(1) The ETERNAL spoke to Moses, saying: (2) Speak to the whole Israelite community and say to them: You shall be holy, for I, the ETERNAL your God, am holy.
(9) When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap all the way to the edges of your field, or gather the gleanings of your harvest. (10) You shall not pick your vineyard bare, or gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the poor and the stranger: I the ETERNAL am your God.
These sources directly follow each other in the Torah - what is the connection? What does it mean "to be holy"? What are the different groups of people that this passage assumes?
What is different about the sabbatical year? How does observance of the sabbatical year change social relationships?
(6) No, this is the fast I desire: To unlock fetters of wickedness, And untie the cords of the yoke To let the oppressed go free; To break off every yoke. (7) It is to share your bread with the hungry, And to take the wretched poor into your home; When you see the naked, to clothe him, And not to ignore your own kin.
What do you think the historical circumstances are that Isaiah is referring to?
(ח) מִי שֶׁיֶּשׁ לוֹ מָאתַיִם זוּז, לֹא יִטֹּל לֶקֶט שִׁכְחָה וּפֵאָה וּמַעְשַׂר עָנִי. הָיוּ לוֹ מָאתַיִם חָסֵר דִּינָר, אֲפִלּוּ אֶלֶף נוֹתְנִין לוֹ כְאַחַת, הֲרֵי זֶה יִטֹּל. הָיוּ מְמֻשְׁכָּנִים לְבַעַל חוֹבוֹ אוֹ לִכְתֻבַּת אִשְׁתּוֹ, הֲרֵי זֶה יִטֹּל. אֵין מְחַיְּבִין אוֹתוֹ לִמְכֹּר אֶת בֵּיתוֹ וְאֶת כְּלֵי תַשְׁמִישׁוֹ:
(8) One who has two hundred Zuz may not take Leket, Shikhechah, Peah or Ma'aser Ani. If he has one Dinar less than two hundred, even one thousand [people] simultaneously give him [a Dinar, he may take [them all]. If [his assets] are mortgaged to his creditor or his wife’s marriage contract, he may take. He is not obligated to sell his house or his [fine] clothes [in order to take agricultural gifts].
Leket, Shikhechah, Peah or Ma'aser Ani are all different kind of agricultural taxes set aside for the poor.
A dinar is an ancient Roman coin. While it is very difficult to say what any coin was "worth" in its original culture, classical historians often say that in the time of the Mishanah the daily wage for an unskilled laborer 1 dinar or about $2.80 paid in bread.
In this text, who is eligible to get help from the community? What does (or does not) restrict a person from getting help? What are the parallels today to these?
(ו) הַמַּשְׂכִּיר בַּיִת לַחֲבֵרוֹ, בִּימוֹת הַגְּשָׁמִים, אֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לְהוֹצִיאוֹ מִן הֶחָג וְעַד הַפֶּסַח, בִּימוֹת הַחַמָּה, שְׁלשִׁים יוֹם. וּבַכְּרַכִּים, אֶחָד יְמוֹת הַחַמָּה וְאֶחָד יְמוֹת הַגְּשָׁמִים, שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ. וּבַחֲנוּיוֹת, אֶחָד עֲיָרוֹת וְאֶחָד כְּרַכִּים, שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ. רַבָּן שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר, חֲנוּת שֶׁל נַחְתּוֹמִים וְשֶׁל צַבָּעִים, שָׁלשׁ שָׁנִים:
(6) [If] one leased a house to their fellow in the rainy season, one cannot evict the person from Sukkot until Pesach. In the summer, thirty days [before Sukkot]. And in large cities, whether during the rainy season or the summer, twelve months. And concerning stores, whether in towns or large cities, twelve months. Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says: Stores of bakers or dyers, three years.
What are the rules for protecting a tenant in this text? What are the different circumstances that are considered in this text? What rules or protections would be appropriate in our city?
Do these Jewish sources resonate with you? Do they match what you already thought? Do they go against your beliefs in any ways? Which ones?
Is there anything in the texts that surprised you? Is there anything the the texts that you expected and was there? Or not there?
How have your own experiences living and/or growing up inthe East Bay influenced your thoughts on homelessness and the homeless population?
What do you think Berkeley/your city does well as a city in regards to homelessness? What do they not do well?
March 9, 2019/2nd of Adar II 5779 - adapted from a sheet created by Adam Strater from a sheet created by Rabbi Brian Nelson on Sefaria.
(ה) שָׁאַל הֶעָנִי מִמְּךָ וְאֵין בְּיָדְךָ כְּלוּם לִתֵּן לוֹ פַּיְּסֵהוּ בִּדְבָרִים. וְאָסוּר לִגְעֹר בְּעָנִי אוֹ לְהַגְבִּיהַּ קוֹלוֹ עָלָיו בִּצְעָקָה. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁלִּבּוֹ נִשְׁבָּר וְנִדְכֶּא
(5) If a poor person asks of you [to give him something], and you do not have anything in your possession to give to him, comfort him with words. It is forbidden to speak harshly to a poor person or to raise your voice in a shout, for his heart is broken and crushed. ...
Avot D'Rabi Natan 7:1
When that great calamity came upon Job, he said to the Holy One, blessed be He: "Master of the universe, did I not feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty. . . ? And did I not clothe the naked?" Nevertheless the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Job: ''Job, you have not yet reached even half the measure of Abraham. You sit and stay in your house and the wayfarers come in to you. To him who is accustomed to eat wheat bread, you give wheat bread to eat; to him who is accustomed to eat meat, you give meat to eat; to him who is accustomed to drink wine, you give wine to drink. But Abraham did not act in this way. Instead, he would go out and around everywhere, and when he found wayfarers, he brought them into his house. To him who was unaccustomed to eat wheat bread, he gave wheat bread to eat; to him who was unaccustomed to eat meat, he gave meat to eat; to him who was unaccustomed to drink wine, he gave wine to drink. And more than that, he arose and built large mansions on the highways and left food and drink there, and every passerby ate and drank and blessed Heaven. That is why delight of spirit was given to him.English
משנה תורה הִלְכּוֹת מְזוּזָה ו:א
עֲשָׂרָה תְּנָאִין יֵשׁ בַּבַּיִת, וְאַחַר כָּךְ יִתְחַיַּב הַדָּר בּוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ מְזוּזָה, וְאִם חָסֵר תְּנָאי אֶחָד מֵהֶן, פָּטוּר מִן הַמְּזוּזָה; וְאֵלּוּ הֶן: שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בּוֹ אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת עַל אַרְבַּע אַמּוֹת אוֹ יָתֵר, וְשֶׁיִּהְיֶה לוֹ שְׁתֵּי מְזוּזוֹת, וְיִהְיֶה לוֹ מַשְׁקוֹף, וְתִהְיֶה לוֹ תַּקְרָה, וְיִהְיוּ לוֹ דְּלָתוֹת, וְיִהְיֶה גֹּבַהּ הַשַּׁעַר עֲשָׂרָה טְפָחִים אוֹ יָתֵר, וְיִהְיֶה בֵּית חֹל, וְיִהְיֶה עָשׂוּי לְדִירַת אָדָם, וְעָשׂוּי לְדִירַת כָּבוֹד, וְעָשׂוּי לְדִירַת קְבָע.
Mishneh Torah Laws of Mezzuza 6:1
There are 10 conditions that a house must meet in order for the resident to be obligated to put up a mezuzah… It must be at least 4 amot (1 amah = 18 inches) by 4 amot. It must have 2 doorposts. It must have a lintel (horizontal structure spanning the opening). It must have a roof. It must have doors. The gate must be 10 t’fachim (1 tefach = 3 inches) or higher. It must be for ordinary purposes. It must be made as a place for people to live. It must be made as an honorable place. It must be made as a permanent place (translation by Rabbi Jill Jacobs).
Avot D'Rabi Natan 7:1
When that great calamity came upon Job, he said to the Holy One, blessed be He: "Master of the universe, did I not feed the hungry and give drink to the thirsty. . . ? And did I not clothe the naked?" Nevertheless the Holy One, blessed be He, said to Job: ''Job, you have not yet reached even half the measure of Abraham. You sit and stay in your house and the wayfarers come in to you. To him who is accustomed to eat wheat bread, you give wheat bread to eat; to him who is accustomed to eat meat, you give meat to eat; to him who is accustomed to drink wine, you give wine to drink. But Abraham did not act in this way. Instead, he would go out and around everywhere, and when he found wayfarers, he brought them into his house. To him who was unaccustomed to eat wheat bread, he gave wheat bread to eat; to him who was unaccustomed to eat meat, he gave meat to eat; to him who was unaccustomed to drink wine, he gave wine to drink. And more than that, he arose and built large mansions on the highways and left food and drink there, and every passerby ate and drank and blessed Heaven. That is why delight of spirit was given to him.