רש"י שמות פרק כג:ט
וגר לא תלחץ - בהרבה מקומות הזהירה תורה על הגר מפני שסורו רע:
את נפש הגר - כמה קשה לו כשלוחצים אותו:
"Do not oppress a stranger"- You know the feelings of the stranger - how painful it is for the stranger when you oppress them. [Nechama Leibowitz Haggadah translation. Edited for gender neutrality]
Suggested Discussion Questions:
[From Nechama Leibowitz Haggadah, citing Leibowitz's "Studies on Shemot"]
The ethical imperative: Nechama pointed out that the Torah cautions us regarding our behavior toward the stranger no less than 36 times, the most repeated injunction in the Torah. Empathy is an outgrowth of experience. Nechama summarized, "We are bidden to put ourselves in the position of the stranger by remembering how it felt when we were strangers in another land."
1. Why do we engage in the process of collective remembering?
2. How does a common experience affect the way we treat each other?
Time Period: Rabbinic (Maccabees through the Talmud)