו ובצינה שלא יקרשו, וראה שם עני אחד מחצלת קנים מתחתיו ומחצלת של קנים מעל גביו.

Translation:

When R. Joshua ben Levi went to Rome, he saw marble pillars there which had been carefully covered with wrappings to keep them from cracking during the heat and freezing in the cold. At the same time, he saw a poor man who had no more than a reed mat under him and a reed mat over him to protect him from the elements.
[AJWS translation]

Suggested Discussion Questions:

1. What is the criticism of Rome here?
2. In what ways could the same criticism be made of our society? Of our global community?
3. In what way does R. Joshua's status as an outsider in Rome impact his ability to see this contradiction?

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Related Texts:
Pesikta d’Rav Kahana 9:1
Related Sourcesheets:Service/Volunteerism Texts, Texts on Social Change v. Social Action, The Social Justice Imperative, Recognizing Women's Unique Vulnerabilities, Some texts on poverty

Submitted By

Sarah Margles

Comments on this Text

 Would this text condemn societies that fund museums and the arts while the poor are not adequately provided for?