(לג) וְכִֽי־יָג֧וּר אִתְּךָ֛ גֵּ֖ר בְּאַרְצְכֶ֑ם לֹ֥א תוֹנ֖וּ אֹתֽוֹ׃ (לד) כְּאֶזְרָ֣ח מִכֶּם֩ יִהְיֶ֨ה לָכֶ֜ם הַגֵּ֣ר ׀ הַגָּ֣ר אִתְּכֶ֗ם וְאָהַבְתָּ֥ לוֹ֙ כָּמ֔וֹךָ כִּֽי־גֵרִ֥ים הֱיִיתֶ֖ם בְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃
When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not wrong them. The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as one of your citizens; you shall love the stranger as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I the LORD am your God. [JPS translation]
Questions
1. Is our natural inclination to treat strangers poorly? Why?
2. How does common identity strangers enhance our relationship with them?
3. What are common ways that foreigners are not treated as equals? In what ways do government policies about immigration impact this?
1. Is our natural inclination to treat strangers poorly? Why?
2. How does common identity strangers enhance our relationship with them?
3. What are common ways that foreigners are not treated as equals? In what ways do government policies about immigration impact this?
Rav Shimshon Rafael Hirsch, Exodus 22:20
“You shall not wrong or oppress a stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” Here it says simply and absolutely, “for you were strangers,” your whole misfortune in Egypt was that you were strangers there. As such, according to the views of other nations, you had no right to be there, has no claim to rights of settlement, home, or property. Accordingly, you had no rights in appeal against unfair or unjust treatment. As aliens you were without any rights in Egypt, out of that grew all of your bondage and oppression, your slavery and wretchedness. Therefore beware, so runs the warning, from making rights in your own State conditional on anything other than on that simple humanity which every human being as such bears within. With any limitation in these human rights the gate is opened ot the whole horror of Egyptian mishandling of human beings. [Translation by Uri L’Tzedek. Original in German]
Questions
1. According to Rav Hirsch, why are we commanded not to oppress or wrong a stranger?
2. How does stripping someone of their rights lead to bondage and oppression?
3. Can you think of examples of ways that we oppress strangers today? How does this affect the stranger? How does it affect the oppressor?
“You shall not wrong or oppress a stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” Here it says simply and absolutely, “for you were strangers,” your whole misfortune in Egypt was that you were strangers there. As such, according to the views of other nations, you had no right to be there, has no claim to rights of settlement, home, or property. Accordingly, you had no rights in appeal against unfair or unjust treatment. As aliens you were without any rights in Egypt, out of that grew all of your bondage and oppression, your slavery and wretchedness. Therefore beware, so runs the warning, from making rights in your own State conditional on anything other than on that simple humanity which every human being as such bears within. With any limitation in these human rights the gate is opened ot the whole horror of Egyptian mishandling of human beings. [Translation by Uri L’Tzedek. Original in German]
Questions
1. According to Rav Hirsch, why are we commanded not to oppress or wrong a stranger?
2. How does stripping someone of their rights lead to bondage and oppression?
3. Can you think of examples of ways that we oppress strangers today? How does this affect the stranger? How does it affect the oppressor?
Rabbi Emanuel Rackman, "Torah Concept of Empathic Justice Can Bring Peace," The Jewish Week, (New York, 3 April 1977), P. 19
[Empathic justice] seeks to make people identify themselves with each other – with each other’s needs, with each other’s hopes and aspirations, with each other’s defeats and frustrations. Because Jews have known the distress of slaves and the loneliness of strangers, we are to project ourselves into their souls and make their plight our own.
Questions
1. What is empathy and what is its role in social activism?
2. How can we make the plight of others our own? Is this always a good thing?
[Empathic justice] seeks to make people identify themselves with each other – with each other’s needs, with each other’s hopes and aspirations, with each other’s defeats and frustrations. Because Jews have known the distress of slaves and the loneliness of strangers, we are to project ourselves into their souls and make their plight our own.
Questions
1. What is empathy and what is its role in social activism?
2. How can we make the plight of others our own? Is this always a good thing?