Judaism for the Thinking Person
Religion & Spirituality:Judaism
In his essay in The Atlantic, Adam Serwer proposes that our self-understanding of the social contract is revealed by the decision-making process about the pandemic, as he writes that “the pandemic has exposed the bitter terms of our racial contract, which deems certain lives of greater value than others.” I compare his views to that of the end of Leviticus and of The Book of Ruth, which both demand that shared resources are understood to come from God, and that we overcome our picture of earned inequality and instead the privileged share their blessings freely, not with strings attached that preserve serfdom and servitude. Honestly, hasn't the pandemic revealed that those in power view the economically deprived as needing to serve those able to telecommute? Aren't the terms of our social contract that their "liberty to work" and "be heroes" really is a self-serving rhetoric because we want them to serve us by putting their lives at risk? Leviticus would have us pay the nanny not to work, because she is an extension of family, rather than pay her a "bonus" to put herself at risk due to her "right" to work (which is really her need to feed her family). It's time to end the self-serving rhetoric that the poor should have the "freedom to work" and "they are our heroes" when what we should be doing is redeeming them by sharing our blessings with them and treating them as kinsmen.
The Biblical Battle of the AI Priesthood Lineage
Amalekites, Gaza and the End of Megillat Esther on Purim
The 19th Century Reform Rabbi Who Changed Physics
The Israelites Left Egypt Armed: Gender & Chauvinism Preceding October 7
Who Gets to Be a Spokesperson for Israel? The Soft of Heart and Slow of Speech
Tikkun Olam and Redeeming the Hostages
Halakhah and Aggadah: The Ten Stories We Tell PART TWO
Halakhah and Aggadah: The Ten Stories We Tell PART ONE
Is There a Fear of God In This Place? Our Different Experiences of the Israel Gaza Conflict
The Commandment of Shevut: How Do We Handle its Inherent Subjectivity?
The Kol Nidrei Ritual: Stepping into Your Future Self
Hineni Resolutions: I’m Ready but Are They?
The Genders Within God, and Within Ourselves!
The Three Covenants: God Cares About God’s Brand. Do You?
Is the Book of Numbers about Remote Work?
Be Someone Else: Victor Turner and the Subversiveness of Ritual Performance
”Make Yourself a Wilderness” To Receive Torah
Jubilee and the Passing on of Generational Wealth
Two Forms of Action: Embodying the Kabbalistic Forces of Netzach and Hod
Torah In a Minute: What’s the Big Deal About the Lunar Calendar?
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Hello Heaven Podcast
Rav Gershon Ribner
The Nightingale of Iran
For Heaven’s Sake
Wondering Jews with Mijal and Noam
Sivan Says: Taking the Torah Personally