Hunger | Sefaria

Hunger

Proverbs 10:3

לֹא יַרְעִיב יְיָ נֶפֶשׁ צַדִּיק וְהַוַּת רְשָׁעִים יֶהְדֹּף

Proverbs.10.3

Adonai will not let the righteous go hungry, But God denies the wicked what they crave. [JPS Translation edited for gender neutrality]

Suggested Discussion Questions 1. What is this text saying?
2. How might this text be used to justify injustice in the world?
3. Can this text be read differently?

Babylonian Talmud, Derech Eretz 7:25

Translation	Original
Always be happy when you are sitting at your table and those who are hungry are enjoying your hospitality, in order to lengthen your days in this world and the World to Come. [AJWS Translation]	והוי שמח על שולחנך, בשעה שהרעבין באין ונהנין על שולחנך, כדי שתאריך ימים בעולם הזה ובעולם הבא.

Suggested Discussion Questions 1. Why should you be happy when you are feeding the hungry?
2. Why does feeding the hungry at your table lengthen your days in this world and the next?
3. Have you ever fed the hungry? How did it make you feel? Why?

Genesis 9:3-4

ג) כָּל רֶמֶשׂ אֲשֶׁר הוּא חַי לָכֶם יִהְיֶה לְאָכְלָה כְּיֶרֶק עֵשֶׂב נָתַתִּי לָכֶם אֶת כֹּל: ד) אַךְ בָּשָׂר בְּנַפְשׁוֹ דָמוֹ לֹא תֹאכֵלוּ:

Genesis.9.3-4

3 Every creature that lives shall be yours to eat; as with the green grasses, I give you all these. 4 You must not, however, eat flesh with its life-blood in it. [JPS translation]

Suggested Discussion Questions 1. What does this verse permit us to do? How does it restrict our consumption?
2. Why do you think Noah and future generations were allowed to eat meat?

Genesis 2:15

וַיִּקַּח יְקֹוָק אֱלֹהִים אֶת הָאָדָם וַיַּנִּחֵהוּ בְגַן עֵדֶן לְעָבְדָהּ וּלְשָׁמְרָהּ

Genesis.2.15

The Eternal One placed the human being in the Garden of Eden, to till it and to tend it. [Translation by Hillel]

Suggested Discussion Questions 1. Why did God place Adam in the Garden of Eden?
2. Is this image consistent with our notions of paradise?
3. How are you responsible for the Earth? What are some ways you express this responsibility? Where can we improve?

Ezekiel 16:49-50

הִנֵּה זֶה הָיָה עֲוֹן סְדֹם אֲחוֹתֵךְ גָּאוֹן שִׂבְעַת לֶחֶם וְשַׁלְוַת הַשְׁקֵט הָיָה לָהּ וְלִבְנוֹתֶיהָ וְיַד עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן לֹא הֶחֱזִיקָה: וַתִּגְבְּהֶינָה וַתַּעֲשֶׂינָה תוֹעֵבָה לְפָנָי וָאָסִיר אֶתְהֶן כַּאֲשֶׁר רָאִיתִי:

Ezekiel.16.49-50

Only this was the sin of your sister Sodom: arrogance! She and her daughters had plenty of bread and untroubled tranquility; yet she did not support the poor and the needy. In their haughtiness, they committed abomination before Me; and so I removed them, as you saw. [JPS translation]

Suggested Discussion Questions 1. Why are these sins classified as arrogant?
2. What does this text teach us about how we should distribute our resources among everyone?
3. Thinking globally, in what ways are wealthy nations supporting the poor and the needy? In what ways are they not?

Deuteronomy 11:10-11

כִּי הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה בָא־שָׁמָּה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ לֹא כְאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם הִוא אֲשֶׁר יְצָאתֶם מִשָּׁם אֲשֶׁר תִּזְרַע אֶת־זַרְעֲךָ וְהִשְׁקִיתָ בְרַגְלְךָ כְּגַן הַיָּרָק׃ וְהָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם עֹבְרִים שָׁמָּה לְרִשְׁתָּהּ אֶרֶץ הָרִים וּבְקָעֹת לִמְטַר הַשָּׁמַיִם תִּשְׁתֶּה־מָּיִם׃

Deuteronomy.11.10-11

For the land that you are entering to take possession of it is not like the land of Egypt, from which you have come, where you sowed your seed and irrigated it, like a garden of vegetables. But the land that you are going over to possess is a land of hills and valleys, which drinks water by the rain from heaven

Suggested Discussion Questions 1. What are the distinctions between farming in Egypt and farming in Israel?
2. What affect could being reliant on rain and carefully sowing seeds, rather than an overflowing river easily watering your produce, have on how you relate to food?
3. Egypt in Hebrew (Mitzrayim) comes from the root word for narrow (tzar). In Egypt farming was literally narrow, along the banks of the nile, what 'narrow mindedness' is the text suggesting comes form the place and way of farming in Egypt?

Leviticus 19:9-10

בְקֻצְרְכֶם אֶת קְצִיר אַרְצְכֶם לֹא תְכַלֶּה פְּאַת שָׂדְךָ לִקְצֹר וְלֶקֶט קְצִירְךָ לֹא תְלַקֵּט: וְכַרְמְךָ לֹא תְעוֹלֵל וּפֶרֶט כַּרְמְךָ לֹא תְלַקֵּט לֶעָנִי וְלַגֵּר תַּעֲזֹב אֹתָם אֲנִי ה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם:

Leviticus.19.9-10

When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap all the way to the corners of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. You shall not pick your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am Adonai your God. [JPS translation]

Suggested Discussion Questions 1. How is the system of leaving the corners and the gleanings and the fallen food for the poor different than donating food?
2. What practices or values from these laws could we integrate into our modern lives and societies?

Isaiah 55:1-3

א הוֹי כָּל-צָמֵא לְכוּ לַמַּיִם, וַאֲשֶׁר אֵין-לוֹ כָּסֶף; לְכוּ שִׁבְרוּ, וֶאֱכֹלוּ, וּלְכוּ שִׁבְרוּ בְּלוֹא-כֶסֶף וּבְלוֹא מְחִיר, יַיִן וְחָלָב. ב לָמָּה תִשְׁקְלוּ-כֶסֶף בְּלוֹא-לֶחֶם, וִיגִיעֲכֶם בְּלוֹא לְשָׂבְעָה; שִׁמְעוּ שָׁמוֹעַ אֵלַי וְאִכְלוּ-טוֹב, וְתִתְעַנַּג בַּדֶּשֶׁן נַפְשְׁכֶם. ג הַטּוּ אָזְנְכֶם וּלְכוּ אֵלַי, שִׁמְעוּ וּתְחִי נַפְשְׁכֶם; וְאֶכְרְתָה לָכֶם בְּרִית עוֹלָם, חַסְדֵי דָוִד הַנֶּאֱמָנִים.

Isaiah.55.1-3

1 Every one who thirsts, come to the waters, and he who has no money; come, buy, and eat; come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. 2 Why do you spend money for that which is not bread? And your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness. 3 Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure loving promises of David. [translation by Hazon]

Suggested Discussion Questions 1. In your own words, what is the meaning of this text? How can you "buy food without money"? What is the criticism of this text?
2. In your life, how do you spend money on things that do not satisfy? How can we reform our spending practices to focus on things that are most important?
3.What is the connection between food, fulfillment and purpose in this text?

Genesis 18:1-5

(א) וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו יְקֹוָק בְּאֵלֹנֵי מַמְרֵא וְהוּא יֹשֵׁב פֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל כְּחֹם הַיּוֹם: (ב) וַיִּשָּׂא עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא וְהִנֵּה שְׁלֹשָׁה אֲנָשִׁים נִצָּבִים עָלָיו וַיַּרְא וַיָּרָץ לִקְרָאתָם מִפֶּתַח הָאֹהֶל וַיִּשְׁתַּחוּ אָרְצָה: (ג) וַיֹּאמַר אֲדֹנָי אִם נָא מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ אַל נָא תַעֲבֹר מֵעַל עַבְדֶּךָ: (ד) יֻקַּח נָא מְעַט מַיִם וְרַחֲצוּ רַגְלֵיכֶם וְהִשָּׁעֲנוּ תַּחַת הָעֵץ: (ה) וְאֶקְחָה פַת לֶחֶם וְסַעֲדוּ לִבְּכֶם אַחַר תַּעֲבֹרוּ כִּי עַל כֵּן עֲבַרְתֶּם עַל עַבְדְּכֶם וַיֹּאמְרוּ כֵּן תַּעֲשֶׂה כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ

Genesis.18.1-5

The Lord appeared to him [Abraham] by the terebinths of Mamre; he was sitting at the entrance of the tent as the day grew hot. Looking up, he saw three men standing near him. As soon as he saw them, he ran from the entrance of the tent to greet them and, bowing to the ground, he said, "My lords, if it please you, do not go on past your servant. Let a little water be brought; bathe your feet and recline under the tree. And let me fetch a morsel of bread that you may refresh yourselves; then go on - seeing that you have come your servant's way." They replied, "Do as you have said." [JPS translation]

Suggested Discussion Questions 1. Why was Abraham sitting at the entrance of the tent? Did he know that the three men were approaching him?
2. Why does the text specify that the day was hot? Why did Abraham rush to provide the men food and water?
3. What can we learn from this behavior about the value of welcoming guests? Of providing for those in need?

Deuteronomy 10:18-19

עֹשֶׂה מִשְׁפַּט יָתוֹם וְאַלְמָנָה וְאֹהֵב גֵּר לָתֶת לוֹ לֶחֶם וְשִׂמְלָה: וַאֲהַבְתֶּם אֶת הַגֵּר כִּי גֵרִים הֱיִיתֶם בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם:

Deuteronomy.10.18-19

[God] upholds the cause of the orphan and the widow, and befriends the stranger, providing him/her with food and clothing. -- You too must befriend the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. [JPS translation edited for gender-neutrality]

Suggested Discussion Questions 1. In what ways does this text suggest that we mimic God?
2. What is God's responsibility to us and what is our responsibility to others? What are the different sources of these responsibilities?
3. This text reminds the reader of Israelite slavery. In what ways is a history of slavery connected to doing justice and loving the stranger?