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DECEMBER 28. 1962
P�Mk*tfca Offfea
VOL XLV. No. 13
Garden raj a, Qaafcae
JUDAISM AND ETHICS
IY IAMI HORMAH E. FRIMIR, WITH AN EDITORIAL AD VI SO IY BOARD OF TIN RAIDS ANS TKRII LAYMEN; ANB REPRINTED SY KINO PERMISSION OF THE BNAI SRITH YOUTH ORSANIZA-TION. N. NORMAN E. FRIMIR IS NEW YORK METROPOLITAN RS6I0NAL DIRECTOR Of THI I HA I SRITH KILLEL FOUNDATIONS AND DIRECTOR OF THE HILIEL FOUNDATION AT IROOKLYN COLLEGE
Serm hi TkmN, Oataiia, Rsaal Ffimtf was w4*ln*4 ia 1*40 it Hw Haartw Taaatafical Cailafa la CMcata. H� racalvaa' tha *W af Dactar af Htaraw Uttrarara fro* YasfcWa Uaivarsity !� Naw Ytrk. A Hmtr vlca-arasia'aat af taa Raablalcal Caaacll tf Amirica, aaa" nrrtaHy a mtm-bar af tfca CmbcII's aatiaaal amvtlva taamiHH, Dr. Frimr It widely seaaat la tai Ueltta" States aaa* Caaarfa at a lactam la the fields ef Jewish Taavfkt, Tkt WerM af Riaalalcs, Teath ni Jewts* Itvcetiea. Ha h a femer Instmfer af Judaic Itaalei at Breeklya Callaf�; a itaff nwaW af tlw Baal Britb Adelt Jewish ESataliea tasHtetes; a maatatf af the NalieMl HMti Ceeleetj serves aa tha auaiicatleas caaiailfilaa af the Baal Irlrh Dtaartaieat af Aealt Jewish Idacatiea. Dr. FHseer Kcaalta' � aalait ia Mayweed, llllaeis, fraai 1941-1*43 Mara ieialaa the staff af the laai Brith Hilltl Feuea'atieas at Hllltl Dlrecter at Hit City Celleea af Ntw Yarfc. la 1*45 aa eecane Hllltl Dlractar at the University af Mlaaeseta, whare ba rtnaiaed aatll \Hf. whea ba laft t� btcoait Otaa af Srwa'tah at rha Kehre* Thtelefital CeUtft. H� assume* hit prescet past ia 1 ?52.
"Young Ladies and Gentlemen! America today must be concerned not only with the education of the minds of its young people but also of their hearts. For democracy can be victorious in the world of tomorrow if its citizens are blessed not alone with great minds but more especially with great hearts."
Religion, the basis of ethics:
These opening words of an address presented at an American high school graduation could have been spoken by a person belonging to almost any of the major religious groupings in our country. For every religion, in addition to its own form of worship, ite rituals, its doctrines, its customs and institutions, tries to draw up for its followers an ethical system � a guide to what it considers the right or ethical way to act toward one's fellow man.
Ethics, the Heart of Jewish Religion
As the mother religion of western civilization, Judaism, which has given mankind the ethical principles by which to live, does no less. There is only one basic difference. In Judaism ethics are more than just another facet of religion; they are its very heart.
This is clearly illustrated in the famous anecdote in the Talmud regarding an idol-worshipper who came to the saintly Rabbi Hillel in order to be converted. There was, however, one condition which he imposed. "Teach me the whole Torah," insisted the pagan, "while I stand on one foot" That was his way of saying. "Tell me what Judaism is all about in one easy lesson." Someone else might have been annoyed by such an impossible demand, but not Hillel. Gently and patiently he replied: "Whatever is hateful unto you, do not do to your fellowman. That is the whole Torah, and the rest is commentary. Go and study it"
We can be sure that Hillel did not mean that there was nothing more to Judaism than ethics. After all, he did urge the convert to go and study the commentary. What he did imply was that ethical living was the very core of our religion. Consequently, since no human being can live without a heart, neither can Judaism. The challenging question, however, might be, why does the Jewish heritage place so much central emphasis on ethical conduct?
Conception of God, Source of Jewish Ethics
For tha answer we must turn to tha Mate sonree-books of our faith. They are the Bible and the Tal-sstfcaV w*fc� sire as fundamental to a� sjsafrjilamllat of Jodaism as, any, tgha Deeiexatloa of Indcpen-e*se*e and the Cessilltnllori are for a WiffrNlsHssi of the Amer-
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Even a quick examination of these Jewish texts will demonstrate that our principal ethical ideas and the top position they occupy in Judaism had their origin in our unique conception of God. Let us now see how this Jewish conception of God was tied in with the Jewish conception of man, how he, as a "child of God," was entitled to be treated, and obligated to treat others, with love, honor, and dignity, and how this was to be achieved by imitating the ways of God, His goodness, His righteousness and His loving-kindness. We shall then discuss the role of the Prophets in furthering these Jewish patterns of ethical behavior and follow up with a brief commentary on the Talmudic views regarding Justice, Peace, and Truth, as reflected in the light of today's troubled world.
Monotheism and Ethics
In democratic countries, monotheism, the belief in one God, is taken for granted. What intelligent person, we think to ourselves, would believe in idols? If one does have a faith in God, then one almost automatically accepts Him as the Ruler of the whole universe. We no longer limit Him to being the God of just one country or of just one people. Nor ia He considered the Master of just the earth, or cf only the waters, or of any other single force of nature. That is a primitive attitude and an uncivilized one. Man has come a long way from that. We assume that one God is the Creator and Guide of the whole universe and all humanity, which is another way of saying we believe in Monotheism.
This belief in Monotheism constituted at one time a revolution in thought. That is why it took centuries before this precious advance in religious thinking, which was brought to the world by our Jewish forefathers, was accepted as a universal truth. Monotheism, ss the Jews understood it, was real dynamite, exploding the many myths and prejudices people had cherished for a long time. These are never given up without a real struggle.
Basic Values Associated with Monotheism
Man Is Sacred. Among primitive people, for example, a man's worth was primarily. If not solely, measured by the physical strength and cunning he potaessed, Only those who could Outrun, outwit, or outfight the animal or tha enemy were deserving of respect. This was the law for all nature. Even in more advanced pagan societies, it was still the quality of power, symbolized by wealth or aristocratic birth, which wo� for man position and status, *
The BfMe, representing the monotheistk view of Ufa, broke
with this power philyaopby of nature. Its views/ stressed in clear and definite tejmi; tfc�*�fott, seemed very radical to the peoples of ancient times. .   ^> .
Let us take as our starting point the Torah's attitude regarding man. In the first chapters of Genesis, the Bible tells us In its own way that man, in and of himself, is something unique and special He is not on the same level, as other creatures of Nature. Oil the contrary, man, to use the words of the Torah ... was created "in tie image of God." That means, stated the Rabbis, that every person, no matter what his economic or social background may be, should consider himself, so to speak, a personal child of God who was put on earth in order to serve as "a copartner of the Holy One in fulfilling the purpose of creation."
Each of us, therefore, has his own special tasks to perform in this divine drama called life. Otherwise, why were we given a mind, a conscience, a soul? We may be members of the animal kingdom, but, the Bible tells us, we are by no means animals. "In four respects, man resembles the animals below," was tha way the Talmud put it, "but in four other respects, he is like the heavenly creatures above. Like the animals, he eats and drinks, he multiplies, he fulfills his natural needs, and he dies. Yet like the ministering angels, he stands erect, he can speak, he uses his intellect and he can look forwards and upwards." Man has, of course, the right or "free will" to prefer the behavior of the animal, but he also has the unique potential of becoming "little less than the angels."
From this point of view, man is sacred. He is not a mere thing but a personality, not an object to be used, to be exploited or manipulated, but a dynamic creation � a human' being with the right to be respected, to be loved, to be free. This Biblical idea is the basis of much of the current law and conduct in Western civilization.
For this very reason7 Franklin Delano Roosevelt could unhesitatingly state that every human being had a rightful claim to the "Four Freedoms." The rise of such concepts as the dignity and worth of every person, the development of such practices as jury trial by one's peerB, the passage of such laws as the Bill of Rights, all stem from the Jewish conception of man. But that we have not yet fully applied these Judaic ideals even in our democracy is all too evident in the crucial struggle for desegregation, in the dilemma of poverty amidst plenty, and in the unequal distribution of educational opportunities.
Life Is Sacred. It is true, of course, that even in the most primitive society one could not destroy a person's life and go unpunished. The prohibition against murder, however, usually extended only to members of the same family or tribe or nation. Outsiders were not so fortunate. But for the Hebrews, there could not be any outsiders with regard to murder. All people were part of the same human family, for all of them could claim a common ancestry. This fundamental principle was written into the God-given Constitution, the Torah.
"This is the book of the generations of man," records the Bible. "In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made He him." There is no mention of the white man or the black man. God did not creat� the rich and not the poor, the educated and not the illiterate, the powerful and not the weak, the Jew-and not the non-Jew. God created Man. "Thou Shalt Not Murder" applies to everyone. The blood-cells carry no special identification tags of color or creed, of national origin or social station.
This lesson of deep reverence for life was hammered into the consciousness of the Jewish people in a thousand different ways. They were taught that, with very few exceptions, every commandment of Judaism could be � and had to be � broken whenever a human Ufa was at stake. The Jew, therefore, had the responsibility expressly formulated in law for the further, a nee of his health and the welfare of his mind and body. He was not permitted to inflict unnecessary pain on himself; this was considered the way of the heathef*. Capital punishment waa frowned
upon and made almost: impossible to apply, while suicide, committed with forethought,. was untorgivr able.
Moreover, even the life of his mortal enemy was made the serious concern of the Jew* This lesson was deliberately inserted into the Passover Seder when Jews celebrated their victory over the ancient Egyptians. At the point in the Service when the ten plagues are recited, ten drops of wine are removed from each cup. A Jew's cup of joy and freedom could not be full when these blessings were obtained only at the high cost of human life.
How forcefully this teaching is brought out in the Rabbinic tale in which the Almighty scolds the singing angels who are rejoicing because the returning waters of the Red Sea are sweeping the mighty Egyptian chariots and their riders to their death! "The creation of My hands are drowning in the sea," exclaims the Lord, "and ye dare chant hosannahs."
Such sensitivity was further promoted by the establishment of humane laws even with regard to animals. According to classical Judaism, no animal life can be taken unless specifically required for food or clothing or some other useful purpose. In fact, Jews have their own particular form of slaughtering, called "Snehita," which provides for every possible kind of precaution to eliminate unnecessary pain.
In addition, a Jew is obligated to feed his animals or his pets before he sits down to eat And the special benediction traditionally recited when a new article of clothing is first put on must be omitted if the article has been made of fur or leather. These required the taking of life.
The influence of such humane ideas on our modern society is evident in a number of areas. In every major community, the establishment and maintenance of a Humane Society is accepted as. a civic responsibility. Proposals arising from time to time to legalize euthanasia or mercy-killing are vehemently resisted. (The world dare not ignore the grim abuse of such legislation In Nasi Germany.) Suicide, though seemingly a private matter, is outlawed in every civilised land. Capital punishment,
mMeo>ar, / tntrireftfiMty *� betaf elM^eted; in e .noin^ir of tlie staUi oiotttcow       .
Monotheism Means living Ethically
: Thia waa the kind of philosophy which our tft*chera.< *nd a^iara through all ages accepted *nd applied aa the lojrjcalco^nsions pf the Jewish belief in Monotheism. Therefore, we call it Ethical Monotheism.
Action. Judaism insists that H is not enough merely to believe in the Fatherhood of God and ihe Brotherhood of Ma& That is not so difficult. We must also act and live with each other like brothers. That is so much harder to do. Moreover, Judaism teaches that we should try to be. more than our brother's keeper. We should try to be our brother's brother.
This ideal of social responsibility is derived by our Rabbis from a verse in scriptures which reads, "For if ye will observe all these commandments which I command ye to do, to love the Lord, your God, to walk in all His ways and to cleave unto Him."
"How can one walk in God's ways?" they asked. By imitating His ways, was their answer. "Just as He is merciful, so be thou merciful As He bestows loving kindness, so bestow thou loving kindness."
Inner Conviction. Actions must be the outer expression of inner convictions and must square with them. Indeed, by living more righteously we become more God-like. This is what is called "Imitatio Dei," or the imitation of God's ways. On the other hand, when belief and behavior continue not to square with each other, then that well known remark should be recalled: "What you do speaks so loudly, I cannot hear what you say."
Monotheism Demands an Ethical Society
The Torah addressed itself to the total community as well as the individual All Jews, collectively, bear the responsibility not only for regulating ethical" standards, but more important, for fostering the good society. "And ye shall be unto Me a Kingdom of Priests and
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� Holy tottoii/' **� t*MI d�m�nd at 8fa*i of the en^tfre!JewV, iah people, H is, U^rafore, a group
oplfotMt? .e^rjwte* '-t^i-ivaV tiee M the citisen the sttan-ger ajike. It la awcietyfa task to provide for;#� welfare.et tfce needy and the car* of "tha �ick. ft)� wary inari's cor^cern to safeguard the ethical' use of natural and human reabfirces.
The Prophstio- YUw of Ethical Living
From this fertile seed of ethical Ifonqthaism, there emerged in Israel;a*unique group of teachers, called Prophets. Without fear or compromise, these inspired leaders carried the struggle against tyranny, injustice, and human corruption of all kinds throughout the length and breadth of the then-known Mediterranean world. Often they fought alone, single-handedly, against tremendous odds, but they seldom wavered or retreated. For they were not representing themselves or any particular class or any special political philosophy or social ideology. They were the spokesmen for the "One God" who was the "Father of the fatherless" and the "Judge of the whole earth." "Thus saith the Lord," was their identifying watchword and the source of their incredible courage.
Tha abova Is � part of n\� Judaism PampMat Saries, publi$htd by Bnai Brith Youth Organization, Copyright 1962. 35c par copy. Quantity prica* on raquatt, from tha Organ(< zaHori, 1640 Rhodt (aland Avanua N. W., Washington 6, D. C
(Continued Next Week)
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