(5) They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. (6) Though he goeth on his way weeping that beareth the measure of seed, he shall come home with joy, bearing his sheaves.
Birkat Ha-Mazon
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה", אֱ-לֹהֵֽינוּ מֶֽלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, הַזָּן אֶת הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ בְּטוּבוֹ בְּחֵן בְּחֶֽסֶד וּבְרַחֲמִים, הוּא נוֹתֵן לֶֽחֶם לְכָל בָּשָׂר כִּי לְעוֹלָם חַסְדּוֹ. וּבְטוּבוֹ הַגָּדוֹל תָּמִיד לֹא חָֽסַר לָֽנוּ, וְאַל יֶחְסַר לָֽנוּ מָזוֹן לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד. בַּעֲבוּר שְׁמוֹ הַגָּדוֹל, כִּי הוּא אֵ-ל זָן וּמְפַרְנֵס לַכֹּל וּמֵטִיב לַכֹּל, וּמֵכִין מָזוֹן לְכָל בְּרִיּוֹתָיו אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה", הַזָּן אֶת הַכֹּל.
Blessed are You, A-donai our God, Ruler of the Universe, who--in divine goodness--feeds the whole world with grace, kindness, kindness, and compassion. God gives food to all living things, for divine kindness is for ever. Because of Your eternal great goodness, we have never lacked food nor may we ever lack it, for the sake of Your great name. For You are God who feeds and sustains all, does good to all, and prepares food for all You have created. Blessed are you, Adonai, who feeds all.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ FOOD ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
אמר רבי חמא בר' חנינא גדול יום הגשמים כיום שנבראו שמים וארץ שנאמר (ישעיהו מה, ח) הרעיפו שמים ממעל ושחקים יזלו צדק תפתח ארץ ויפרו ישע וצדקה תצמיח יחד אני ה' בראתיו
Rabbi Hama the son of Hanina said, "The day of rain is as great as the day of the creation of heaven and earth, as it says, (Isaiah 45:8) 'Heavens, drop down from above, and let the sky pour forth righteousness; let the earth open and flower salvation, and tsedakah (just behavior) will grow along with it. I am G-d; I have created it.'
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ WATER ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
From the traditional prayer for rain and wind said on Shemini Atzeret
שָׁאַתָּה הוּא ה" אֱלֹקינוּ, מַשִּׁיב הָרֽוּחַ וּמוֹרִיד הַגָּֽשֶׁם
לִבְרָכָה וְלֹא לִקְלָלָה - אָמֵן
לְחַיִּים וְלֹא לְמָֽוֶת - אָמֵן
לְשֹֽׂבַע וְלֹא לְרָזוֹן - אָמֵן
For you are A-donai, our G-d, who causes the wind to blow and brings down the rain
For blessing and not for curse - Amen
For life and not for death - Amen
For satiation and not for emaciation - Amen
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ AIR ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
(כח) וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֹתָם֮ אֱ-לֹהִים֒ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לָהֶ֜ם אֱ-לֹהִ֗ים פְּר֥וּ וּרְב֛וּ וּמִלְא֥וּ אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ וְכִבְשֻׁ֑הָ וּרְד֞וּ בִּדְגַ֤ת הַיָּם֙ וּבְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וּבְכָל־חַיָּ֖ה הָֽרֹמֶ֥שֶׂת עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
(28) And God blessed them; and God said unto them: ‘Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and be responsible for the fish of the sea, and the fowl of the air, and every living thing that creepeth upon the earth.’
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ REGENERATION ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
(א) מצות ישיבת סכה - מצות סכה, שנצטוינו לשבת בסכה שבעת ימים, שנאמר (ויקרא כג מב) בסכות תשבו שבעת ימים. . . . (ב). . . מה שמפרש בכתוב, למען נזכר הנסים הגדולים שעשה הא-ל ברוך הוא לאבותינו במדבר בצאתם ממצרים שסככם מענני כבוד שלא יזיק להם השמש ביום וקרח בלילה.
(1) The mitzvah of sitting in the Sukkah - The mitzvah of the Sukkah, it that we were commanded to sit in the Sukkah for seven days, as it is written, "In huts shall you sit for seven days" (Lev. 23:42). . . . (2) . . . What is meant to be explained by the verse is that we do this to remind ourselves of the great miracles that God performed for our forefathers in the wilderness as they left Egypt. God covered them in the Clouds of Glory so that the sun would not harm them during the day, or the ice at night.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ PROTECTION ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
(ז) וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה רָאֹה רָאִיתִי אֶת עֳנִי עַמִּי אֲשֶׁר בְּמִצְרָיִם וְאֶת צַעֲקָתָם שָׁמַעְתִּי מִפְּנֵי נֹגְשָׂיו כִּי יָדַעְתִּי אֶת מַכְאֹבָיו. (ח) וָאֵרֵד לְהַצִּילוֹ מִיַּד מִצְרַיִם וּלְהַעֲלֹתוֹ מִן הָאָרֶץ הַהִוא אֶל אֶרֶץ טוֹבָה וּרְחָבָה אֶל אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ . . . .
(7) And A-donai said: ‘I have surely seen the affliction of My people that are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their pains; (8) and I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey . . . .
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ SPACE ^ ^ ^ ^ ^
(כ) וְגֵר לֹא תוֹנֶה וְלֹא תִלְחָצֶנּוּ כִּי גֵרִים הֱיִיתֶם בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם. (כא) כָּל אַלְמָנָה וְיָתוֹם לֹא תְעַנּוּן. (כב) אִם עַנֵּה תְעַנֶּה אֹתוֹ כִּי אִם צָעֹק יִצְעַק אֵלַי שָׁמֹעַ אֶשְׁמַע צַעֲקָתוֹ. (כג) וְחָרָה אַפִּי וְהָרַגְתִּי אֶתְכֶם בֶּחָרֶב וְהָיוּ נְשֵׁיכֶם אַלְמָנוֹת וּבְנֵיכֶם יְתֹמִים.
(20) And a stranger shall you not wrong, neither shall you oppress him; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. (21) You shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. (22) For if you truly afflict them —and if they cry, crying out to Me, I will surely hear their cry.
(יד) לֹא תַעֲשֹׁק שָׂכִיר עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן מֵאַחֶיךָ אוֹ מִגֵּרְךָ אֲשֶׁר בְּאַרְצְךָ בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ. (טו) בְּיוֹמוֹ תִתֵּן שְׂכָרוֹ וְלֹא תָבוֹא עָלָיו הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ כִּי עָנִי הוּא וְאֵלָיו הוּא נֹשֵׂא אֶת נַפְשׁוֹ וְלֹא יִקְרָא עָלֶיךָ אֶל ה" וְהָיָה בְךָ חֵטְא.
(14) You shall not oppress a hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of your brethren, or of your strangers that dwell in your land within your gates. (15) In the same day you shall give him his wages, and the sun shall not go down upon it; for he is poor, and about it is burdens his life: may he not call out against you unto the God so that there be sin accounted to you.
Babylonian Talmud, Bava Metzia 112A
Whoever withholds an employee’s wages, it is as though he had taken the person’s life from him.
Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Avadim (Laws of Slaves) 9:8
It is appropriate for a person who is merciful and pursues justice, to not make their slaves carry a heavy yoke, nor cause them distress. One should allow them to partake of all food and drink one serves. Similarly it is forbidden to embarrass a slave with one’s deeds or with words, for the Torah prescribed that they perform a service and not that they be humiliated. Nor should one shout or vent anger upon them. Instead, one should speak to them gently and listen to their claims.
Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Mechirah (Laws of Selling) 18:1
It is forbidden to cheat people in buying or selling or to deceive them, whether they are Jewish or gentile – they are equal in measure.
^ ^ ^ ^ ^ Justice For "Foreign Workers" ^ ^ ^ ^ ^