Jewish Perspectives on Hunger

Jewish Perspectives on Hunger

My Class

June 1, 2009

Ramban on Deuteronomy 24:15

רמב"ן על דברים כ״ד:ט״ו:א׳

…שאם לא תפרענו בצאתו ממלאכתו מיד הנה ילך לביתו וישאר שכרו אתך עד בקר וימות הוא ברעב בלילה.

Ramban on Deuteronomy 24:15:1

For if you do not immediately pay him as he leaves from his task, and he goes to his home, and his wage is with you until the morning... he will die from hunger during the night [translation by Artscroll, adapted].

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. The Ramban provides one possible consequence should an employer adhere to the Torah’s guidelines. How realistic is this consequence? What are other consequences if an employer shirks his or her responsibilities?

Babylonian Talmud, Ta'anit 7a

תענית ז׳ א:ב׳-ג׳

אמר רבי אבהו: גדול יום הגשמים מתחיית המתים, דאילו תחיית המתים לצדיקים, ואילו גשמים ־ בין לצדיקים בין לרשעים. ופליגא דרב יוסף, דאמר רב יוסף: מתוך שהיא שקולה כתחיית המתים ־ קבעוה בתחיית המתים. אמר רב יהודה: גדול יום הגשמים כיום שניתנה בו תורה,

Said Rabbi Abahu: The day of rain is greater than the resurrection of the dead, for the resurrection of the dead concerns only the righteous, while the rain concerns both the righteous and the unjust. Rav Yosef disagreed, as Rav Yosef said: since it is equal with the resurrection of the dead -- they fixed it (in the liturgy) with resurrection of the dead. Rav Yehuda said: The day of rain is greater than the day on which the Torah was given.

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. Why do you think the rabbis mentioned here put so much emphasis on the importance of rain?
2. What does this text say about "unjust" people? What do they deserve despite their unjust ways?
3. What might this text teach us about the importance of food? Is there ever a time when we can deny someone access to food?

4. How does drought affect your life?

Mishna, Pe'ah 1:2

אין פוחתין לפאה מששים ואע"פ שאמרו אין לפאה שיעור הכל לפי גודל השדה ולפי רוב העניי' ולפי רוב הענוה:

Mishnah_Peah.1.2

One is prohibited from designating less than a sixtieth for pe'ah. Even though it says that there is no measure for pe'ah, all is according to the size of the field and the number of poor people and the yield. [AJWS translation]

Suggested Discussion Questions

1. Who are the players in this text – seen and unseen?
2. How might we fulfill the laws of pe'ah today?
3. In what ways is this text seeking to not only alleviating hunger, but actually preventing it?