Social Issues

Though the Bible does not explicitly address the topic of abortion, several biblical texts serve as a basis for Jewish discussions about abortion, most prominent among them Exodus 21:22–23. Subsequent rabbinic texts, interpretations, responsa, and works of Jewish thought take up the questions of the circumstances in which abortions are permitted or required and weigh the complexities of the many competing factors that require consideration.

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In the Torah, censuses of the Israelites happen several times throughout Exodus and Numbers, conducted to collect donations for the Tabernacle, for military preparation, and for tribal organization. Later sources analyze the halakhic ways to do a census, the spiritual significance of these biblical censuses, and more.

Hatred is a concept that appears throughout the Jewish textual tradition. The Torah commands against harboring hatred for one’s fellow in one’s heart, and rabbinic sources discuss the parameters of hatred, under what circumstances hatred might be permitted or even encouraged, how to avoid harboring hatred, and the halakhic ramifications for one whose actions are motivated by hate.

The opening chapter of the Torah describes how God created humanity in the image of God, a concept that fuels the idea that people are to be treated with dignity and respect. The value of human dignity stands behind many Jewish commandments and customs, such as the obligation to return a cloak taken as collateral from a poor person as the night approaches or the duty to promptly bury the dead.

There is no single defining characteristic of the Jewish people. Nevertheless, many texts of many genres explore Jewish peoplehood, how it is defined, achieved, and maintained.

Leadership is a concept that features throughout the Jewish textual tradition. Biblical stories of leaders like the matriarchs and patriarchs, Moses, and Joshua, offer much material for leadership analysis. Rabbinic sources throughout the ages debate the merits of different models of leadership, and contemporary authors grapple with how to approach leadership today in light of ancient texts.

Murder is one of the three most grievous sins in Judaism for which the rabbis teach that one is to let oneself be killed rather than kill another. Jewish texts discuss this law and also speak about the spiritual and social implications of taking another's life and also the very limited circumstances under which it is permissible to kill another person.

Power is often understood as a demonstrable, physical strength. God is understood to be all-powerful in many Jewish texts, and this power of the Divine is compared to the lesser power of mere mortals. The power of ongoing creation, of nature, and the world are seen in different genres as emanations of God’s power. However, an inner power of restraint is also seen as a sign of strength of character.

Through the Torah's commandments and the prophets' voices, God demands that the Jewish people behave with justice and righteousness. These imperatives are taken up by the ancient rabbis and later Jewish thinkers who endeavor to further define what justice is, what it requires of us, and to imagine what a just world might look like, or if that will only come to be in a messianic age.