How much is too much?
Rabbi Jill Cozen-Harel
1. Beyond their similar sounds in Hebrew, what do these three traits have in common?
2. What judgment would you render about yourself, or your community, using these three measuring-sticks?
3. How is Rabbi Ilai's standard of 'recognizing' a person's character different from the ways we're used to judging people? What are the benefits of each?
ולא יעלה על רוחך כי משלך אתה נותן לעני או כי מאסתיו מתת לו לחם כאשר נתתי לך. כי גם בני הוא כמוך, אך חלקו הוא בתבואתך, ולזכותך כוונתי לתת לו חלקו מתחת ידיך. וזהו החילו בלשון רבים, באומרו 'ובקצרכם,' וצאתו בלשון יחיד באומרו 'לא תכלה' וכו'. מתחילה אמר לשון רבים, לומר קציר ארצכם של בעל השדה ועני והגר, לפי האמת כי חלקם שם. ומה גם כי דרך העשיר להעמיד קוצרים שכירים עני וגר, ועל בעל הבית והקוצרים אמר 'ובקצרכם את קציר ארצכם.' ואחר כך אל בעל הבית 'לא תכלה' וכו'.
Do not think that you are giving to the poor from your own possession, or that I despised the poor person by not giving him as I gave you. For he is my son, as you are, and his share is in your grain; it is to your benefit to give him his share from your property. This is the meaning of the use of the plural form – “And when you [pl.] reap” – in the beginning of the verse, and the use of the singular – “You [s.] shall not wholly reap afterward.” At the beginning the Torah uses the plural to designate the common ownership of the field by the owner, the poor, and the stranger, for in truth, they share in it. Additionally, the owner usually hires poor people and strangers to harvest the field, so the use of the plural form of “reap” refers to the owner and the reapers. Afterward – do not wholly reap but leave the corner – is addressed to the owner himself. [AJWS translation]
1. Who are the players in this text – seen and unseen?
2. What power dynamics are at play?
3. What are the implications of this mindset on how we should view all our wealth - individual and national?
1. Who are the players in this text – seen and unseen?
2. What are the values this text offers that are meant to guide "a person’s actions toward his neighbors and acquaintances, all of his commercial activity, and all social and political institutions"?
3. How are we, as a society, measuring up to Ramban's standards?
| Translation | Original |
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| The seismograph has taught us that a tremor in any part of the world can be felt by a sufficiently sensitive instrument everywhere in the world. The same is true of a person’s deeds. One should not think that his actions do not affect others. Everything one does in some way affects everyone else in the world. [Avraham Twerski translation] |
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1. How does this text answer the common question of whether or not our actions will make real change?
2. What are the implications of this text on all of our actions?
| Translation | Original |
|---|---|
| When that great calamity came upon Job, he said to the Holy One, blessed be He: "Master of the universe, did I not feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty. . . ? And did I not clothe the naked?" Nevertheless the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Job: ''Job, you have not yet reached even half the measure of Abraham. You sit and stay in your house and the wayfarers come in to you. To him who is accustomed to eat wheat bread, you give wheat bread to eat; to him who is accustomed to eat meat, you give meat to eat; to him who is accustomed to drink wine, you give wine to drink. But Abraham did not act in this way. Instead, he would go out and around everywhere, and when he found wayfarers, he brought them into his house. To him who was unaccustomed to eat wheat bread, he gave wheat bread to eat; to him who was unaccustomed to eat meat, he gave meat to eat; to him who was unaccustomed to drink wine, he gave wine to drink. And more than that, he arose and built large mansions on the highways and left food and drink there, and every passerby ate and drank and blessed Heaven. That is why delight of spirit was given to him. [AJWS translation] |
וכשבא עליו ההוא פורענות גדול, אמר לפני הקדוש ברוך הוא: - ריבנו של עולם, לא הייתי מאכיל רעבים ומשקה צמאים? שנאמר: (איוב לא) "ואוכל פתי לבדי ולא אכל יתום ממנה". - ולא הייתי מלביש ערומים? שנאמר: (שם) "ומגז כבשי יתחמם". אף על פי כן אמר לו הקדוש ברוך הוא לאיוב: איוב, עדיין לא הגעת לחצי שיעור של אברהם. אתה יושב ושוהה בתוך ביתך, ואורחין נכנסים אצלך. את שדרכו לאכול פת חטים האכלתו פת חטים, את שדרכו לאכול בשר האכלתו בשר, את שדרכו לשתות יין השקיתו יין. אבל אברהם לא עשה כן. אלא יוצא ומהדר בעולם, וכשימצא אורחין מכניסן בתוך ביתו. את שאין דרכו לאכול פת חטין, האכילהו פת חטין. את שאין דרכו לאכול בשר, האכילהו בשר. ואת שאין דרכו לשתות יין, השקהו יין. ולא עוד אלא עמד ובנה פלטרין גדולים על הדרכים, והניח מאכל ומשקה. וכל הבא ונכנס, אכל ושתה וברך לשמים. לפיכך נעשית לו נחת רוח.
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1. Who are the players in this text – seen and unseen?
2. How can we build mansions on the road with food and drink for the weary?
3. In what ways can we follow this model in our own lives? What are the obstacles in our way and how can we navigate around those obstacles?