"Who is rich? One who is satisfied with his portion, as it says (in Psalms, 128:2),"If you eat of toil of your hands, fortunate are you, and good is to you" - Mishna Avot, 4:1
Imagine a community in which this value is lived out on a daily basis: People spend less time shopping and more time playing cards with their children, hosting friends at home. Neighbors exchange toys and share yard tools instead of purchasing new ones, and perhaps even help each other with household tasks. The synagogue has a community garden that provides food for kiddush and a communal compost heap. The Jewish community center has a bin for swapping and recycling textiles.
It sounds fairly simple, and yet it's a radical departure from the hyperindividualized, highly consumptive way we have been living; it is consistent with Jewish values and very much in keeping with the notion of environmental sustainability.
Suggested Discussion Questions:
1. How do American Jews reconcile the individualized, capitalist society and our Jewish values? According to the commentary above, how do the two differ?
2. What would this look like in your community?
3. How do you translate this ethic to a global level?
Time Period: Contemporary (The Yom Kippur War until the present-day)