טוב המלבין שינים לחבירו יותר ממשקהו חלב.
The person who [by smiling affectionately] shows their teeth to their friend is better than one who gives milk to drink. [Edited for gender neutrality.]
כי כמו שאין בטבע האדם שיגדל על מלאכת עבדות בחמר ובלבנים והדומה להם ואחר כן ירחץ ידיו לשעתו מלכלוכם וילחם עם ילידי הענק פתאום, כי אין בטבעו שיגדל על מינים רבים מן העבודות ומעשים מורגלים, שכבר נטו אליהם הנפשות עד ששבו כמושכל ראשון, ויניחם כלם פתאום, וכמו שהיה מחכמת השם להסב אותם במדבר עד שילמדו גבורה, כמו שנודע שההליכה במדבר ומיעוט הנאות הגוף מרחיצה וכיוצא בהם יולידו הגבורה והפכם יולידו רך לבב, ונולדו גם כן אנשים שלא הרגילו בשפלות ובעבדות
Rambam, Guide for the Perplexed, Section 3, Chapter 32
It is not in the nature of humans, reared in slavery, in bricks and straw and the like, to wash their hands of their dirt and suddenly rise up and fight with the giants of Canaan. God in God's wisdom contrived that they wander in the wilderness until they had become schooled in courage, since it is well known that physical hardships toughen and the converse produce faintheartedness. A new generation was born which had not been accustomed to slavery and degradation. [Hebrew translated from Judeo-Arabic. Edited for gender neutrality]
(ה) חַיָּב אָדָם לְבָרֵךְ עַל הָרָעָה כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהוּא מְבָרֵךְ עַל הַטּוֹבָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים ו) וְאָהַבְתָּ אֵת יְיָ אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ. בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ, בִּשְׁנֵי יְצָרֶיךָ, בְּיֵצֶר טוֹב וּבְיֵצֶר רָע. וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ, אֲפִלּוּ הוּא נוֹטֵל אֶת נַפְשֶׁךָ. וּבְכָל מְאֹדֶךָ, בְּכָל מָמוֹנֶךָ. דָּבָר אַחֵר בְּכָל מְאֹדֶךָ, בְּכָל מִדָּה וּמִדָּה שֶׁהוּא מוֹדֵד לְךָ הֱוֵי מוֹדֶה לוֹ בִּמְאֹד מְאֹד.
A person is obligated to bless the bad things as they bless the good as it says, "And you shall love Adonai your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might" (Deuteronomy 6). "With all your heart" - with both your inclinations - the good inclination and the bad. "With all your soul" - even if God takes your soul. "With all your might" - with all your money. Another interpretation: "with all your might" - with every trait and characteristic God bestows upon you, for God bestows very very much. [AJWS translation]
Ha! One who builds one's house with unfairness and one's upper chambers with injustice, who makes their fellow work without pay and does not give them their wages, who thinks: I will build me a vast palace with spacious upper chambers, provided with windows, paneled in cedar, painted with vermilion! Do you think you are more a king because you compete in cedar? Your ancestors ate and drank and dispensed justice and equity -- then all went well with them. They upheld the rights of the poor and needy -- then all was well. That is truly heeding Me -- declares God. But your eyes and your mind are only on ill-gotten gains, on shedding the blood of the innocent, on committing fraud and violence. [JPS translation, Edited for gender neutrality]
(יד) הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, אִם אֵין אֲנִי לִי, מִי לִי. וּכְשֶׁאֲנִי לְעַצְמִי, מָה אֲנִי. וְאִם לֹא עַכְשָׁיו, אֵימָתָי:
If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?
Suggested Discussion Questions
1. What is Hillel saying?
2. What is the overall guiding moral and ethical principle of Hillel’s teaching?
3. How can we translate this teaching into our Social Justice work today?