Values

Notable Sources

All Sources

The Pursuit of Justice

TANAKH

The pursuit of justice is essential for thriving and maintaining the land given by God. In Deuteronomy, Moses emphasizes the importance of appointing righteous judges and actively seeking justice as a continuous and spiritual endeavor.

You shall appoint magistrates and officials for your tribes, in all the settlements that your God יהוה is giving you, and they shall govern the people with due justice. You shall not judge unfairly: you shall show no partiality; you shall not take bribes, for bribes blind the eyes of the discerning and upset the plea of the just. Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may thrive and occupy the land that your God יהוה is giving you.

Deuteronomy 16:18-20

The Forty-Eight Ways to Acquire Torah

MISHNAH

Acquiring Torah is not just about study; it requires embodying forty-eight specific qualities and practices. Pirkei Avot, a work of ancient rabbinic ethics and wisdom from the land of Israel, outlines these qualities, emphasizing the depth and breadth of commitment needed for true Torah learning.

Greater is learning Torah than the priesthood and than royalty, for royalty is acquired by thirty stages, and the priesthood by twenty-four, but the Torah by forty-eight things. By study, Attentive listening, Proper speech, By an understanding heart, By an intelligent heart, By awe, By fear, By humility, By joy, By attending to the sages, By critical give and take with friends, By fine argumentation with disciples, By clear thinking, By study of Scripture, By study of Mishnah, By a minimum of sleep, By a minimum of chatter, By a minimum of pleasure, By a minimum of frivolity…

Pirkei Avot 6:6

The Source of True Honor

COMMENTARY

True honor comes from honoring others, not from seeking it for oneself. Rabbeinu Yonah's commentary on Pirkei Avot, a work of ancient rabbinic ethics and wisdom from the land of Israel, explores this profound ethical teaching.

Who is honored? He who honors the created beings: One who honors his fellow, honors himself - not his fellow. [As] what benefit is there to a man if they [give] him honor? If he is honored, the honor that they gave to him does not add to his status and his honor. And if he is lowly, for [others] to honor him will not make him honored again. And all honor for the lowly is a loss for those that honor him, as his status is not increased. [It is] like Shlomo, peace be upon him, stated (Proverbs 26:8), "Like binding a stone in a sling, so is paying honor to a fool…

Rabbeinu Yonah on Pirkei Avot 4:1:6

The Voice of God and Conscience of Society

COMMENTARY

Prophets serve as the voice of God and the conscience of society, urging people to fulfill their spiritual and moral duties. Rabbi Jonathan Sacks explores the role of prophets in Jewish tradition, emphasizing their function as moral and spiritual guides.

At such times the prophet became the voice of God and the conscience of society, reminding the people of their spiritual and moral vocation, calling on them to return and repent, reminding the people of their duties to God and to their fellow humans, and warning of the consequences if they did not heed the call.

Lessons in Leadership; A Weekly Reading of the Jewish Bible, Tetzaveh; The Counterpoint of Leadership 9

Isaac's Unyielding Faith

MIDRASH

The unwavering faith and joyful acceptance of divine will, even in the face of personal sacrifice, is a powerful theme in Jewish history. Louis Ginzberg’s early 20th-century work, Legends of the Jews, retells the story of the Binding of Isaac, highlighting its significance in demonstrating faith and obedience to God.

And while they were walking along, Isaac spake unto his father, "Behold, the fire and the wood, but where then is the lamb for a burnt offering before the Lord?" And Abraham answered Isaac, saying, "The Lord hath chosen thee, my son, for a perfect burnt offering, instead of the lamb." And Isaac said unto his father, "I will do all that the Lord hath spoken to thee with joy and cheerfulness of heart." And Abraham again said unto Isaac his son, "Is there in thy heart any thought or counsel concerning this which is not proper? Tell me, my son, I pray thee! O my son, conceal it not from me…

Legends of the Jews 1:5:232

The Sabbath as a Day of Learning and Virtue

SECOND TEMPLE

Philo of Alexandria emphasizes the importance of dedicating every seventh day to the study of philosophy, knowledge, and virtues. This Hellenistic Jewish philosopher highlights the Jewish practice of using the Sabbath for study and prayer, underscoring the synagogue's role as a center for learning and moral development.

[216] Even now this practice is retained, and the Jews every seventh day occupy themselves with the philosophy of their fathers, dedicating that time to the acquiring of knowledge and the study of the truths of nature. For what are our places of prayer throughout the cities but schools of prudence and courage and temperance and justice and also of piety, holiness and every virtue by which duties to God and men are discerned and rightly performed?

On the Life of Moses, Book II 39:8

The Superiority of Helping Others

TALMUD

The rabbis teach that helping others is superior to giving charity because it can be done with both one's person and money, benefits both the poor and the rich, and can be directed towards both the living and the dead. The ancient rabbis in the Talmud, a central text of Rabbinic Judaism, compare helping others and giving charity, highlighting three ways in which helping others is superior.

The Sages taught that acts of kindness are superior to charity in three respects: Charity can be performed only with one’s money, while acts of kindness can be performed both with his person and with his money. Charity is given to the poor, while acts of kindness are performed both for the poor and for the rich. Charity is given to the living, while acts of kindness are performed both for the living and for the dead.

Sukkah 49b:11

The Role of Fortitude in Spiritual Growth

JEWISH THOUGHT

True perfection in knowledge and fear of the Lord requires fortitude (gevurah) in the soul. Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaCohen Kook’s work, Musar Avikha, delves into the necessity of unwavering commitment and pure desire in the pursuit of self-improvement.

Among [the fundamentals of] the soul’s traits requiring perfection is the trait of fortitude [gevurah], meaning fortitude of the soul, without which it is utterly impossible to be truly perfect in terms of knowledge and fear of the Lord. It is certainly impossible to accomplish anything significant without it. The trait of fortitude includes the following: Once a person decides that he needs to work on something out of an obligation to perfect himself, he will be firmly committed to it and will not become fed up with the numerous minutiae…

Musar Avikha 3:1:10

Foundations of Ethical Living

LITURGY

Ethical and moral conduct, personal development, and the cultivation of virtues are foundational principles for living a righteous life. Pirkei Avot, a work of ancient rabbinic ethics and wisdom from the land of Israel, offers timeless ethical teachings and maxims from the Rabbis.

Pirkei Avot (The Chapters of the Fathers) Chapter 1 All of Israel has a portion in the world to come. For it is written, "And your people, all of them are righteous, they shall inherit the land forever, a scion of My planting, the work of My hands in which I will glory" (Isaiah 60:21).

Siddur Edot HaMizrach, Mishna Study for Shabbat, Pirkei Avot 1-3

The Ethics of Speech

HALAKHAH

Ethical speech is crucial, especially when it comes to listening to and sharing reports about others. The Sefer Chasidim, a foundational text of the German Pietists, offers detailed guidance on handling situations where someone speaks ill of another.

“Thou shalt not utter a false report” (Exod. 23:1). This is also a warning to those who listen to evil talk. However, if a man comes to you complaining about his neighbor because his neighbor reproved him in your presence and for this reason he is angry with him and he says, “That one who dared to reprove, himself does such and such,” and he continues to relate unpleasant things about him; if you know that after he tells you he will not go and tell others, because he does not care to inform the public, but tells you in order to unburden his heart, because it weighs upon him…

Sefer Chasidim 64:1

The Power of Humility

CHASIDUT

Humility is essential for personal growth and stability. In Rabbi Nachman of Breslov's collection of ethical teachings, Sefer HaMiddot, the famous hassidic master offers profound insights into the role of humility in shaping one's character and life.

Humility causes a person to advance, and keeps him from falling from his level.

Sefer HaMiddot, Humility, Part I 17

Humility vs. Arrogance

MUSAR

Humility is a fundamental value in Jewish ethics, and understanding it deeply can transform one's character and spiritual growth. In his 18th-century ethical masterpiece, Mesillat Yesharim, Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto contrasts humility with arrogance, offering a detailed exploration of this essential virtue.

We already spoke earlier on the disgrace of arrogance, and by inference, we learned on the praiseworthiness of Humility. Let us now explain Humility in a more fundamental manner and arrogance will become clarified by itself.

Mesillat Yesharim 22:1

The Value of Honoring Parents

TANAKH

Honoring one's parents is not just a moral duty but a key to longevity and prosperity. The Ten Commandments, in the books of Exodus and Deuteronomy, outline some of this value's contours.

Honor your father and your mother, that you may long endure on the land that your God יהוה is assigning to you.

Exodus 20:12

Relatedראו גם

Sheetsדפי מקורות

Related Sheets