First Approach: Kiddush Hashem

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2 Israel has been in the news again recently; this time, the buzz surrounds the Jewish homeland s involvement in the disaster relief efforts in the Nepal following the earthquake on April 25 th, which has claimed over 7,500 lives. While a lot of the media coverage of Israel s significant efforts has been positive, not everyone agrees: Critics point to ulterior motives for the strong Israeli presence in Nepal; some describe Israel s goals as nefarious, others simply suggest that the effort is a public relations stunt designed to distract from political and human rights violations. Many of us intuitively understand that Israel s goals are related to Jewish values and not the petty reasons suggested above; but what is the source of the Jewish value of helping those in need? More specifically, what is the nature of our obligation to help those who are not Jewish?

3 First Approach: Kiddush Hashem Maimonides, Laws of the Fundamentals of the Torah 5:1 כל בית ישראל מצווין על קידוש השם הגדול הזה, שנאמר "ונקדשתי, בתוך בני ישראל" )ויקרא כב,לב(; ומוזהרין שלא לחללו, שנאמר "ולא תחללו, את שם קודשי" )שם(. כיצד--בשעה שיעמוד גוי ויאנוס את ישראל לעבור על אחת מכל מצוות האמורות בתורה או יהרגנו, יעבור ואל ייהרג: שנאמר במצוות, "אשר יעשה אותם האדם וחי בהם" )ויקרא יח,ה(--ולא שימות בהם. ואם מת ולא עבר, הרי זה מתחייב בנפשו The entire house of Israel are commanded regarding the sanctification of [God's] great name, as is stated: "And I shall be sanctified amidst the children of Israel." Also, they are warned against desecrating [His holy name], as [the above verse] states: "And they shall not desecrate My holy name "; in what sense is this the case? Should a non-jew force a Jew to violate one of the Torah's commandments under penalty of death, he should violate the commandment rather than be killed, because it is stated concerning the mitzvot: "which a man will perform and live by them." [They were given so that] one may live by them and not die because of them. If a person dies rather than transgress, he is held accountable for his life. In what sense is the scenario of a Jew who is forced to violate a commandment a good example of the concept of Kiddush Hashem the sanctification of G-d s name? How might that relate to Jewish people helping non-jews? Is this an entirely noble approach in your opinion? Second Approach: Peace

4 It is clear from these sources that Judaism values peace not only between Jews but also between the Jewish and non-jewish people. Based on the sources above do you think this value comes from a place of altruism and mutual respect between peoples, or is it simply a matter of - that without peace society crumbles? Third Approach: Ethical and Religious Imperative R Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin, Introduction to Genesis (trans.) This volume, Genesis, is referred to by both the prophets, Joshua and Samuel, as Sefer HaYashar, (Hebrew for The Book of the Upright ) Rabbi Yochanan explains that this is the book that deals with the lives of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who are called upright, as we see that Balaam said, Let my soul die the death of the upright Now we understand the reason for the unique praise attributed to our patriarchs [and matriarchs]: not only were they righteous and pious and not only did they love GOD to their fullest abilities, but, in addition, they were upright. That is to say, they accustomed themselves to deal straightforwardly with other people, not only because it is honest to do so, but also because they realized that this positive way of relating to people bestows the continuity of existence on creation. Even idol worshippers, despite their low and despicable spiritual level, were treated with love and concern for their well-being by our patriarchs [and matriarchs]. This is exemplified by the great extent to which Abraham, our father, applied himself, through intensive prayers and appeals, to gain the preservation of wicked Sodom

5 R Aharon Lichtenstein, The Duties of the Heart and Response to Suffering (1999), p.59 [The] tendency, prevalent in much of the contemporary Torah world in Israel as well as in the Diaspora, of almost total obliviousness to non-jewish suffering is shamefully deplorable. Surely Avraham Avinu and Moshe Rabbenu felt and acted otherwise, and intervening mattan Torah has not changed our obligation in this respect. Priorities need to be maintained, as regards to both practical and emotional engagement; but between that and complacent apathy there lies an enormous moral gap. [ ] [The] notion that only Jewish affliction is worthy of Jewish response needs to be excoriated and eradicated. Which of these three approaches to Jewish involvement in world crisis relief did you find most compelling? What problems do you think exist in the world that the Jewish people could offer a unique response to? What challenges that the world faces would you look to help solve one day? What skills and talents would you need to develop to work on it? In what sense do you think this session fits into the overall theme of Tranformation?