Social Issues

Though the Bible does not explicitly address the topic of abortion, several biblical texts serve as a basis for Jewish discussions about abortion, most prominent among them Exodus 21:22–23. Subsequent rabbinic texts, interpretations, responsa, and works of Jewish thought take up the questions of the circumstances in which abortions are permitted or required and weigh the complexities of the many competing factors that require consideration.

Exploration for purposes of trade.

The Torah describes several censuses of the people of Israel throughout the books of Exodus and Numbers. These censuses are conducted to collect donations for the Tabernacle, for military preparation, and for tribal organization. Later sources analyze the halakhic ways to do a census, the spiritual significance of these biblical censuses, and more.

Clothing features from the opening chapters of the Torah: Adam and Eve are created without clothing and don't feel embarrassed, but after they eat from the tree of knowledge, they make clothing for themselves out of fig leaves. Clothing features in other biblical narratives and laws: Jacob makes a special coat for his favored son, Joseph; the book of Exodus describes the unique clothing to be worn by priests and the high priest in the Tabernacle; and various biblical figures tear their clothes in mourning, among other instances. Later Jewish sources discuss the significance of clothing and analyze how clothing intersects with themes of holiness, protection, purity, and identity.

Biblical texts describe people with disabilities as an organic part of the community. Halakhic texts analyze how certain disabilities can affect the fulfillment of particular commandments, with some rulings being reevaluated in light of modern medical technology and contemporary understandings. Rabbinic literature, with its emphasis on learning, discusses tailoring education to the needs of the pupil, including those with disabilities. Works throughout the Jewish textual tradition explore the concept of disability from a range of perspectives.

Hatred is a concept that appears throughout the Jewish textual tradition. The Torah commands against harboring hatred for one’s fellow in one’s heart, and rabbinic sources discuss the parameters of hatred, under what circumstances hatred might be permitted or even encouraged, how to avoid harboring hatred, and the halakhic ramifications for one whose actions are motivated by hate.

The opening chapter of the Torah describes how God created humanity in the image of God, a concept that fuels the idea that people are to be treated with dignity and respect. The value of human dignity stands behind many Jewish commandments and customs, such as the obligation to return a cloak taken as collateral from a poor person as the night approaches or the duty to promptly bury the dead.

From the outset of the Bible, biblical figures experience hunger and famine: Abraham and Sarah leave their home in the wake of a famine, for example, and the people of Israel experience hunger in the desert before God provides them with manna. Later Jewish texts describe the importance of recognizing hunger experienced by other people and discuss the obligation of charitably feeding the hungry.

There is no single defining characteristic of the Jewish people. Nevertheless, many texts of many genres explore Jewish peoplehood, how it is defined, achieved, and maintained.

Leadership is a concept that features throughout the Jewish textual tradition. Biblical stories of leaders like the matriarchs and patriarchs, Moses, and Joshua, offer much material for leadership analysis. Rabbinic sources throughout the ages debate the merits of different models of leadership, and contemporary authors grapple with how to approach leadership today in light of ancient texts.

Murder is one of the three most grievous sins in Judaism for which the rabbis teach that one is to let oneself be killed rather than kill another. Jewish texts discuss this law and also speak about the spiritual and social implications of taking another's life and also the very limited circumstances under which it is permissible to kill another person.

Jewish texts acknowledge the existence of poverty and greatly value attempts to alleviate it. Caring for the poor is a commandment in the Torah, and later halakhic (legal) authorities detail practical applications of the obligation. In sources of Jewish thought, poverty has been held up as a positive, refining quality as well as a potential punishment for sins. In any case, one is required to treat a poor person with respect and dignity.

Power is often understood as a demonstrable, physical strength. However, an inner power of restraint is also seen as a sign of strength of character. The Jewish textual tradition frequently regards God as all-powerful, and this divine power is contrasted with the lesser power of mere mortals. The power expressed through ongoing creation, nature, and the world is presented in various genres as an emanation of God’s power.

The Bible tells the stories of several rebellions, like that of Korach and his followers, those of Adoniah and Absalom against their father, King David, and the anointing of Jehu as king as a rebellion against Ahab. The Torah also discusses how parents deal with a wayward and rebellious son. Post-biblical Jewish history is filled with notable revolts and rebellions, like the Maccabean revolt and the Bar Kokhba revolt.

The Torah prohibits taking personal revenge, but also instructs taking revenge against the Midianites and notes that vengeance belongs to God. The biblical concept of cities of refuge is designed to protect those who killed accidentally from blood avengers, but the instinct of a blood avenger seems to be recognized as natural. In discussing these cases and others, biblical commentators, rabbinic texts, and ethical books throughout the ages grapple with the parameters and role of revenge in Judaism — when it has a place, when it doesn’t, and how to understand sources that provide differing messages.

Through the Torah's commandments and the prophets' voices, God demands that the Jewish people behave with justice and righteousness. These imperatives are taken up by the ancient rabbis and later Jewish thinkers who endeavor to further define what justice is, what it requires of us, and to imagine what a just world might look like, or if that will only come to be in a messianic age.

"From its very inception, the Jewish people has always been a nation of travelers," writes Rabbi J. David Bleich in his work, Contemporary Halakhic Problems. Throughout the Torah, biblical figures travel generally because of a divine command – Abraham goes forth when God tells him to, the people of Israel travel in the desert for forty years because God decrees it, and the Torah instructs people to make a pilgrimage to Jerusalem for the festivals. Biblical travel also occurs because of necessity, such as when famine strikes. Jewish liturgy includes a prayer for safe travels, and rabbinic and contemporary sources delve into questions surrounding travel, such as how to calculate prayer times while traveling, the limitations of travel on Shabbat, and the spiritual significance of travel.

In the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), work can be seen as part of the human experience from the outset: When God creates man, God puts him in the garden of Eden to "work it and preserve it." When Adam and Eve later sin by eating from the tree of knowledge, Adam is cursed with a future of arduous labor: "By the sweat of your brow you shall eat bread". In describing the commandment of Shabbat, the Torah contrasts Shabbat with weekdays, which are described as days of work. Rabbinic and later texts delve into the question of whether work is intrinsically valuable, how to balance work and other values, and the proper ways to treat workers.

The Torah instructs treating laborers justly, forbidding delaying their payment. Various rabbinic sources discuss the value of labor and the honor it gives to one who does it, responsibilities of employers toward their workers, and the rights and responsibilities of workers.