(כו) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֔ים נַֽעֲשֶׂ֥ה אָדָ֛ם בְּצַלְמֵ֖נוּ כִּדְמוּתֵ֑נוּ וְיִרְדּוּ֩ בִדְגַ֨ת הַיָּ֜ם וּבְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֗יִם וּבַבְּהֵמָה֙ וּבְכָל־הָאָ֔רֶץ וּבְכָל־הָרֶ֖מֶשׂ הָֽרֹמֵ֥שׂ עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃ (כז) וַיִּבְרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ אֶת־הָֽאָדָם֙ בְּצַלְמ֔וֹ בְּצֶ֥לֶם אֱלֹהִ֖ים בָּרָ֣א אֹת֑וֹ זָכָ֥ר וּנְקֵבָ֖ה בָּרָ֥א אֹתָֽם׃
(26) And God said: ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness....' (27) And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.
in the image–"Beloved is man for he was created in the image of God. Still greater was God’s love in that He gave to man the knowledge of his having been so created." (Ethics of the Fathers 3:18)
(לא) וַיַּ֤רְא אֱלֹהִים֙ אֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֔ה וְהִנֵּה־ט֖וֹב מְאֹ֑ד וַֽיְהִי־עֶ֥רֶב וַֽיְהִי־בֹ֖קֶר י֥וֹם הַשִּׁשִּֽׁי׃ (פ)
(31) And God saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was very good....
(יד) לֹא־תְקַלֵּ֣ל חֵרֵ֔שׁ וְלִפְנֵ֣י עִוֵּ֔ר לֹ֥א תִתֵּ֖ן מִכְשֹׁ֑ל וְיָרֵ֥אתָ מֵּאֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ אֲנִ֥י יְהוָֽה׃
(14) Do not curse a person who is deaf and do not place a stumbling block in front of a person who is blind.
(ז) כִּי יִהְיֶה בְךָ אֶבְיוֹן מֵאַחַד אַחֶיךָ בְּאַחַד שְׁעָרֶיךָ בְּאַרְצְךָ אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ לֹא תְאַמֵּץ אֶת לְבָבְךָ וְלֹא תִקְפֹּץ אֶת יָדְךָ מֵאָחִיךָ הָאֶבְיוֹן.
(7) If there be among you a person with needs...you shall not harden your heart, but you shall open your hand.
(יא) וְשָׂמַחְתָּ֞ לִפְנֵ֣י ׀ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ אַתָּ֨ה וּבִנְךָ֣ וּבִתֶּךָ֮ וְעַבְדְּךָ֣ וַאֲמָתֶךָ֒ וְהַלֵּוִי֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בִּשְׁעָרֶ֔יךָ וְהַגֵּ֛ר וְהַיָּת֥וֹם וְהָאַלְמָנָ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּקִרְבֶּ֑ךָ בַּמָּק֗וֹם אֲשֶׁ֤ר יִבְחַר֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ לְשַׁכֵּ֥ן שְׁמ֖וֹ שָֽׁם׃
(11) You shall rejoice before the LORD your God with your son and daughter, your male and female slave, the Levite in your communities, and the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow in your midst, at the place where the LORD your God will choose to establish His name.
"As regards the stranger (or the estranged), the teachings of Torah ordain that we not forget people with disabilities when making up our guest lists for the Passover seder or for other festival meals."
(ח) כָּל אִישׁ מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל חַיָּב בְּתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה בֵּין עָנִי בֵּין עָשִׁיר בֵּין שָׁלֵם בְּגוּפוֹ בֵּין בַּעַל יִסּוּרִין בֵּין בָּחוּר בֵּין שֶׁהָיָה זָקֵן גָּדוֹל שֶׁתָּשַׁשׁ כֹּחוֹ אֲפִלּוּ הָיָה עָנִי הַמִּתְפַּרְנֵס מִן הַצְּדָקָה וּמְחַזֵּר עַל הַפְּתָחִים וַאֲפִלּוּ בַּעַל אִשָּׁה וּבָנִים חַיָּב לִקְבֹּעַ לוֹ זְמַן לְתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה בַּיּוֹם וּבַלַּיְלָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (יהושע א-ח) "וְהָגִיתָ בּוֹ יוֹמָם וָלַיְלָה":
(ט) גְּדוֹלֵי חַכְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָיוּ מֵהֶן חוֹטְבֵי עֵצִים וּמֵהֶן שׁוֹאֲבֵי מַיִם וּמֵהֶן סוּמִים וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן הָיוּ עוֹסְקִין בְּתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָה בַּיּוֹם וּבַלַּיְלָה וְהֵם מִכְּלַל מַעְתִּיקֵי הַשְּׁמוּעָה אִישׁ מִפִּי אִישׁ מִפִּי משֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ:
(8) Every Jewish man is obligated to study Torah, whether he is poor or rich, whether his body is healthy and whole or afflicted by difficulties, whether he is young or an old man whose strength has diminished.... (9) The greater Sages of Israel included wood choppers, water drawers, and blind men. Despite these [difficulties], they were occupied with Torah study day and night and were included among those who transmitted the Torah's teachings in the direct line from Moses.
"Don’t look at the flask, but at what it contains." (Mishnah) In teaching ourselves to see the inner sparks that light a person’s soul, rather than merely glancing at the casing that holds those precious assets of personality, aspiration and caring, we can act like God in the wilderness, healing when we can, and transcending limits when we cannot." (Rabbi Bradley Shavit Artson)
(יב) הרואה את ... ואת המשונין בצורת פניהן או באיבריהם מברך ברוך אתה יי' אלהינו מלך העולם משנה את הבריות הרואה סומא או קיטע ומוכה שחין ובוהקנין וכיוצא בהן מברך ברוך אתה יי' אלהינו מלך העולם דיין האמת ואם נולדו כן ממעי אמן מברך משנה את הבריות הרואה את הפיל ואת הקוף ואת הקיפוף אומר ברוך משנה את הבריות.
One who sees…people with disfigured faces or limbs, recites the blessing, ‘Blessed are You, Lord our God, Sovereign of the universe, who makes people different.’ One who sees a person who is blind or lame, or who is covered with sores and white pustules (or similar ailment), recites the blessing, ‘Blessed are You, Lord our God, Sovereign of the universe, who is a righteous judge.’ But if they were born that way (with the disability), one says, ‘...who makes people different.’
"This might sound slightly pejorative, but can also be interpreted as an acknowledgement that what appears at first as a disability can also be seen as a sort of blessing, as it may provide those who have a nominal disability with insight and skill levels that they might otherwise never have attained. According to the midrash preserved in Midrash T'hillim 34:1, for example, David who initially questioned the purpose of madness in the world, ultimately prays to God to grant him at least the appearance of madness in order to save his life from a hostile Philistine king. Thus we are taught that all sorts of disabilities exist in the world, physical and psychological, and they all provide us with opportunities to look for God and experience divine reality in unexpected ways."
SABBATH LAWS
(יז) חִגֵּר, שֶׁאֵינוֹ יָכוֹל לֵילֵךְ בְּלֹא מַקֵּל, מֻתָּר לֵילֵךְ בּוֹ אֲפִלּוּ אֵינוֹ קָשׁוּר בּוֹ; אֲבָל אִם אֶפְשָׁר לוֹ לֵילֵךְ זוּלָתוֹ, וְאֵינוֹ נוֹטְלוֹ אֶלָּא לְהַחֲזִיק עַצְמוֹ, אָסוּר. וְחוֹלֶה שֶׁעָמַד מֵחָלְיוֹ דִּינוֹ כְּחִגֵּר (רוֹקֵח).
(In regards to the structure against carrying in public on Shabbat:) "...a person who is lame and cannot walk without a walking stick may go out with it on Shabbat even if it is not tied to that person's body. However, if the person can walk without it and only uses it for extra support, then it is forbidden."
"Late commentators qualify the last portion to permit a person who can walk without a cane, but who may be in danger of falling without it, to use one as well. Crutches, leg-braces, and walker are in the same category of items that may be taken out if they are needed and used, but may not be carried along simply as a precautionary measure."
The verse before this talks about "a device akin to a wheelchair that people with amputated legs may use on Shabbat to propel themselves through the streets." The verse after this talks about a blind person's white cane.
MENTAL ILLNESS
"Rabbi Abraham Isaac Kook wrote more than seventy years ago (Ezrat Kohein, responsum 68, ed. Jerusalem, 1969, pp. 278-282) that expert professional advice is needed before anyone may be absolved from the obligation to perform the mitzvot on the basis of mental disability. Today, the assumption should always be that a person is competent and responsible, unless it is plainly obvious that the case is otherwise. Also, people without psychiatric training should always avoid applying psychiatric labels to others; we should always make every effort to include all Jews in the performance of mitzvot."
WHAT IS OUR CHARGE TODAY?
(י) כָּל אֵלּוּ הַדְּבָרִים לְפִי מַה שֶּׁיִּרְאֶה הַדַּיָּן שֶׁזֶּה רָאוּי לְכָךְ וְשֶׁהַשָּׁעָה צְרִיכָה. וּבַכּל יִהְיוּ מַעֲשָׂיו לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם וְאַל יִהְיֶה כְּבוֹד הַבְּרִיּוֹת קַל בְּעֵינָיו שֶׁהֲרֵי הוּא דּוֹחֶה אֶת לֹא תַּעֲשֶׂה שֶׁל דִּבְרֵיהֶם וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן כְּבוֹד בְּנֵי אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב הַמַּחֲזִיקִין בְּתוֹרַת הָאֱמֶת שֶׁיִּהְיֶה זָהִיר שֶׁלֹּא יַהֲרֹס כְּבוֹדָם אֶלָּא לְהוֹסִיף בִּכְבוֹד הַמָּקוֹם בִּלְבַד שֶׁכָּל הַמְבַזֶּה אֶת הַתּוֹרָה גּוּפוֹ מְחֻלָּל עַל הַבְּרִיּוֹת וְהַמְכַבֵּד אֶת הַתּוֹרָה גּוּפוֹ מְכֻבָּד עַל הַבְּרִיּוֹת. וְאֵין כְּבוֹד הַתּוֹרָה אֶלָּא לַעֲשׂוֹת עַל פִּי חֻקֶּיהָ וּמִשְׁפָּטֶיהָ:
Let not human dignity be light in [your] eyes, for the respect due a person supersedes a negative rabbinic commandment....A judge must be careful not to do anything calculated to destroy someone's self-respect. The sole concern [in the administration of justice] should be the enhancement of the glory of God, for whosoever dishonors the Torah will be dishonored by other people, and whosoever honors the Torah will honored by others. To honor the Torah means to follow its statutes and laws.
(ג) הוא היה אומר, אל תהי בז לכל אדם, ואל תהי מפליג לכל דבר, שאין לך אדם שאין לו שעה ואין לך דבר שאין לו מקום.
(3) Ben Azzai taught: Do not disdain any person. Do not underrate the importance of anything for there is no person who does not have his hour, and there is no thing without its place in the sun.
OR
Treat no one lightly and think nothing is useless, for everyone has a moment and everything has a place.
(ח) פְּתַח־פִּ֥יךָ לְאִלֵּ֑ם אֶל־דִּ֝֗ין כָּל־בְּנֵ֥י חֲלֽוֹף׃
(8) Speak up for those who cannot speak…speak up, judge righteously, champion the poor and the needy.
"Providing access, however, is only a first step. Jewish law speaks of the importance of k'vod ha-b'riyyot, the dignity of all God's creatures. Therefore, when we provide access, it should be in ways that preserve the dignity of the individuals gaining access to our institutions."
"Regardless of the specific disability in question, every effort should be made to help all [Jews] feel connected to their heritage. This will happen, however, only when all [Jews] are able to celebrate their Jewishness in the congregational setting without reference to their level of physical or psychological ability."