"If, however, there is a needy person among you, one of your kinsmen in any of your settlements in the land that the Lord your God is giving you, do not harden your heart and shut your hand against your needy kinsman. Rather, you must open your hand and lend him sufficient for whatever he needs." (Deut. 15:7-8)
1. What is the extent of this law - how do we gauge how much is enough?
2. What is the minimum amount we are to give?
3. Looking globally, how are we doing?
1. Who are the players in this text – seen and unseen?
2. Where does the rich man's shame come from? How can his shame be expunged in order that he might help his relative?
3. Have you ever experienced this kind of shame - either as one who was in need of help or as one who could offer help? What would have made the experience easier?
1. What do you make of Rabbi Hiyya's wife's response? What do you think the next line of the dialogue might be?
2. How would you describe Rabbi Hiyya's attitude to his own grandchildren? To the poor?
3. What does this text say about our influence on the future of those near to us? Far from us?
1. Who are the players in this text – seen and unseen?
2. What makes R. Eleazar ha-Kappar believe that poverty is inevitable? To what extent do you think he's right?
1. Who are the players in this text – seen and unseen?
2. What are the implications of the son's development of values for the father to do such a thing?
3. What are the implications of this thinking on how our society might think about foreign assistance and our own future generations?
| Translation | Original |
|---|---|
| Raysh Lakish was marking the boundaries of the Rabbis’ burial crypts. When he reached the crypt of R. Chiya, it remained hidden from him. He became upset, and declared: “Master of the Universe! Have I not analyzed the Torah as profoundly as he [R. Chiya]?” A voice came forth from heaven and told him: “You have analyzed Torah as profoundly as he, but you did not disseminate Torah to the extent that he has!” Once, when R. Chanina (bar R. Chama) and R. Chiya disagreed, R. Chanina said to R. Chiya: “Do you dare argue with me?!” If, Heaven forbid, the Torah were to be forgotten from the Jewish people, I would be able to restore it through my incisive analytic abilities!” R. Chiya retorted: “Do you dare argue with me?!” I make sure that the Torah will never be forgotten from Israel! What do I do? I go and plant flax seed. Then (after harvesting the flax) from that flax I weave nets in which I trap deer. I feed the deer meat to orphans and I make the deer skins into parchment upon which I write the five Books of the Torah. Then I go up to a village where there are no teachers, and I teach each of five children how to read one of the books of Torah, and I teach (orally) each of six other children one of the six orders of the Mishnah. Then I say to them: ‘During the time that I go home and then return here, teach the Five Books of Torah to one another and teach Mishnah to one another.’ In this manner, I make sure that the Torah will never be forgotten from Israel.” This is what Rebbe was referring to when he declared: “How great are the deeds of Chiya!” [Soncino translation] |
ריש לקיש הוה מציין מערתא דרבנן, כי מטא למערתיה דרבי חייא איעלמא מיניה. חלש דעתיה, אמר: רבונו של עולם לא פלפלתי תורה כמותו? יצתה בת קול ואמרה לו: תורה כמותו פלפלת, תורה כמותו לא ריבצת. כי הוו מינצו רבי חנינא ורבי חייא, אמר ליה רבי חנינא לרבי חייא: בהדי דידי קא מינצית? חס וחלילה, אי משתכחא תורה מישראל מהדרנא לה מפילפולי! - אמר ליה רבי חייא לרבי חנינא: בהדי דידי קא מינצית? דעבדי לתורה דלא תשתכח מישראל? מאי עבידנא, אזלינא ושדינא כיתנא, וגדילנא נישבי, וציידנא טבי ומאכילנא בשרייהו ליתמי, ואריכנא מגילתא וכתבנא חמשה חומשי, וסליקנא למתא ומקרינא חמשה ינוקי בחמשה חומשי, ומתנינא שיתא ינוקי שיתא סדרי, ואמרנא להו: עד דהדרנא ואתינא - אקרו אהדדי ואתנו אהדדי, ועבדי לה לתורה דלא תשתכח מישראל. היינו דאמר רבי: כמה גדולים מעשי חייא!
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1. Who are the players in this text – seen and unseen?
2. What power dynamics are at play?
3. What social justice themes emerge from this text?
1. Who are the players in this text – seen and unseen?
2. What causes us to attend to the needs of some over the needs of others?
3. How do both acknowledge that we prioritize our giving and at the same time work to end all hardship?
1. Who are the players in this text – seen and unseen?
2. What are some ways that encouraging words are more important than money?
1. Who are the players in this text – seen and unseen?
2. in what way do acts of justice help us?
3. What would our relationships with others be like if we expected God to provide for anyone who needed help?