DEUT736 Said he [Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai] to them: Go out and see which is the evil way that a man should shun.… Rabbi Simeon said, One who borrows and does not repay. When someone borrows from a man, it is one in the same as borrowing from the Omnipresent God--as it is said, "The wicked borrows but does not repay, but the righteous one deals graciously and gives" (Psalms 37:21); Pirkei Avot, Perek II, mishnah 14. In a very real sense, when someone will not honor a loan, he commits a crime not only against his fellow man, but against the Almighty. For the Almighty Himself, and His Torah, enjoins us to extend a helping hand to our brother in need. "If there be among you a needy man… You shall surely lend him enough for his need, that he is lacking" [this verse]. The Almighty orders us to lend it to the needy, it is only just to regard Him, as it were, as the endorser and guarantor of every such loan, that is made in obedience to the Torah's decree. When the needy borrower will not repay a loan, he wrongs not only his creditor but also the Almighty, his Maker who is here his "co-maker." For not only will his creditor consider himself deprived by the borrower of his rightful money; the Almighty will have to reimburse the creditor, as it were, so as not to face the charge that His mitzvah has proven to be unjust.

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DEUT762 Said he [Rabban Yohanan ben Zakkai] to them: Go out and see which is the good way to which a man should cling. Rabbi Eliezer said, A good, kindly eye; Pirkei Avot, Perek II, mishnah 13. In the next mishnah (14) they seek to describe "the evil, bad way" which a person should strongly avoid. Rabbi Eliezer answers, An evil eye. This implies envy, jealousy, constant discontent, and a niggardly spirit which abhors sharing with others or serving others. With "an evil eye" a person will say, "What I have is never enough, and what the other has is always too much." This is what the Torah warns against: "Beware lest… your eye be evil against your needy brother, and you give him nothing" [this verse]. The person with a "good eye "finds deep gratification in teaching others and in helping others. As we find in the Book of Proverbs, "He who has a good eye will be blessed, for he gives of his bread to the poor" (Proverbs 22:9).

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DEUT800 The Torah says, "The needy will never cease from amid the land; therefore I command you, saying: You shall surely open your hand to your brother, to your poor and to your needy in your land" [this verse]. But what is the basis for our obligation to the poor? Why are they our concern? The L-ord made them poor; let the Lord provide! In answer, let us translate the beginning of the above verse somewhere differently: "The needy will not be missing from amid the land." The poor are not "missing persons" or "the forgotten men" in the sight of Heaven. For them too, Divine Providence has put oil, coal, minerals, precious metals in the earth. For them too the warming sun shines its golden light on the crops. It is for us to see that they receive their share.

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DEUT896 See [[LEV184]] Numbers 15:39 heart SINAI1 274

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DEUT977 (Continued from [[LEV70]] Leviticus 6:18 place SINAI1 301) This same consideration can be found in the procedure of the Torah for exempting individuals from participating in military battle. When all the troops were lined up, the officers would call out that the following were exempt and could go home: any man who had built a house but had not yet dedicated it; any man who had planted a vineyard and had not yet enjoyed its fruits; any man who had betrothed a wife but had not yet married her; and finally, all those who were fearful and faint-hearted and had no stomach for combat (Deuteronomy 20:5-8). While Rabbi Akiba accepts this at face value, Rabbi Yose the Galilean explains that by this last group the Torah did not mean simply cowards, but rather those who were fearful because of the sins they had committed and who therefore despaired of the protection of Providence in battle. And he adds that actually the first three groups of people were declared exempt to provide "covers" for this last group of the guilt-laden (T.B. Sotah 44a). If only "the fearful and faith – hearted" had been directed to withdraw, to leave would have been a public admission of sin and hence a deep humiliation. The Torah wished to spare their feelings by giving them three other reasons to leave the field, that they might go with an "honorable discharge." No other military manual in the world has ever had such elaborate procedures merely to safeguard the feelings of those who were not psychologically ready for battle.

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DEUT1025 Th[e] regard for the innate dignity of the human being extends in Judaism beyond his lifespan. The human body in death, although now abandoned by the soul, must still be accorded respect and reverence. This is the underlying principle reflected in the Jewish rituals and practices of burial and mourning. Scripture tells of a meth mitzvah: If a human corpse is found in a field, the nearest community is obligated to bury him [Deuteronomy 21:1-9; see T.B. Baba Kamma 81b). The Talmud rules: Should the body of an unknown person be found even at a time when everyone is intent on observing some mitzvah, such as reading the m'gillah on Purim, which must be done at that specific time (Purim eve), the dead man must nevertheless be buried first. Imagine a synagogue packed with impatient men, women and children, and many of the adults have fasted all day (the Fast of Esther): how impatiently they wait for the Purim m'gillah to be read. Yet, they must all wait. The dignity of man, even in death, comes first (T.B. Megillah 3b).

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DEUT1082 (Continued from [[GEN501]] Genesis 4:9 keeper SINAI1 xxii). If our primary purpose through life's journey is moral, to ever develop and grow in moral character, mussar is vitally necessary--to learn it and teach it--that we and our fellow Jews may improve in spiritual health. It is our obligation to show a neighbor the error of his ways and to help him avoid sin with its tragic consequences. In Scripture we read, "If you meet your enemy's ox or donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him" (Exodus 23:4). Who is the owner of this animal that you are required to rescue? Even if he is not a friend but your enemy, hashev t'shivenu lo, says the Torah, doubling the verb: literally, "return shall you return it to him." And to the Sages of Talmud and Midrash this means that even if you keep taking the animal back and it keeps running away, though this happens four or five times, you must continue to bring it to the owner, knowing that he bears you enmity (T.B. Baba Metzia 30b; Midrash haGadol to Exodus 23:4). So, suppose it were not an enemy's animal, but the valued property of a friend. We should surely go out of her way to rescue it. Then what if instead of the animal, the friend himself goes astray in the pathways of life? How much stronger should our heartfelt concern, our deep obligation to return him to the proper path. ... We must cast away cold indifference born of selfishness and callousness. In its place let us accept the Jewish way of responsibility for our neighbor, deep concern for our people. Let us therefore turn to mussar, the moral wisdom and lore that we should learn and teach.

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DEUT1284 See [[EXOD6902]] Exodus 22:24 interest SINAI1 17

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DEUT1417 See [[EXOD96]] Exodus 5:2 who SINAI1 293

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DEUT1473 See [[EXOD96]] Exodus 5:2 who SINAI1 293

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