Oppression

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Remembering Our Own Oppression

TANAKH

The moral imperative to treat strangers with kindness and empathy is rooted in the Israelites' own experience of oppression in Egypt. The Torah commands the Israelites to remember their own suffering as strangers in Egypt and to extend kindness and fairness to strangers in their midst.

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

Exodus 22:20

Persecution of Ethiopian Jews

HALAKHAH

The Ethiopian Jewish community, known as Beta Israel, faced severe persecution, including forced conversion and expulsion, which drastically altered their social and economic status. This text provides a detailed account of the historical context of anti-Semitic persecution in Ethiopia, including the derogatory labeling of Jews as 'Falasha,' meaning 'intruders' or 'foreigners.'

1270–1632 – Period of anti-Semitic persecution in the Seamen and Wegera districts of Ethiopia. Heavy pressure is placed on “those behaving like Jews” for them to convert or be killed. In response, the Jews adopt the ascetic practices of their neighbors. In addition, the rights of Jewish landowners are annulled. The Jews who are expelled from their lands are forced to change their trades, and they become builders, ironworkers, carpenters, and weavers. Following the expulsion, they are given the derogatory name Falasha, meaning “intruders” or “foreigners.”

From Sinai to Ethiopia, Introduction, A Short History of Ethiopian Jewry 15

Nazism's Rebellion Against Unity

JEWISH THOUGHT

Nazism is portrayed as a rebellion against the Jewish principle of unity, targeting Jews as the original proponents of Oneness. Rabbi Eliezer Berkovits explores the ideological conflict between Nazism and Jewish values, particularly during the Holocaust.

At the same time, a Jew sees himself related to the most tragic debacle of Western society, i.e., fiendish Nazism. He notes that the essence of Nazism was a rebellion against the principle of unity, aiming, as it did, at the establishment of a dualistic world order of rulers and ruled, masters and slaves. In its rebellion against the principle of unity, Nazism turned on Communism as well as on Christianity; its greatest fury, however, was directed with demoniac instinctiveness against the original protagonist of the concept of Oneness as the fundamental value and the basic ideal—against the…

Judaism; Fossil or Ferment, VII Epilogue; Zero Hour 3:4

The Greater Harm of Words

GUIDES

Verbal mistreatment is considered more severe than exploitation because it cannot be compensated and causes greater damage. The Babylonian Talmud emphasizes the importance of ethical speech and the value of human dignity, especially when the offended party is disadvantaged or a convert.

The halakha is established that the prohibition of verbal mistreatment is more stringent than the prohibition of exploitation, both because no compensation can be paid for it and because the damage caused by verbal mistreatment is greater. It is impossible to prove whether the verbal mistreatment was intentional, and consequently there is no way to adjudicate the matter in court. Therefore, the sentence of the guilty party is adjudicated in the Heavenly court, whose sentences are more severe…

Introductions to the Babylonian Talmud, Bava Metzia, Summary of Perek IV 3

The Birth of Modern Zionism

JEWISH THOUGHT

Witnessing anti-Semitism transformed Theodor Herzl, leading him to advocate for a Jewish state. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks discusses Herzl's reaction to the Dreyfus Affair and its pivotal role in the birth of modern Zionism.

In January 1895, a young Viennese journalist, Theodor Herzl, reporting on the Dreyfus trial in Paris, was shocked by the sight of crowds shouting, “A mort les juifs!” – “Death to the Jews!” Anti-Semitism, he realized, was alive and strong, not only in places like Russia, where in 1881 pogroms had broken out in more than a hundred towns, but in France itself, home of the revolution, the secular state, and the Declaration of the Rights of Man. He became a man transformed. Within a year he had written his response, which he called Der Judenstaat, “The Jewish State…

The Jonathan Sacks Haggadah; Essays, Pesah and the Rebirth of Israel 3

The Spiritual Consequences of Withholding Wages

KABBALAH

Withholding wages from a worker is equated to taking their soul and leads to divine retribution. The Zohar, a central work of Jewish mysticism, emphasizes the severe consequences of oppressing workers.

To withhold the wage of a poor man is like taking his life and the life of his household. As he diminishes their souls, so God diminishes his days, and cuts off his soul from the other world. For all the breaths which issue from his mouth for the whole of that day ascend and stand before the Almighty, and afterwards his soul and the souls of his household ascend and stand in those breaths. Thus, even if length of days and many blessings had been decreed for that man, they are all withdrawn, nor does his soul mount aloft. Therefore R…

Zohar, Kedoshim 14:85

Leadership Under Roman Oppression

REFERENCE

The historical context of Roman oppression in Palestine following the death of King Agrippa presents a vivid picture of the challenges faced by Jewish leaders. This text delves into the life of Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel, a pivotal figure who navigated the Jewish community through the brutalities of Roman rule.

WITH THE DEATH OF KING AGRIPPA the political situation in Palestine took a turn for the worse. The Roman governors oppressed the people until life became unbearable. Meantime Rabban Gamliel the Elder died and he was succeeded by his son Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel who found himself in a very difficult position throughout his stay in the office of Nasi. He would have liked to continue the tradition of his forefather Hillel as a seeker after peace but it became impossible to witness the barbarities of the Roman rulers and to maintain one’s peace and…

The Jewish Spiritual Heroes, Volume I; The Creators of the Mishna, Rabban Simeon ben Gamliel 1

The Ethics of Verbal Mistreatment

MISHNAH

The Mishnah emphasizes the prohibition against verbal mistreatment (ona’a), highlighting the sensitivity required when dealing with individuals such as penitents and converts. This foundational Jewish legal text from the early third century addresses ethical behavior in commerce and interpersonal interactions, emphasizing the importance of treating others with respect and dignity.

Just as there is a prohibition against exploitation [ona’a] in buying and selling, so is there ona’a in statements, i.e., verbal mistreatment. The mishna proceeds to cite examples of verbal mistreatment. One may not say to a seller: For how much are you selling this item, if he does not wish to purchase it. He thereby upsets the seller when the deal fails to materialize. The mishna lists other examples: If one is a penitent, another may not say to him: Remember your earlier deeds…

Mishnah Bava Metzia 4:10

The Fear of Incited Riots

SECOND TEMPLE

Philo of Alexandria feared that anti-Jewish riots and attacks on synagogues could be incited by the events in Alexandria. Philo's work, 'Against Flaccus,' provides a firsthand account of the anti-Jewish riots in Alexandria under the Roman governor Flaccus, highlighting the historical persecution of Jews.

[47] And it was to be feared that people everywhere might take their cue from Alexandria, and outrage their Jewish fellow-citizens by rioting against their synagogues and ancestral customs.

Against Flaccus 7:4

The Sins of Nebuchadnezzar

COMMENTARY

Nebuchadnezzar's sins, particularly his lack of pity and denial of the Lord, offer a profound lesson on the misuse of power and divine justice. Rabbi Yosef ibn Kaspi's 14th-century commentary, Gevia Kesef, delves into the specific transgressions of the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar as depicted in the Book of Daniel.

| In general he accused Nebuchadnezzar of two sins: the first was that he had not pitied anyone, and had overly pressed his yoke on the elderly; the second was that he had denied the Lord who had given him this power.

Gevia Kesef 15:5

Invoking the Merit of Isaac

MIDRASH

The plea for divine mercy and forgiveness for the descendants of Isaac invokes the merit of the binding of Isaac to release them from their anguish and oppression. The Midrash Tanchuma, a collection of homiletic teachings, uses the Binding of Isaac as a powerful symbol of faith and divine mercy.

Thereupon, the Holy One, blessed be He, opened the sky and the cloud (surrounding Him) and said: “By myself have I sworn,” saith the Lord (ibid., v. 16). “You have sworn.” Abraham replied, “and now I swear that I shall not descend from this altar until I say what I wish to say.” “Speak,” He answered. “Did You not tell me,” said Abraham, “Count all the stars, if thou be able to count them; so shall thy seed be (Gen. 15:5)?” “Yes,” He replied. “But from whom shall my seed descend?” queried Abraham. “From Isaac,” the Holy One answered…

Midrash Tanchuma, Vayera 23:8

From Oppression to Redemption

LITURGY

The miraculous deliverance of the Jewish people from Greek oppression during the Hasmonean revolt is a powerful story of divine intervention and redemption. The 'Al HaNissim' prayer, recited during Chanukah, commemorates the Maccabean victory and the miracle of the oil that burned for eight days in the rededicated Temple.

On Chanukah: In the days of Matisyahu, son of Yochanan the High Priest, the Hasmonean and his sons, when the evil Greek kingdom rose up against Your people Israel to make them forget Your Torah and to turn them away from the statutes of Your will— You, in Your abundant mercy, stood by them in their time of distress, You defended their cause, You judged their grievances, You avenged them. You delivered the mighty into the hands of the weak, many into the hands of the few, defiled people into the hands of the undefiled, the wicked into the hands of the righteous…

Siddur Ashkenaz, Weekday, Maariv, Amidah, Thanksgiving 5

A Prophet's Quest for Justice

TANAKH

Jeremiah's direct appeal to King Zedekiah highlights the struggle against wrongful imprisonment and the quest for justice. In the Book of Jeremiah, the prophet questions the king about the unjust reasons for his imprisonment.

And Jeremiah said to King Zedekiah, “What wrong have I done to you, to your courtiers, and to this people, that you have put me in jail?

Jeremiah 37:18

The Sin of Oppression through Speech

MUSAR

The sin of oppression through speech (Ona'as Devarim) is particularly severe when it causes someone shame, whether through implicit or explicit statements or actions. In his 18th-century ethical masterpiece, Mesillat Yesharim, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto delves into the moral and ethical implications of our speech and actions.

WORDS THAT HURT: Included in the sin of oppression of speech (Ona'as Devarim) is to say to someone, in private, something [implicit] which may cause him shame. All the more so, to say something explicit which causes him shame or to do to him an act which causes him shame.

Mesillat Yesharim 11:64

God's Response to Oppression

TARGUM

The divine response to oppression is a powerful theme, emphasizing that God will arise to redeem the oppressed and testify against the wicked. The Aramaic Targum to Psalms, an ancient translation and interpretation, provides insight into how Jews during the Second Temple period understood these themes.

Because of the oppression of the poor, because of the cry of the needy, now I will arise, says the LORD; I will give redemption to my people, but against the wicked I will give testimony of evil.

Aramaic Targum to Psalms 12:6

Fair Business Practices for All

COMMENTARY

The Torah prohibits unfair business practices, emphasizing honesty and justice in commerce for both Jews and converts. The 16th-century Italian rabbi and commentator Sforno explains the ethical teachings of Leviticus 19:35.

לא תעשו עול במשפט במדה במשקל ובמשורה, seeing that the term אונאה, unfair dealings, also includes unfair business practices, the Torah issues a general prohibition concerning this addressed both to the locally born Jew and the recent convert, or stranger. The words used include measures for measuring liquids, dry matters, as well as the use of deceptive weights.

Sforno on Leviticus 19:35:1

Fair Pay and Respect

TALMUD

The Torah explicitly prohibits oppressing or robbing a hired laborer and commands the prompt payment of their wages. The Talmudic tractate Bava Metzia, part of the Order of Damages, delves into civil laws, including the responsibilities of workers and employers.

and this prohibition is written in the context of the matter of a hired laborer: “You shall not oppress your neighbor, nor rob him, and the wages of a hired servant shall not abide with you all night until the morning” (Leviticus 19:13).

Bava Metzia 61b:1

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