"I feel like there are few more important questions to ask oneself, as an heir of the Torah, than whether we have ever worshipped a God that loves orphans, widows, and strangers and the weak. Have you ever, in one moment of your life, truly, staked your life on, 'that's who I worship.' I worship the God of Children in Cages."
"
-Rav Shai Held, Yeshivat Mechon Hadar
(ה) אך מעטים יהיו מן המין הזה אשר יקבעו עיון ולמוד על עניני שלמות העבודה, על האהבה, על היראה, על הדבקות, ועל כל שאר חלקי החסידות. ולא מפני שאין דברים אלה עקרים אצלם, כי אם תשאל להם, כל אחד יאמר שזהו העיקר הגדול. ושלא ידומה חכם, שיהיה חכם באמת, שלא יתבררו אצלו כל הדברים האלה.
(ו) אך מה שלא ירבו לעיין עליו הוא מפני רוב פרסום הדברים ופשיטותם אצלם שלא יראה להם צורך להוציא בעיונם זמן רב.
(5) But few are those which devote thought and study to the matter of perfection of [divine] service: on love, fear, clinging, and the other branches of piety. This is not because they do not consider these things as fundamental. For if you ask them, each one will answer you that this is of utmost importance and that it is unimaginable for one to be considered truly wise if he has not fully comprehended these matters.
(6) Rather their lack of devoting more attention to it stems from its being so familiar and so evident to them that they see no need for spending much time on it.
(ה) אָמַר רַבִּי סִימוֹן, בְּשָׁעָה שֶׁבָּא הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא לִבְרֹאת אֶת אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן, נַעֲשׂוּ מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת כִּתִּים כִּתִּים, וַחֲבוּרוֹת חֲבוּרוֹת, מֵהֶם אוֹמְרִים אַל יִבָּרֵא, וּמֵהֶם אוֹמְרִים יִבָּרֵא, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: (תהלים פה, יא): "חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת נִפְגָּשׁוּ צֶדֶק וְשָׁלוֹם נָשָׁקוּ." חֶסֶד אוֹמֵר יִבָּרֵא, שֶׁהוּא גּוֹמֵל חֲסָדִים. וֶאֱמֶת אוֹמֵר אַל יִבָּרֵא, שֶׁכֻּלּוֹ שְׁקָרִים. צֶדֶק אוֹמֵר יִבָּרֵא, שֶׁהוּא עוֹשֶׂה צְדָקוֹת. שָׁלוֹם אוֹמֵר אַל יִבָּרֵא, דְּכוּלֵיהּ קְטָטָה. מֶה עָשָׂה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא? נָטַל אֱמֶת וְהִשְׁלִיכוֹ לָאָרֶץ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: (דניאל ח, יב): "וְתַשְׁלֵךְ אֱמֶת אַרְצָה", אָמְרוּ מַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת לִפְנֵי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא; "רִבּוֹן הָעוֹלָמִים! מָה אַתָּה מְבַזֶּה תַּכְסִיס אַלְטִיכְסְיָה שֶׁלָּךְ, תַּעֲלֶה אֱמֶת מִן הָאָרֶץ", הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב: (תהלים פה, יב): "אֱמֶת מֵאֶרֶץ תִּצְמָח."
...רַב הוּנָא רַבָּהּ שֶׁל צִפּוֹרִין אֲמַר: עַד שֶׁמַּלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת מִדַּיְּנִין אֵלּוּ עִם אֵלּוּ וּמִתְעַסְּקִין אֵלּוּ עִם אֵלּוּ בְּרָאוֹ הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא. אָמַר לָהֶן מָה אַתֶּם מִדַּיְּנִין כְּבָר נַעֲשָׂה אָדָם.
(1) R. Simon said: When the Holy One, blessed be God, came to create Adam, the ministering angels formed themselves into groups and parties. Some of them said, “Don't create him,” while others urged, “create him,” as it is written, "Lovingkindness and truth met, justice and peace kissed" (Psalms 85:11). Lovingkindness said, “Create him because he will do acts of loving kindness.” Truth said, “Don't create him, because he is full of lies.” Justice said, “Create him because he will perform acts of justice.” Peace said, “Don't create him, because he is full of conflict.” So what did God do? God held Truth and cast it to the ground, as it is written, "And truth will be sent to the earth" (Daniel 8:12). The ministering angels said before the Holy One, "Sovereign of the Universe! Why do you despise Your seal [truth]? Let Truth arise from the earth!" Hence it is written, "Let truth spring up from the earth." (Psalms 85:12)…While the ministering angels were arguing with each other and disputing with each other, the Holy One created the first human. God said to them, "Why are you arguing? Adam has already been made!"
It is undoubtable that human beings are capable of extreme cruelty and violence towards one another. There can be no doubt of the veracity of Truth's claim in this midrash- But look! Human beings have already been created, in all our imperfect splendor. And now it must become the project of Humanity to embody the best of Hesed's dreams for humanity.
Biblical Imitatio Dei
אמר רבי יוחנן מפני מה לא נאמר נון באשרי מפני שיש בה מפלתן של שונאי ישראל דכתיב "נפלה לא תוסיף קום בתולת ישראל..." במערבא מתרצי לה הכי נפלה ולא תוסיף לנפול עוד קום בתולת ישראל אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק אפילו הכי חזר דוד וסמכן ברוח הקדש שנאמר סומך ה׳ לכל הנפלים:
Additionally, with regard to this psalm (Psalm 145), Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Why is there no verse beginning with the letter nun in ashrei? Because it contains an allusion to the downfall of the enemies of Israel, a euphemism for Israel itself. As it is written: “The virgin of Israel has fallen and she will rise no more; abandoned in her land, none will raise her up” (Amos 5:2), which begins with the letter nun. Due to this verse, ashrei does not include a verse beginning with the letter nun. In order to ease the harsh meaning of this verse, in the West, in Eretz Yisrael, they interpreted it with a slight adjustment: “She has fallen but she shall fall no more; rise, virgin of Israel.” Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak adds: Even so, David went and provided support, through divine inspiration. Although King David did not include a verse beginning with the letter nun alluding to Israel’s downfall, he wrote the next verse “The Lord upholds the fallen and raises up those who are bowed down” (Psalms 145:14). Therefore, through divine inspiration, David offered hope and encouragement; although the virgin of Israel may have fallen, the Lord upholds the fallen.
And Rabbi Ḥama, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, says: What is the meaning of that which is written: “After the Lord your God shall you walk, and She shall you fear, and Her commandments shall you keep, and unto Her voice shall you hearken, and She shall you serve, and unto She shall you cleave” (Deuteronomy 13:5)? But is it actually possible for a person to follow the Divine Presence? But hasn’t it already been stated: “For the Lord your God is a devouring fire, a jealous God” (Deuteronomy 4:24), and one cannot approach fire. He explains: Rather, the meaning is that one should follow the attributes of the Holy One of Blessing. He provides several examples. Just as She clothes the naked, as it is written: “And the Lord God made for Adam and for his wife garments of skin, and clothed them” (Genesis 3:21), so too, should you clothe the naked. Just as the Holy One of Blessing, visits the sick, as it is written with regard to God’s appearing to Abraham following his circumcision: “And the Lord appeared unto him by the terebinths of Mamre” (Genesis 18:1), so too, should you visit the sick. Just as the Holy One of Blessing, consoles mourners, as it is written: “And it came to pass after the death of Abraham, that God blessed Isaac his son” (Genesis 25:11), so too, should you console mourners. Just as the Holy One of Blessing, buried the dead, as it is written: “And he was buried in the valley in the land of Moab” (Deuteronomy 34:6), so too, should you bury the dead.
(א) ללכת בכל דרכיו - אלו דרכי הקב"ה, שנ' (שמות לד) ה' ה' אל רחום וחנון, ארץ אפים ורב חסד ואמת, נוצר חסד לאלפים, נושא עון ופשע וחטאה ונקה. ואו' (יואל ג) כל אשר יקרא בשם ה' ימלט. וכי היאך אפשר לו לאדם להיקרא בשמו של הקב"ה? אלא מה המקום נקרא רחום וחנון - אף אתה הוי רחום וחנון ועשה מתנת חנם לכל. מה הקב"ה נקרא צדיק, שנ' (תהלים קמה) צדיק ה' בכל דרכיו וחסיד בכל מעשיו - אף אתה הוי צדיק. הקב"ה נקרא חסיד, שנאמ' וחסיד בכל מעשיו - אף אתה הוי חסיד; לכך נאמר כל אשר יקרא בשם ה' ימלט, ואומר (ישעיה מג) כל הנקרא בשמי ולכבודי בראתיו, יצרתיו אף עשיתיו, ואו' (משלי טז) כל פעל ה' למענהו:
(1) (Devarim 11:22) "to walk in His ways": Which are the ways of the Holy One Blessed be He? (Shemoth 34:6-7) "The L-rd, the L-rd, G-d of mercy and grace, slow to wrath and abundant in mercy and truth, keeping lovingkindness for thousands, forgiving transgression, offense, and sin, and cleansing …" And it is written (Yoel 3:5) "All who will be called by the name of the L-rd will escape": Now how is it possible for a man to be called by the name of the Holy One Blessed be He? But, (the intent is) just as the L-rd is called "merciful and gracious," you, too, be merciful and gracious, and give gratuitously to all. Just as the Holy One Blessed be He is called "righteous," viz. (Psalms 145:17) "Righteous is the L-rd in all His ways and saintly in all His acts" — you, too, be righteous. Just as the Holy One Blessed be He is called "graceful," — you, too, be graceful. This is the intent of "All who will be called by the name of the L-rd will escape." And it is written (Isaiah 43:7) "… everyone that is called by My name. For My honor I have created him, and formed him, and fashioned him." And it is written (Proverbs 16:4) "The L-rd has created all for His sake." (Devarim, Ibid.)
"To read Tanakh and get a God that doesn't care is to surrender Tanakh to Aristotle"- Rav Shai
בשעה שהקדוש ברוך הוא זוכר את בניו ששרויים בצער בין אומות העולם מוריד שתי דמעות לים הגדול וקולו נשמע מסוף העולם ועד סופו
When the Holy One of Blessing, remembers Her children who are suffering among the nations of the world, She sheds two tears into the great sea. The sound of their reverberation is heard from one end of the earth to the other.
"If God really loves, then God will be profoundly disappointed. Imagine a world in which... the richest nation in the history of the world has 45 million people that live below a poverty line. Imagine the richest nation of the world where fully 3 million children get by, or don't get by, on a family that earns less than $2 a day. Imagine such a world, in which God loves people, in which God has no anger."
-Rav Shai Held, Yeshivat Mechon Hadar
How can we hold that God feeds the hungry, or comforts the broken, or lifts up the fallen, if there are still those who are hungry, broken, and fallen? And if God is capable of doing such things, why does She choose not to? Is such a being deserving of being called God?
Get a copy of The Prophets by Heschel and look up these quotes
http://www.richardmosson.com/single-post/2017/10/15/Why-Gods-Wrath-Is-Good-News
When it says that God clothes the naked, or feeds the hungry, or cares for the sick, or comforts the broken, it is making direct that which is indirect- Truth was cast to the ground in favor of Lovingkindess so that Human beings could clothe and feed and care for and comfort one another, and in doing so, act as the hand of God. And so when Human Beings are callous, when we hurt one another, we should not be comforted, rather than appalled, by Gods anger. "Truth was cast to the ground for this??" And so too, on the other hand, when we feed and clothe and care for one another, we should understand that as literally becoming Divine Instruments.
זמירה מר׳ יצחק הוטנר, כתב לפי פסוק מאלעזר בן משה אזכרי, ספר חרדים
בִּלְבָבִי מִשְׁכָּן אֶבְנֶה לַהֲדַר כְּבוֹדוֹ, וּבַמִּשְׁכָּן מִזְבֵּֽחַ אָשִׂים לְקַרְנֵי הוֹדוֹ, וּלְנֵר תָּמִיד אֶקַּח לִי אֶת–אֵשׁ הָעֲקֵידָה, וּלְקָרְבָּן אַקְרִיב לוֹ אֶת נַפְשִי, אֶת נַפְשִׁי הַיְחִידָה.
A Song by R' Yitzhak Hutner, written from a line by Elazar ben Moshe Azikri, Sefer Haredim
I will build a tabernacle in my heart to glorify God's honor. And I will place an altar in the tabernacle dedicated to God's Divine rays of splendor. And for the eternal flame I will take upon myself the fire that fueled the Binding of Isaac. And as a sacrifice I will offer God my soul, my unique soul.
Not sure what to do with this source from Job other than it seems to be somewhat self congratulatory- perhaps it teaches that we should not expect a reward for our service?
"It is not true that the entire cosmos is indifferent. And if God loves the world, and if God loves people, then at a certain point, when you abuse people... think about it like this: How would you react, if someone murdered your child. In Biblical Theology, that's exactly what happens when someone kills someone..."
-Rav Shai Held
הרבי מנחם מנדל שנירסון
"הרבה שלוחים למקום"
The Rebbe Menachem Mendel Shneerson
"God has many messengers (for his work)."
(יא) נֶאֱמַר בְּעוֹלַת הַבְּהֵמָה אִשֵּׁה רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ (ויקרא א), וּבְעוֹלַת הָעוֹף אִשֵּׁה רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ (שם), וּבַמִּנְחָה אִשֵּׁה רֵיחַ נִיחֹחַ (שם ב), לְלַמֵּד, שֶׁאֶחָד הַמַּרְבֶּה וְאֶחָד הַמַּמְעִיט, וּבִלְבַד שֶׁיְּכַוֵּן אָדָם אֶת דַּעְתּוֹ לַשָּׁמָיִם:
(11) It is said of the olah of cattle, “An offering made by fire of pleasing odor” (Leviticus 1:9); and of the olah of birds, “An offering made by fire of pleasing odor (vs. 17); and of the grain offering, “An offering made by fire of pleasing odor” (Leviticus 2:2): to teach you that it is the same whether one offers much or little, so long as one directs one’s heart to heaven.
רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן לֵוִי כִּי סָלֵיק לְרוֹמִי רָאָה שָׁם עַמּוּדִים שֶׁל שַׁיִּשׁ מְכֻסִּים בְּטִיפְּטֵיאוֹת, בַּשָּׁרָב שֶׁלֹּא יִפָּקְעוּ וּבַצִּנָה שֶׁלֹּא יִקְרְשׁוּ, רָאָה שָׁם עָנִי אֶחָד וּמַחְצֶלֶת קַנִּים תַּחְתָּיו וּמַחְצֶלֶת קַנִּים עַל גַּבָּיו, עַל הָעַמּוּדִים קָרָא: צִדְקָתְךָ כְּהַרְרֵי אֵל, אָן דְּאַתְּ יָהֵב אַתְּ מַשְׁפַּע, וְעַל הֶעָנִי קָרָא: מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ תְּהוֹם רַבָּה, אָן דְּאַתְּ מָחֵי אַתְּ מְדַקְדֵּק.
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi (said): "When I went to Rome, I saw there standing pillars of marble that were covered with blankets so they would not crack from the heat or freeze from the cold. I also saw there a poor person with only a thin reed mat below him and a thin reed mat above him.
Judith Plaskow, Standing Again at Sinai, Introduction, pp. ix-x
For many people—from secular feminists to observant Jews—the notion of a feminist Judaism is an oxymoron. Feminists often see Judaism as irredeemably patriarchal, attachment to it as incomprehensible and retrogressive. Jews often perceive feminism as an alien philosophy, at odds with Jewish self-understanding in important ways. On either view, Jewish feminists dwell in a state of self-contradiction that can be escaped only by choosing between aspects of our identity...
In the main, however, the process of coming to write this book has been for me a gradual process of refusing the split between a Jewish and a feminist self. I am not a Jew in the synagogue and a feminist in the world. I am a Jewish feminist and a feminist Jew in every moment of my life...
When Jewish feminists allow Judaism and feminism to be defined by others in oppositional ways, then we are stuck with two “givens” confronting each other, and we are fundamentally divided. When, however, we refuse to sever or choose between different aspects of our identity, we create a new situation. If we are Jews not despite being feminists but as feminists, then Judaism will have to change—we will have to work to change it—to make a whole identity possible. This change, moreover, may lead to new life for us and for the tradition...
For me, the move toward embracing a whole Jewish/feminist identity did not grow out of my conviction that Judaism is “redeemable,” but out of my sense that sundering Judaism and feminism would mean sundering my being.
בשרתי צדק בקהל רב כו׳. דהנה כתיב "צדק לפניו יהלך וישם לדרך פעמיו", פירוש מי שרוצה לשום פעמיו לדרך האמת לילך בדרכי ה׳, צריך לעשות צדקה,
וצדקתו מועלת לעורר על ידי זה צדקה העליונה, כדאיתא הדבק במדותיו מה הוא רחום כו׳ מה הוא חנון כו׳, והיינו על ידי שמחזיק במידה זו,
הוא מעורר את המידה ההיא בעולם העליון, כי הכל תלוי באיתערותא דלתתא, ועל ידי שהוא נותן צדקה למטה, גורם שהקב"ה נותן צדקה לכל ישראל, וזהו "צדק צדק תרדוף", פירוש כשאתה נותן צדקה, תהא כוונתך שצדק זה ירדוף הצדק העליון לעוררו.
It is written there (Tehilllim 85): “Justice shall walk before God, and lays the path before God.” Meaning: Anyone who wants to set before God a path of truth, in order to walk in the ways of God, needs to do/practice justice.
And God's justice will be raised to awake is the justice of the upper world. In practices, this (awakening is just like) the clinging to (observance of) the mitzvah "Just as God is merciful, so to you should be merciful..." "Just as God is gracious, so to you should be gracious..." (Sifre Devarim 49:1)- we should be vociferous in our observance of this trait (of awakening justice) as well.
This person will awaken the trait [of Justice] in the upper world, because everything hinges on _____, and from this the lower world will recieve justice, and so
And that person’s greatest justice-doing will awaken them, and in so doing, the justice of the upper world, of God, will sprout forth, so it is that by our strengthening this trait (of justice), it will awaken the same trait in the upper world, because everything is dependent upon the “wokeness” of the lower world (i.e. earth). So by way of a person acting with justice below, it will cause The Holy One of Blessing to act with justice to all of Israel. And this is what is meant by the verse "Justice, justice, you shall pursue"! Meaning, that if you act with justice, your intention should be that this justice pursues after the justice of God to wake up.
-Translation by R' Maya Zinkow
Ilana Kurshan, If All the Seas Were Ink, p179
One night I read aloud to Daniel the Talmudic debate in the opening pages of Sanhedrin (6b) about whether absolute justice is possible in our imperfect world, a discussion that lays the theological foundation for the tractate. The Talmudic sage Rabbi Eliezer, the son of Rabbi Yose HaGlili, pits Moses against Aaron as straw men. Moses strove for absolute justice and lived by the motto, 'Let the law cut through the mountain,' believing that the iron rule of law could break through the dirt and stone of this world. Aaron, in contrast, was devoted to the pursuit of peace and advocated instead for compromise, settlement, and accommodation. Moses was a man of truth, but Aaron was a man of peace.
^interesting two-state solution/dividing up the land being absurd and also not letting anyone own it also being absurd commentary
^Tosefta just takes it for granted that women can learn Torah!!
https://ejewishphilanthropy.com/the-kranjec-test-a-response/?fbclid=IwAR3MfY7oMPJ4Ld3JGoXod84reOZOZHObFmrI6e-J6XL-da2zG8Tn5U4kSD8
Authentic inclusion of non-male voices requires an investment in the scholarship of trans and non-binary people, alongside a commitment to erradicating and uprooting the obstacles facing trans folks as they pursue learning that would empower and equip them to shape this Torah. This learning is happening. This missing and silent Torah is being uncovered, and this Torah is one essential piece of what is needed to help make our tradition more whole.
Michael Walzer- “We still believe, or many of us do, what the Exodus first taught… about the meaning and possibility of politics: first, that wherever you live, it is probably Egypt; second, that there is a better place, a world more attractive, a promised land; and third, that the way to the land is through the wilderness. There is no way to get from here to there except by joining together and marching“.
Rabbi Robert Marx on his participation in the Civil Rights movement
https://irvleavitt.substack.com/p/the-last-of-the-giants-rabbi-robert
Some of you … will accuse me of helping to create violence. … I am not inciting violence, but rather it is those who prohibit free men from peacefully marching who do the inciting. And in the final analysis, perhaps it is better that I receive a scar from a rock thrown on a Friday afternoon, than for one million Negro children to bear the scars for a lifetime, knowing that they cannot live where they want to live or travel where they want to travel.
You may think that I am insensitive to the criticism that I know has been voiced on many occasions over my involvement in civil rights causes: why don’t I spend more time on Judaism? Why do I dissipate so much of my energy on a cause that is not ours? I am aware of these criticisms, and I am pained by them: for you see I feel that freedom is Judaism, that Passover is not 3,000 years old - that it is today and that we are part of it. I feel even more deeply that unless Jews - Jews who are devoted to their faith and their synagogues, as I am devoted to my faith and my synagogue -- unless all of us are involved in the crucial issues of the world; Judaism will not exist in future generations for our children and our children’s children. And perhaps it ought not to exist.
You have to read the above source as, if God is the master of the castle that is on fire, humans have been placed in Avraham's shoes to put the fire out!