A Broken World: Responding to Evil and Injustice

Understanding the Nature of Evil

“Good and evil are not values among other values. Good is life, and evil is death. 'See I have set before thee this day life and good, death and evil…choose life' (Deuteronomy 30:15.19). Good and evil are not values among other values. The distinction between good and evil counts as much as the distinction between life and death." - Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel

"The opposite of good is not evil; the opposite of good is indifference." - Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel

"Indifference to evil is more insidious than evil itself. It is a silent justification affording evil acceptability in society." - Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel

Calls to Action

“Few are guilty, but all are responsible.” - Rabbi Abraham Joshua Hecshel

בראשית א׳:כ״ז

(כז) וַיִּבְרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים׀ אֶת־הָֽאָדָם֙ בְּצַלְמ֔וֹ בְּצֶ֥לֶם אֱלֹהִ֖ים בָּרָ֣א אֹת֑וֹ זָכָ֥ר וּנְקֵבָ֖ה בָּרָ֥א אֹתָֽם׃

Genesis 1:27

(27) And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.

בראשית ט׳:ו׳

(ו) שֹׁפֵךְ֙ דַּ֣ם הָֽאָדָ֔ם בָּֽאָדָ֖ם דָּמ֣וֹ יִשָּׁפֵ֑ךְ כִּ֚י בְּצֶ֣לֶם אֱלֹהִ֔ים עָשָׂ֖ה אֶת־הָאָדָֽם׃

Genesis 9:6

(6) Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God made He man.

אסתר ח׳:ו׳

(ו) כִּ֠י אֵיכָכָ֤ה אוּכַל֙ וְֽרָאִ֔יתִי בָּרָעָ֖ה אֲשֶׁר־יִמְצָ֣א אֶת־עַמִּ֑י וְאֵֽיכָכָ֤ה אוּכַל֙ וְֽרָאִ֔יתִי בְּאָבְדַ֖ן מוֹלַדְתִּֽי׃

Esther 8:6

(6) for how can I endure to see the evil that shall come unto my people? or how can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred?’

הגדה של פסח, מגיד, פסח מצה ומרור ז׳

בְּכָל-דּוֹר וָדוֹר חַיָּב אָדָם לִרְאוֹת אֶת-עַצְמוֹ כְּאִלּוּ הוּא יָצָא מִמִּצְרַיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְהִגַּדְתָּ לְבִנְךָ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לֵאמֹר, בַּעֲבוּר זֶה עָשָׂה ה' לִי בְּצֵאתִי מִמִּצְרַיִם. לֹא אֶת-אֲבוֹתֵינוּ בִּלְבָד גָּאַל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אֶלָּא אַף אוֹתָנוּ גָּאַל עִמָּהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְאוֹתָנוּ הוֹצִיא מִשָּׁם, לְמַעַן הָבִיא אוֹתָנוּ, לָתֶת לָנוּ אֶת-הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נִשָׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֵינוּ.

Pesach Haggadah, Magid, Rabban Gamliel's Three Things 7

In each and every generation, a person is obligated to see himself as if he left Egypt, as it is stated (Exodus 13:8); "For the sake of this, did the Lord do [this] for me in my going out of Egypt." Not only our ancestors did the Holy One, blessed be He, redeem, but rather also us [together] with them did he redeem, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 6:23); "And He took us out from there, in order to bring us in, to give us the land which He swore unto our fathers."

דברים ט״ז:כ׳

(כ) צֶ֥דֶק צֶ֖דֶק תִּרְדֹּ֑ף...

Deuteronomy 16:20

(20) Justice, justice shall you pursue...

Dissolving Evil and Injustice

שמות כ״ג:ב׳-ט׳

(ב) לֹא תִהְיֶה אַחֲרֵי רַבִּים לְרָעֹת וְלֹא תַעֲנֶה עַל רִב לִנְטֹת אַחֲרֵי רַבִּים לְהַטֹּת. (ג) וְדָל לֹא תֶהְדַּר בְּרִיבוֹ. (ד) כִּי תִפְגַּע שׁוֹר אֹיִבְךָ אוֹ חֲמֹרוֹ תֹּעֶה הָשֵׁב תְּשִׁיבֶנּוּ לוֹ. (ה) כִּי תִרְאֶה חֲמוֹר שֹׂנַאֲךָ רֹבֵץ תַּחַת מַשָּׂאוֹ וְחָדַלְתָּ מֵעֲזֹב לוֹ עָזֹב תַּעֲזֹב עִמּוֹ. (ו) לֹא תַטֶּה מִשְׁפַּט אֶבְיֹנְךָ בְּרִיבוֹ. (ז) מִדְּבַר שֶׁקֶר תִּרְחָק וְנָקִי וְצַדִּיק אַל תַּהֲרֹג כִּי לֹא אַצְדִּיק רָשָׁע. (ח) וְשֹׁחַד לֹא תִקָּח כִּי הַשֹּׁחַד יְעַוֵּר פִּקְחִים וִיסַלֵּף דִּבְרֵי צַדִּיקִים. (ט) וְגֵר לֹא תִלְחָץ וְאַתֶּם יְדַעְתֶּם אֶת נֶפֶשׁ הַגֵּר כִּי גֵרִים הֱיִיתֶם בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם.

Exodus 23:2-9

(2) Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou bear witness in a cause to turn aside after a multitude to pervert justice; (3) neither shalt thou favour a poor man in his cause. (4) If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again. (5) If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under its burden, thou shalt forbear to pass by him; thou shalt surely release it with him. (6) Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause. (7) Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not; for I will not justify the wicked. (8) And thou shalt take no gift; for a gift blindeth them that have sight, and perverteth the words of the righteous. (9) And a stranger shalt thou not oppress; for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

תהילים ל״ד:ט״ו

(טו) ס֣וּר מֵ֭רָע וַעֲשֵׂה־ט֑וֹב

בַּקֵּ֖שׁ שָׁל֣וֹם וְרָדְפֵֽהוּ׃

Psalms 34:15

(15) Depart from evil, and do good;

Seek peace, and pursue it.

“The words of the Psalmist, 'Depart from evil, and do good' (34:15), contain the epitome of right living. Yet, it seems that Jewish tradition believes that the right way of departing from evil is to do good; it puts the accent on the second half of the sentence." - Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heshel

“What is a mitzvah? A prayer in the form of a deed. And to pray is to sense His presence.” - Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel

“At the end of days, evil will be conquered by the One; in historic times, evils must be conquered one by one.” - Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel