(ז) כִּי יִהְיֶה בְךָ אֶבְיוֹן מֵאַחַד אַחֶיךָ בְּאַחַד שְׁעָרֶיךָ בְּאַרְצְךָ אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ לֹא תְאַמֵּץ אֶת לְבָבְךָ וְלֹא תִקְפֹּץ אֶת יָדְךָ מֵאָחִיךָ הָאֶבְיוֹן.
(7) If there be among you a person with needs...you shall not harden your heart, but you shall open your hand.
(8) Speak up for those who cannot speak…speak up, judge righteously, champion the poor and the needy.
(2) ולפני עור לא תתן מכשל THOU SHALT NOT PUT A STUMBLING BLOCK BEFORE THE BLIND — This implies: "Give not a person who is "blind" in a matter an advice which is improper for him. Do not say to him: "Sell your field and buy from the proceeds of the sale an ass", the fact being that you are endeavouring to circumvent him and to take it (the field) from him (Sifra, Kedoshim, Section 2 14).
(יב) הרואה את ... ואת המשונין בצורת פניהן או באיבריהם מברך ברוך אתה יי' אלהינו מלך העולם משנה את הבריות הרואה סומא או קיטע ומוכה שחין ובוהקנין וכיוצא בהן מברך ברוך אתה יי' אלהינו מלך העולם דיין האמת ואם נולדו כן ממעי אמן מברך משנה את הבריות הרואה את הפיל ואת הקוף ואת הקיפוף אומר ברוך משנה את הבריות.
One who sees…people with disfigured faces or limbs, recites the blessing, ‘Blessed are You, Lord our God, Sovereign of the universe, who makes people different.’ One who sees a person who is blind or lame, or who is covered with sores and white pustules (or similar ailment), recites the blessing, ‘Blessed are You, Lord our God, Sovereign of the universe, who is a righteous judge.’ But if they were born that way (with the disability), one says, ‘...who makes people different.’
(ל) מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ מוּם בְּפָנָיו אוֹ בְּיָדָיו, כְּגוֹן שֶׁהֵם בּוֹהֲקָנִיּוֹת אוֹ עֲקֻמּוֹת אוֹ עֲקוּשׁוֹת (בּוֹהֲקָנִיּוֹת פי' מִין נֶגַע לָבָן, וְרַשִׁ''י פֵּרֵשׁ לינטלי''ש בְּלַעַז, עֲקֻמּוֹת, כְּפוּפוֹת, עֲקוּשׁוֹת לִצְדָדֵיהֶן, וְהָרַ''ן פִּי' עֲקֻמּוֹת שֶׁנִּתְעַקְמָה יָדוֹ אֲחוֹרַנִּית, עֲקוּשׁוֹת שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְחַלֵּק אֶצְבְּעוֹתָיו), לֹא יִשָּׂא אֶת כַּפָּיו, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהָעָם מִסְתַּכְּלִין בּוֹ; וְהוּא הַדִּין לְמִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ מוּמִין בְּרַגְלָיו, בַּמָּקוֹם שֶׁעוֹלִים לַדּוּכָן בְּלֹא בָּתֵּי שׁוֹקַיִם; וְכֵן מִי שֶׁרִירוֹ יוֹרֵד עַל זְקָנוֹ; אוֹ שֶׁעֵינָיו זוֹלְפוֹת דְּמָעוֹת; וְכֵן סוּמָא בְּאַחַת מֵעֵינָיו, לֹא יִשָּׂא אֶת כַּפָּיו. וְאִם הָיָה דָּשׁ בְּעִירוֹ, דְּהַיְנוּ שֶׁהֵם רְגִילִים בּוֹ וּמַכִּירִים הַכֹּל שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ אוֹתוֹ מוּם, יִשָּׂא כַּפָּיו וַאֲפִלּוּ הוּא סוּמָא בִּשְׁתֵּי עֵינָיו. וְכָל שֶׁשָּׁהָה בָּעִיר ל' יוֹם, מִקְרֵי דָּשׁ בְּעִירוֹ; וְדַוְקָא בְּעִירוֹ, אֲבָל אִם הוֹלֵךְ בְּאַקְרַאי לְעִיר אַחֶרֶת, וְשָׁהָה שָׁם ל' יוֹם, לֹא; וַאֲפִלּוּ לֹא בָּא לָדוּר שָׁם לִהְיוֹת מִבְּנֵי הָעִיר, אֶלָּא בָּא לִהְיוֹת שָׁם מְלַמֵּד אוֹ סוֹפֵר אוֹ מְשָׁרֵת שָׁנָה אוֹ חֲצִי שָׁנָה, חָשׁוּב דָּשׁ בְּעִירוֹ בְּל' יוֹם.
(30) One who has an deformity on his face or his hands, for example albinism, deformed [fingers], or paralyzed [fingers] should not perform the priestly blessing ("bohakniot" means a type of white lesion, and Rashi explains it means spotted (like lentils) in Old French; "akumot" means crooked; "akushot" means bent to the sides. The Ran defines: "akumot" means that his hand is bent backwards, and "akushot" means he is unable to separate his fingers) because the congregation will stare at him. And this is also the rule for one who has an deformity on his feet, in a place where they ascend to the platform without socks. And so it is if he has spittle drooling down his beard, or if his eyes tear up. And similarly, one who is blind in one of his eye should not perform the priestly blessing. However, if he is "broken in" in his city, meaning that they are familiar with him and everyone recognizes that he has this deformity, he may perform the blessing, even if he is blind in both eyes. Anyone who has stayed in the city thirty days is called "broken in in his city," but only in his city — whereas if he goes temporarily to a different city and stays there thirty days, no. Even if he did not come to live in the city to become one of the city residents, but rather to become a schoolteacher or scribe or attendant, for a year or half a year, this is considered "broken in in his city thirty days."
(ה) כֵּיצַד מְאַיְּמִין אֶת הָעֵדִים עַל עֵדֵי נְפָשׁוֹת, הָיוּ מַכְנִיסִין אוֹתָן וּמְאַיְּמִין עֲלֵיהֶן. שֶׁמָּא תֹאמְרוּ מֵאֹמֶד, וּמִשְּׁמוּעָה, עֵד מִפִּי עֵד וּמִפִּי אָדָם נֶאֱמָן שָׁמַעְנוּ, אוֹ שֶׁמָּא אִי אַתֶּם יוֹדְעִין שֶׁסּוֹפֵנוּ לִבְדֹּק אֶתְכֶם בִּדְרִישָׁה וּבַחֲקִירָה. הֱווּ יוֹדְעִין שֶׁלֹּא כְדִינֵי מָמוֹנוֹת דִּינֵי נְפָשׁוֹת. דִּינֵי מָמוֹנוֹת, אָדָם נוֹתֵן מָמוֹן וּמִתְכַּפֵּר לוֹ. דִּינֵי נְפָשׁוֹת, דָּמוֹ וְדַם זַרְעִיּוֹתָיו תְּלוּיִין בּוֹ עַד סוֹף הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁכֵּן מָצִינוּ בְקַיִן שֶׁהָרַג אֶת אָחִיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ד) דְּמֵי אָחִיךָ צֹעֲקִים, אֵינוֹ אוֹמֵר דַּם אָחִיךָ אֶלָּא דְּמֵי אָחִיךָ, דָּמוֹ וְדַם זַרְעִיּוֹתָיו. דָּבָר אַחֵר, דְּמֵי אָחִיךָ, שֶׁהָיָה דָמוֹ מֻשְׁלָךְ עַל הָעֵצִים וְעַל הָאֲבָנִים. לְפִיכָךְ נִבְרָא אָדָם יְחִידִי, לְלַמֶּדְךָ, שֶׁכָּל הַמְאַבֵּד נֶפֶשׁ אַחַת מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, מַעֲלֶה עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב כְּאִלּוּ אִבֵּד עוֹלָם מָלֵא. וְכָל הַמְקַיֵּם נֶפֶשׁ אַחַת מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, מַעֲלֶה עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב כְּאִלּוּ קִיֵּם עוֹלָם מָלֵא. וּמִפְּנֵי שְׁלוֹם הַבְּרִיּוֹת, שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמַר אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ אַבָּא גָדוֹל מֵאָבִיךָ. וְשֶׁלֹּא יְהוּ מִינִין אוֹמְרִים, הַרְבֵּה רָשֻׁיּוֹת בַּשָּׁמָיִם. וּלְהַגִּיד גְּדֻלָּתוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁאָדָם טוֹבֵעַ כַּמָּה מַטְבְּעוֹת בְּחוֹתָם אֶחָד וְכֻלָּן דּוֹמִין זֶה לָזֶה, וּמֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא טָבַע כָּל אָדָם בְּחוֹתָמוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן וְאֵין אֶחָד מֵהֶן דּוֹמֶה לַחֲבֵרוֹ. לְפִיכָךְ כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד חַיָּב לוֹמַר, בִּשְׁבִילִי נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם. וְשֶׁמָּא תֹאמְרוּ מַה לָּנוּ וְלַצָּרָה הַזֹּאת, וַהֲלֹא כְבָר נֶאֱמַר (ויקרא ה) וְהוּא עֵד אוֹ רָאָה אוֹ יָדָע אִם לוֹא יַגִּיד וְגוֹ'. וְשֶׁמָּא תֹאמְרוּ מַה לָּנוּ לָחוּב בְּדָמוֹ שֶׁל זֶה, וַהֲלֹא כְבָר נֶאֱמַר (משלי יא) וּבַאֲבֹד רְשָׁעִים רִנָּה:
(5) How do we press the witnesses in a capital case? We bring them in [to the court's chambers] and press them: "Perhaps what you say [isn't eyewitness testimony] is but your own assessment, or from rumors, or your witnessing an actual witness testify, or your reporting what a trustworthy said. Or perhaps you were unaware that by the end we'd interrogate you, with examination and inquiry. Know that capital cases are not like monetary ones. In monetary cases, [a false witness] can return the money and achieve atonement. But in capital cases, the blood of [the victim [and all his future offspring hang upon you until the end of time. For thus we find in regard to Cain, who killed his brother, "The bloods of your brother scream out!" (Genesis 4:10) - the verse does not say blood of your brother, but bloods of your brother, because it was his blood and also the blood of his future offspring [screaming out]! [Another explanation of the verse: for his blood was splattered over the trees and rocks [there was more than one pool of blood]. [The judges' speech continues] "It was for this reason that man was first created as one person [Adam], to teach you that anyone who destroys a life is considered by Scripture to have destroyed an entire world; and anyone who saves a life is as if he saved an entire world." And also, to promote peace among the creations, that no man would say to his friend, "My ancestors are greater than yours." And also, so that heretics will not say, "there are many rulers up in Heaven." And also, to express the grandeur of The Holy One [blessed be He]: For a man strikes many coins from the same die, and all the coins are alike. But the King, the King of Kings, The Holy One [blessed be He] strikes every man from the die of the First Man, and yet no man is quite like his friend. Therefore, every person must say, “For my sake the world was created.”
I claim disability as a vibrant part of my own identity, as a meaningful way of naming and celebrating the intricate unfolding of my own skin and soul. A student once asked whether it was appropriate for someone with a disability to recite the blessing Asher Yatzar, the blessing that Jews recite to praise the One who creates the body with wisdom. My bones say yes. I bless God for crafting this holy house of skin and blood: these clear eyes and bony hips, this leg a bit shorter than the next, this hip unwilling to bear weight.
-Julia Watts Belser
But if everyone was there[Sinai], Torah and Judaism need to be accessible to everyone. It was easier to get all of the Jews in one room to accept 613 commandments than it was to get some Jews in one room to accept me.
-Pamela Schuller