ICJudaism: A Teacher’s Guide to Judaism

      Hosted by ICTeachers                                                                Formerly: Mike’s Rough Guide to Judaism

Disclaimer:

The contents of these pages represent the author’s personal views, experience and understanding.
There are bound to be some things here that some Jews would disagree with.

 

Some Ethical Standpoints

Ethical  Monotheism

Judaism  is one of the earliest forms of ethical monotheism (the idea that there is one creator G-d from whom all ethical standpoints originate. Through the Torah G-d demands both obedience and love of God (eg. The opening passages of the 10 Commandments: I am the Lord your G-d... / You shall have no other gods but Me...) and ethical behaviour towards other humans.The primary imperative of Judiasm is to lead an ethical life. When Rabbi Hillel, in the first century BCE, was asked to explain the Torah he said,"What is hateful to yourself, do not do to your neighbour. That is the whole Torah. The rest is commentary. Go and study."

Like other faiths, Judaism has a wide variety of ethical standpoints.  The following seem to me to be of great importance and to give a good good insights into Jewish thinking.

Life

In Jewish belief human life is sacred and to be valued above almost anything else. Most of the commandments may be broken in order to preserve life - indeed the principle of Pikuach Nefesh (rescuing a life) obligates Jews to break prohibitive laws (ie those that say, “Do Not ...”) if by doing so a life can be saved.

Tzaar Baalei Chaim (Concern for life)

In several places in Torah we are instructed to show concern for the welfare of animals eg.

If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help them with it. (Exodus 23,5)

In the 10 commandments the instruction not to work on the seventh day specifically includes “your ox, your donkey or any of your animals”.

Do not plough with an ox and a donkey yoked together (Deuteronomy 22,10).

This is understood to mean that we must be concerned for the welfare of animals. In Jewish practice animals are not killed needlessly (eg not simply for its skin or fur); animal based sports are generally avoided (including, for example, horse racing); hunting for sport has never been a feature of Jewish life.

Bal Tashchit (Do not destroy)

In Deuteronomy chapter 20 we are told

When you besiege a city for a long time in order to capture it, you must not destroy its trees by wielding an axe against them. You may eat from them, but you must not cut them down. Are trees of the field human to withdraw before you into the besieged city? Only trees that you know do not yield food may be destroyed; you may cut them down for constructing siegeworks against the city that is waging war on you, until it has been reduced.' 

Rabbinical interpretation, long ago, concluded that this was an exemplar for a more general rule that whilst we can use the natural world for food, construction materials etc. we should use only what we need and not waste or destroy what we do not require and not use things of higher value when things of lower value are sufficient. This idea together with the related concepts of reducing demand, recycling, reusing are strong in many Jewish communities.

Tikkun Olam (Healing the World)

A widely held principle in Judaism is that whilst we may use the world it is our duty to leave it better than we found it. Many Jewish communities interpret Tikkun Olam as an imperative to social action. There is also a religious interpretation along the lines of, “If we follow the laws of Torah and perform mitzvot (commandments and good deeds) the world will become a better place”.

In The Ethics of the Fathers, one of the books of the Mishna, we are told, “It is not your responsibility to finish the work of perfecting the world, but neither are you free to desist from it.”

Tzedek (Justice)

The Torah contains several rules about justice which are summed up in Deuteronomy chapter 16:18-29  You shall appoint magistrates and officials in all the settlements that the Lord your G-d is giving you, and they shall govern the people with due justice. You shall not judge unfairly; you shall show no partiality; you shall not take bribes, for bribes blind the eyes of the discerning and upset the plea of the just. Justice, justice you shall pursue, that you may thrive and occupy the land that the Lord your G-d is giving you.

Tzedakah (Charity)

Giving a proportion of one’s wealth to the poor is specified in several mitzvot (eg. Do not harvest into the corners of your field or pick up grapes that have fallen but leave them for the poor - Leviticus 19).

In Deuteronomy 26 we are command to give tithes of the “first fruit of our ground”  to the temple to be distributed to “the poor and the stranger”.

The word tzedakah actually means righteousness (note that it is essentially the same word as tzedek, meaning justice), which is qualitatively different to charity. (Tzedakah is an obligation, charity is optional).

Moses Maimonides (known as Rambam) the 12th century Jewish philosopher set out 8 levels of Tzedakah:

• Giving an interest-free loan to, forming a partnership with, giving a grant toor finding a job for a person in need to enable them to become self-sufficient.
• Giving anonymously to an unknown recipient via a person (or public fund) which is trustworthy, wise, and can perform acts of tzedakah with your money .
• Giving anonymously to a known recipient.
• Giving  publicly to an unknown recipient.
• Giving before being asked.
• Giving adequately after being asked.
• Giving willingly, but inadequately.
• Giving out of pity

Tzedakah is one of the 3 things that we hear repeatedly during the Yom Kippur services that will gain us atonement (the other 2 are prayer and repentance).