The Other in our Midst

Jacob Milgrom, “Reflections on the Biblical GER,” Leviticus 17-22 (Anchor Bible, 2000).

The ger. . . is a resident alien; he has uprooted himself (or has been uprooted) from his homeland and has taken permanent residence in the land of Israel...Having severed his ties with his original home, he has no family to turn to for support. Thus deprived of both land and family, he was generally poor, listed together with the Levite, the fatherless, and the widow among the wards of society (Deut. 26:12), and exposed to exploitation and oppression. (Ezek.22:7)...

Suggested Discussion Questions What does this insight add to your understanding of the "Ger?" How should you treat the Ger, and what forms of justice would this treatment invoke?

Proverbs 1:2-3

לָדַעַת חָכְמָה וּמוּסָר לְהָבִין אִמְרֵי בִינָה: לָקַחַת מוּסַר הַשְׂכֵּל צֶדֶק וּמִשְׁפָּט וּמֵישָׁרִים:

Proverbs.1.2-3

For learning wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of discernment; for acquiring the discipline for success, righteousness, justice, and equity; [JPS translation]

Suggested Discussion Questions 1.

Psalms 39:13

יג) שִׁמְעָה תְפִלָּתִי יְקֹוָק וְשַׁוְעָתִי הַאֲזִינָה אֶל דִּמְעָתִי אַל תֶּחֱרַשׁ כִּי גֵר אָנֹכִי עִמָּךְ תּוֹשָׁב כְּכָל אֲבוֹתָי

Psalms.39.13

Hear my prayer, O Lord; give ear to my cry; do not disregard my tears; for like all my forebears I am an alien, resident with You. [JPS translation]

Suggested Discussion Questions 1. Why should God listen to David’s cries?
2. What does this text imply about the experience of being in a foreign environment?
3. How should we treat people who feel like strangers?

Rabbi Yehudah HaChassid, from Sefer Chasidim, trans. Avraham Finkel (Northvale, NJ: Jason Aronson Inc, 1997), 118-119

Translation
A man who was the most astute buyer of merchandise in town devoted all his spare time to Torah study. One day, a widow asked him to buy a certain article for her. He declined, saying, “I’m sorry, but I simply cannot give up my Torah studies.” A venerable old rabbi interjected, “Do you think that you are better than Rabbi Gamliel and Rabbi Yehoshua? The Talmud tells us that they interrupted their Torah studies to go to the market to buy an animal for the wedding feast of Rabbi Gamliel’s daughter (Talmud Bavli Makkot 14a), and on the way discussed Torah topics. You should do the same. When you buy the article for the widow, keep your mind on Torah issues. And when you buy merchandise at a favorable price, the money you save her is counted as your tzedakah, and God will repay you for your trouble." [Avraham Finkel translation]

Translation

A man who was the most astute buyer of merchandise in town devoted all his spare time to Torah study. One day, a widow asked him to buy a certain article for her. He declined, saying, “I’m sorry, but I simply cannot give up my Torah studies.” A venerable old rabbi interjected, “Do you think that you are better than Rabbi Gamliel and Rabbi Yehoshua? The Talmud tells us that they interrupted their Torah studies to go to the market to buy an animal for the wedding feast of Rabbi Gamliel’s daughter (Talmud Bavli Makkot 14a), and on the way discussed Torah topics. You should do the same. When you buy the article for the widow, keep your mind on Torah issues. And when you buy merchandise at a favorable price, the money you save her is counted as your tzedakah, and God will repay you for your trouble." [Avraham Finkel translation]

Suggested Discussion Questions 1. What would make man think that Torah study supersedes helping the widow? In our own lives, how do we make those prioritizations?
2. What are we meant to learn from this story?
3. What social justice themes emerge from this text?

Exodus 22:20-23

וְגֵר לֹא תוֹנֶה וְלֹא תִלְחָצֶנּוּ כִּי גֵרִים הֱיִיתֶם בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם: כָּל אַלְמָנָה וְיָתוֹם לֹא תְעַנּוּן: אִם עַנֵּה תְעַנֶּה אֹתוֹ כִּי אִם צָעֹק יִצְעַק אֵלַי שָׁמֹעַ אֶשְׁמַע צַעֲקָתוֹ: וְחָרָה אַפִּי וְהָרַגְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בֶּחָרֶב וְהָיוּ נְשֵׁיכֶם אַלְמָנוֹת וּבְנֵיכֶם יְתֹמִים:

Exodus.22.20-23

You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. You shall not ill-treat any widow or orphan. If you do mistreat them, I will heed their outcry as soon as they cry out to Me, and My anger shall blaze forth and I will put you to the sword, and your own wives shall become widows and your children orphans. [JPS translation]

Suggested Discussion Questions 1. Who are the players in this text – seen and unseen?
2. What power dynamics are at play?
3. What does it mean to "oppress"? What does it mean to "wrong" a person?

BabylonianTalmud, Kiddushin 40b

קידושין מ׳ ב:ח׳

וכבר היה רבי טרפון וזקנים מסובין בעלית בית נתזה בלוד, נשאלה שאילה זו בפניהם: תלמוד גדול או מעשה גדול? נענה רבי טרפון ואמר: מעשה גדול, נענה ר"ע ואמר: תלמוד גדול, נענו כולם ואמרו: תלמוד גדול, שהתלמוד מביא לידי מעשה.

Kiddushin 40b:8

Rabbi Tarfon and some elders were reclining in an upper chamber in the house of Nitza in Lod when this question came up: Which is greater, study or action? Rabbi Tarfon spoke up and said: Action is greater. Rabbi Akiva spoke up and said: Study is greater. The others then spoke up and said: Study is greater because it leads to action. [Soncino translation]

Suggested Discussion Questions 1. Who are the players in this text – seen and unseen?
2. What "action" is being discussed here?
3. How does this text relate to Jewish social justice?
4. How does this text relate to education and sustainable livelihood?

Exodus 12:49

תּוֹרָה אַחַת יִהְיֶה לָאֶזְרָח וְלַגֵּר הַגָּר בְּתוֹכְכֶם:

Exodus.12.49

There shall be one law for the citizen and for the stranger who dwells among you. [JPS translation]

Suggested Discussion Questions 1. Why might we assume that there would be separate laws for citizens and strangers?
2. Do we uphold this today in our society?
3. How might the statement of this text guide the way we set public policy in our own societies?