EXOD725 (Continued from [[LEV1062]] Leviticus 25:36 interest OXFORD 46). In the Tanakh, loans at interest are viewed as exploitation of the indigent, since commonly the agrarian poor would be the recipients. This situation is obvious in the prohibition of taking a garment or cloak as pledge because "It is his only clothing, the sole covering for his skin" [this verse]. Further, the purpose of generosity to one's fellow Israelites is to maintain social and economic stability and prevent the emergence of an underclass encumbered by debt. The Bible mentions instances when these rules were neglected with unfortunate consequences, such as in Jerusalem during the time of Nehemiah when Judean children were distrained for their parents' debt (Neh 5; see also 2 Kings 4:1). This reason would not apply to loans for the nokhri, or foreigner, who perhaps was visiting the country for purposes of commerce and investment; there is no moral requirement to offer interest-free loans to him for such purposes. (Jeffrey Tigay, The JPS Torah Commentary: Deuteronomy, 218 quoting the nineteenth-century Italian commentator Shemuel Dovid Luzzato). (By Elaine Adler Goodfriend, “Ethical Theory and Practice in the Hebrew Bible)

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EXOD726 He who gives alms to a poor man with a hostile countenance and with his face averted to the ground, loses his merit and forfeits it, even if he gave us as much as a thousand gold coins. He should rather give with a friendly countenance and joyfully. He should commiserate with the recipient and his distress, as it is said, "If I have not wept for him that was in trouble, and if my soul grieved not for the needy?" (Job 30:25). You should also speak to him in prayerful and comforting words, as it is said, "And I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy" (Job 29:13). If a poor man asks you for alms and you have nothing to give him, comfort him with words.

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EXOD727 By attributing love and hate to the sense of hearing, [Solomon] Ibn Gabirol (c. 1022-1058) teaches in effect that love means hearing the Other and hatred means not to hear him or her. Similarly, he cites God's words, "I will hear for I am merciful" [this verse]. (Ibn Gabirol, The Improvement of Moral Qualities, Arabic text and English translation by Stephen S. Wise (New York: Columbia University Press, 1902), intro., pp. 29-51 (Arabic, 59b-73b). The merciful individual hears the Other, the cruel one does not. Ibn Gabirol observes that the Bible connects the love for God with hearing: "Hear, O Israel ... Thou shalt love the Lord thy God" (Deut 6:4). (Ibid, Arabic, 65b). (By Warren Zev Harvey, “Ethical Theories among Medieval Jewish Philosophers”)

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EXOD728 He used to say: Do not go judging alone [by yourself], for none may judge alone except One [God]; and do not say [to the judges on the bench with you], "accept my opinion," for they are permitted, but not you. (Pirkei Avot, Perek IV, mishnah 10) ... Even among a panel of judges, it is possible that one will try to dominate the others, through an imposing personality, a dazzling display of scholarship, or the intensity of his convictions. Hence he [R. Ishmael b. R. Yose] cautions, "Do not say, Accept my opinion." For should you so assert yourself, you negate any good that can come from having several minds sit in judgment together. When you have a point, and opinion, or an argument, let it go forward only by its own currency and soundness of reason. Do not "push" it. To impose an opinion on someone who does not arrive at it by himself – this is the privilege of the majority, not of an individual in a group, no matter how gifted or brilliant he is. Alternatively, we can interpret our text to mean: Do not judge one of the parties in a lawsuit alone, when only he is before you. You must hear both sides of the argument from the principals themselves, before you can make any attempt to judge correctly. The only One who can make a decision after hearing only one side, is the Almighty Himself, as it is written: "When he [a poor man] cries out to me, I will hear, for I am compassionate" [this verse]. The Creator can respond as soon as He hears a cry of complaint, since He is omniscient; nothing is hidden from Him. But you are a human being, bounded in time and space, able to gather knowledge only through five senses. For the facts in the case before you, you have no other source but the testimony of the people involved. The least you must do is to hear both sides before judging.

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EXOD729 See [[EXOD685]] Exodus 22:24 act TZADIK 155

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EXOD730 See [[EXOD720]] Exodus 22:25 pledge TAMARI 175

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EXOD731 Whenever we encounter human interaction, we encounter ethical obligations. We have ethical obligations in our relationships with family members, with neighbors and friends, and with economic contacts such as customers, suppliers, employers, and employees. In addition, all of us are members of a community, a commonwealth, and this implies that we have ethical obligations as citizens. While the government often seems to be a faceless monolith, at best neutral and at worst hostile, we should recall that the best government is the embodiment of the aspirations of the entire community, and that even the worst government is preferable to anarchy. The Torah commands us not to belittle our leaders: "Do not do belittle the judge, and do not deride the prince among your people" [this verse]. Sefer ha-Hinnukh, an important commentary on the Torah, explains: "It is impossible for any settlement of people to exist without one person designated as their head, to perform his commands and carry out his decrees. For the views of people are varied, and they will never be able to completely agree on any issue; as a result, they will end up in inaction and nullity in their actions." The Hinnukh goes on to explain that even though leaders are fallible and will occasionally be wrong, action that is sometimes mistaken is far preferable to interaction. This principle applies to any society we find ourselves in. Through the prophet Jeremiah, God admonishes the Jews who are on their way to exile in Babylon, "Seek the peace of the city whither I have banished you, and pray on its behalf to the Lord; for in its welfare will be your welfare" [Jeremiah 29:7]. This mandate is the basis for the custom of saying a prayer in synagogue each Shabbat on behalf of the monarch, affirming that it is God "Who grants salvation to Kings." The ethical principle of good citizenship found in the Torah and in the prophets is also echoed in the Talmud, which summarizes: "The law of the land is the law." [Gittin 10b]. As long as a law is legitimate, equitable, and consistent with Torah values, we have a religious obligation to uphold it.

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EXOD734 Maimonides (sic) (Nachmanides commentary to this verse) reminds us that the Torah forbids Jews to curse a sitting Nasi, or king. Even if the person who holds the title is deplorable and miserable at his job (a moral sinner), this person may still not be cursed due to his current position. Cursing a man is equivalent to cursing the office, and respect for the office must be retained, no matter who has the post. But once the Nasi is removed, no such prohibition exists.

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EXOD732 Do not curse a nasi. It is impossible for people to live together unless they accept that one individual be their leader and everyone heeds what he says. After all, people differ greatly in their ideas and rarely see things the same way. Without a leader, a group seldom agrees on any one opinion or course of action. Such lack of harmony prevents accomplishing goals for the common good. Therefore, people must accept upon themselves that one leader will make the decisions and everyone will cooperate with what he says and do what needs to be done according to his way of thinking. The head of the Great Sanhedrin is acknowledged as the nation's guide regarding the laws and ways of the Torah. The king is the acknowledged authority on civil order. Because the leaders serve society in such beneficial ways, we cannot dispute their decisions, so we are forbidden to curse them even in private when no one hears. It is the way of the world that once someone allows himself to curse others privately, he eventually will speak out against them openly and disruptive disputes will break out.

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EXOD733 Do not curse God. Hashem separated man from the animals by bestowing upon him the power of speech. He gave man this power as a gift, for man’s good, to lift mankind above the animals. However, if a person curses Hashem he uses this gift for evil and thereby falls lower than the most disgusting vermin. His act is totally mindless. Therefore, the Torah warns us about the matter, for Hashem wants to send us only good, and any manner of speech that prevents Him from sending good to us is against His Will.

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