Sign In Forgot Password

Sermon: Parshat Mishpatim, 2/12/21

03/03/2021 09:54:06 AM

Mar3

Rabbi Charlie

Shabbat Shalom!

The Torah teaches:

וְגֵ֥ר לֹא־תוֹנֶ֖ה וְלֹ֣א תִלְחָצֶ֑נּוּ כִּֽי־גֵרִ֥ים הֱיִיתֶ֖ם בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃

You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress one, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

It adds that we should not mistreat a widow or orphan either. We read this here in Parshat Mishpatim, in Exodus 22 and we see it again in the next chapter:

You shall not oppress a stranger, for you know the feelings of the stranger, having yourselves been strangers in the land of Egypt.

We see this idea over and over again throughout the Torah – 36 different times. Even though the Torah mentions it over and over again, our rabbis still find minor things to disagree about. Even so, our medieval commentators speak with a great deal of unity.

Ibn Ezra (on Ex. 22:20) teaches that we can’t oppress those without power. He writes, “And the same way that the text reminds you that the stranger does not have power, so too the widow and the orphans, who are Israelites, have no power.” What does it mean not to have power? Chizkuni (on Ex. 23:9) explains that we are instructed not to oppress the stranger twice in the section because they are “likely to be taken advantage of as they have no one to stand up on their behalf.”

Rabbeinu Bahya (on Ex. 22:20) makes it clear that callous people will insult, belittle, or take advantage of strangers, orphans, and widows – those who don’t have anyone to stand up for them. He argues that it is our responsibility to “have empathy for strangers seeing we had been taken advantage of in Egypt because we were strangers.” His teachings implore us to provide both material and emotional support in whatever way we can.

It’s a powerful, straightforward teaching and it’s just as relevant today as it was thousands of years ago. It’s also much more confusing today. We live in a world with billions of people. We live in a connected world where we have more information about “strangers” and orphans and widows and people without power in society than we know what to do with.

Just looking at refugees seeking asylum, which correlates directly to the biblical “stranger” – these are people who had to leave their home for a variety of reasons and are looking for safety. These are people who are likely to be taken advantage of because they have no one to stand up for them. Right now, there’s tens of thousands of “strangers” at our border. Each of them has a story of hardship and suffering. It’s difficult to wrap our arms around.

Many more “strangers” are struggling or dying during this pandemic due to various forms of extreme inequality within our society. In a recent NYTimes editorial, Rabbi Elliot Kukla – a classmate of mine – wrote

“When the coronavirus first reached the United States just over a year ago, I feared that the lives of disabled and elderly people would be treated as more disposable than other lives. But I underestimated the extent of the damage it would do. The terrible human and systemic failings that have led so many to treat some lives as expendable have fed the virus, driving the pandemic to unmanageable proportions, putting all Americans in more danger.” (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/02/04/opinion/covid-vaccine-ableism.html)

We’ve seen disparities by age and ability, disparities by race and economics, disparities by gender and mental health and more that relate to access to care, access to vaccines, job losses, legal protections, how much support is provided – you name it. A lot of us are doing ok and there are many more who are not. Globally, the World Bank is forecasting that 150 million additional people will fall into extreme poverty within the year (https://www.ft.com/content/cd075d91-fafa-47c8-a295-85bbd7a36b50).

What do we do when the number of “strangers” far exceeds our ability to help? What do we do when we have the empathy we are supposed to have, but the problem just gets to be too big? Our rabbis have an answer for that… In Pirkei Avot (2:16), Rabbi Tarfon teaches, “It is not your duty to finish the work, but neither are you free to neglect it.”

And it’s far too easy to neglect or turn away from all of the problems and issues that are out there. While we can’t solve everything, we can have an impact. After I made a direct contribution to Stepping Stones, one of our Casino Night beneficiaries, I got a text a day later from Lisa Silverman letting me know that those funds went to pay someone’s electric bill. And with the weather we’re experiencing right now, I was glad to hear it.

While we don’t always get such an update (and I wasn’t expecting one) – know that each of us can have an impact. Sometimes it’s through financial contributions, sometimes it’s emotional support, sometimes it’s advocacy, and sometimes it’s all of it – there are many “strangers” who feel alone, without power, without support. Find an issue that speaks to your passion – refugees, ability, age, economic need, racial issues, mental health – people need help! Make a contribution – having a positive impact is something all of us can do.

Shabbat Shalom!

Thu, March 28 2024 18 Adar II 5784