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EXODUS — 22:20 afflict

EXOD642 The Rabbis taught: One who afflicts a proselyte transgresses three negative commandments: "And a stranger you shall not afflict"; (Leviticus 19:33): "And if there live with you a stranger in your land, you shall not afflict him"; (Leviticus 25:17): "And a man shall not afflict his fellow" -- and a proselyte is in the class of "his fellow" (Bava Metzia 59b).

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EXODUS — 22:20 strangers

EXOD647 Human beings generally remember events of the past, recalling the highlights accompanied by good or bad feelings. To the Jew, however, remembering is not enough. In remembering, the Jew must actually re-experience the event. Thus, Jews recite on Passover evening (Hagaddah, before drinking the second cup of wine) that in each generation each Jew must see himself or herself as if he or she personally went out of Egypt. Specifically, regarding the slavery in Egypt, this particular experience must not only be remembered, but it must affect the Jewish personality in many of his or her activities. Thus, remembering the Egyptian experience is tied to Jewish behavior with a stranger in the community [this verse] as well as in the manner in which to Jew should experience the Shabbat. Deuteronomy 5:15 It may be said that this concept of reexperiencing Egypt should be extended to all experiences in Jewish history. Thus, remembering for the Jew must impact on his or her psyche and character, concretely affecting Jewish actions. Jewish sensitivity for all time is affected by remembering Egyptian experience and Jewish history that might have a similar impact.

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EXODUS — 22:20 strangers

EXOD648 In a Jewish society, it is the non-Jew who is the stranger, the one who is most different. The mitzvah most often repeated in the Torah is not the commandment to keep the Sabbath, kashruth, or any ritual law. The commandment repeated 36 times is the mitzvah to love the stranger and to treat him or her properly. Bava Metzia 59b. The Torah is replete with references to this effect. (A few of the verses are this verse, Leviticus 19:34, 25:35; Deuteronomy 10:18 – 19, 24:17.) The Torah emphasis against mistreating a stranger, that is, discriminating against him because he is different, cannot be explained because non-Jews were so prevalent in ancient Jewish society. We know the opposite to be true--there were relatively few "strangers" living among the Jewish population. Why, then, does the Torah choose to stress this commandment more than all the others? The Sefer Hachinuch, Mitzvah #63 explains that the purpose of this mitzvah is to teach ourselves not to do evil against or not even to think evil about the most helpless and defenseless in society. The non-Jew, the stranger, is the easiest and safest target since it is difficult to fight back. That is why the Torah emphasizes this mitzvah 36 or 46 times. How we treat a stranger, the most defenseless, becomes a moral barometer of society in general. If we can be sensitive to treat the most defenseless person fairly and with kindness, it is clear that we will treat everyone else with his sensitivity as well. Thus, by commanding Jews to love this stranger and relate to him or her without prejudice, we will develop this feeling of kindness to all people in society.

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EXODUS — 22:20 strangers

EXOD651 The Midrash Tanchuma, Lech Lecha 6 tells us that God favors the strangers over all other human beings. The Talmud Bava Metzia 58b states that he who makes the stranger suffer, either verbally, physically or financially, violates either three or five separate sins. Nachmanides (commentary on this verse) comments that Jews should never think that they can discriminate against a stranger and get away with it. God specifically repeats that He will watch over the stranger and the other downtrodden to ensure that Jews do not demonstrate prejudice. Maimonides Hilchot Melachim 10:12 states that non-Jews living in a Jewish society must be given the same basic rights as Jews have.

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