"For Instruction shall come forth from Zion, The word of the L-rd from Jerusalem." -- Isaiah 2:3

Jerusalem

Torah Verses

Excerpt Sources

Complete List of Source Books

Navigate the Excerpts Browser

Before accessing the excerpts, please review a word about copyright.

Are you more of an "I'll dive right in and figure it out" person, or a "Show Me How This Thing Works" person?  If the former, go right ahead and try the excerpts browers on the right side of this page and/or scroll through the excerpts that start below the following information -- although we still suggest reading the information first.  If you are the latter, click here for a video demonstrating the Excerpts Browser. Either way (or both), enjoy! 

This page is recommended for searches limited to specific Torah books, weekly portions (parshiot), chapters, verses, and/or sources (authors). For keyword and/or for exact phrase (including verse and source) searches of the entire excerpts database, we recommend using the Search Engine page.  For broadest results, use both pages and alternative search strategies. 

This page displays the full text of all or "sorted" (filtered) excerpts in the database.  Use the "Torah Verses" and/or "Excerpt Sources" browsers at the right to locate the excerpts associated with your desired Torah book, portion, chapter. verse, or author.  Or, simply scroll through the excerpts, using the "boxes" at the bottom of any page displaying excerpts to "jump" ahead or back. 

Also note that immediately below the chapter, verse, and keyword of each excerpt is a highlighted line comprised of multiple links.  Clicking on any of the links will limit (filter) the excerpts display to the selected category.  

Transcription of excerpts is incomplete.  For current status, please see "Transcribed Sources" on the Search Engine page.  To assist with completion, please see "Contributors" page. 

DEUTERONOMY — 15:7 open

Torah Book & Portion, Book of Deuteronomy, Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26–16:17), Source Book Keys, DORFFWITO
Page(s): 111-2
DEUT725 While the Torah and the later Jewish tradition provide a number of rationales for helping the poor, the ultimate one is that God commands us to do so. This becomes clear, for example, in the following passage. Here the Torah tells us clearly that we should not expect to accomplish the utilitarian purpose of ridding the world of poverty, which might be one of the aims we have in mind in giving charity, “for the poor will never disappear from the earth.” Nevertheless, we must help the poor in response to God's command: (Deuteronomy 15: 7-8, 11). God owns the earth. As Owner, God can, like all human owners, decide how to apportion God's property. We human beings own property only vis-a-vis other human beings but not vis-à-vis God. Therefore, when God determines that some of the earth's goods that happen to be in our hands must be transferred to the poor, God has full moral and legal authority to make that demand (to say nothing of the power to enforce it), and we must obey.

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

DEUTERONOMY — 15:11 cease

Torah Book & Portion, Book of Deuteronomy, Re'eh (Deuteronomy 11:26–16:17), Source Book Keys, DORFFWITO
Page(s): 65
DEUT794 Jewish law... does not satisfy itself with establishing a floor of expectations; it also pushes us to aspire to become even better, reaching for an ideal. For example, even though the Torah acknowledges that “there never will cease to be needy ones in your land” (Deuteronomy 15:11), it does not allow us to remain complacent, but rather requires us to support the poor in a variety of ways . Similarly, the Torah announces the ideal of justice and also requires us by law to do a number of things in the quest for both procedural and substantive justice.

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

DEUTERONOMY — 16:20 justice

Torah Book & Portion, Book of Deuteronomy, Shoftim (Deuteronomy 16:18–21:9), Source Book Keys, DORFFWITO
Page(s): 14
DEUT857 Tzedek means justice, as in the famous verse, “Justice, justice shall you pursue” (Deuteronomy 16:20). The Torah's division of justice includes both procedural and substantive elements. That is, it demands that in court we ensure fairness by following specific procedures in judging people (“procedural justice”), and in society generally we must guarantee that there is a substantial safety net so that the poor, orphans, and widows get what they need to live, receive an education, and find a mate (“substantive justice”).

SHOW FULL EXCERPT

RSS
12345678910
Back To Top