Mishpatim and how we treat the stranger | Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle

Mishpatim and how we treat the stranger

The Torah portion of Mishpatim (Exodus 21:1-24:18) will be read in February. Mishpatim means the “rules” or “laws” for governing the Jewish community. It includes many ethical laws such as dealing with crimes of murder and kidnapping; personal injuries (where the “eye for an eye” rule comes in, etc.); neglect or theft damages; lying; oppression; unfair business practices; and how judges should behave.

In chapter 22, verse 20, it says:  “You shall not wrong or oppress a stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.”  Rabbi Plaut states in his commentary, “the ger (stranger) was to be given every consideration and care must be taken that not only his rights but his feelings as well were safeguarded.  He must never be shamed.” Samson Raphael Hirsh says that we place great emphasis on assuring justice and tzedakah (charity) for the ger because: “Our own history of persecution, demands that we be sensitive to others. Though others may discriminate against the Jew, you must not fail to recognize every stranger as a human being!”  Agreeing with Hirsh, Rabbi Leo Baeck goes one step further when he says that all human beings are called ger in the Torah. God says “the land is mine; for you are strangers and settlers with me. (Leviticus 25:23). Baeck points out that this statement reminds us that no person is more sacred than any other, and no people are superior to another.  We are all strangers and must care for one another.” In Leviticus 19:34, it sums it up as “You shall love the stranger as yourself.”

Today, Syrian refugees are facing a crisis. Many of these are families with children who have braved leaving their homes with only what they could carry on their backs. They are fleeing their country because of the oppression and mass murders that are taking place there. They are desperate to find refuge. As a Jew, I especially felt a pull to help these gerim-strangers. There have been so many times when Jews have been oppressed, exiled or even killed because of our beliefs.  Even when we were allowed to leave the land of our oppression, we were not always given refuge in other countries. Jews were denied entrance to the United States during World War II and sent back to extermination camps. How can we as Jews turn our backs on others when we have faced%u202Fsimilar injustices and had nowhere to turn? We were once oppressed and homeless. We must not forget how we needed help and none were there to help us. Let us learn from this awful time in history and not repeat it. I was proud of my congregation for collecting funds for this cause.

 

Martin Luther King, Jr. said: “Hate cannot drive out hate: only love can do that.” When we learn to open our hearts with love instead of closing them with hate or fear, we open ourselves to the possibility of living together in a truly free society. I am proud to live in a country that supports these values, where there is a diverse population of many different races, religions and nationalities. May we always continue to thrive under the promise of equality and justice for all, as we follow the important laws that were handed down to us in the Torah.

Cantor Deborah Martin is spiritual leader at Congregation Emanu-El of Waukesha and can be found at CantorOnCall.com.