Rabbi Michael Leo Samuel

As we mentioned earlier, rather than teaching the gentile the various positive precepts that are associated with compassion and empathy, Hillel begins with the simplest principle of ethics: act considerately toward others. Human beings are not objects to merely entertain us (as the gentile thought), rather human beings are sentient beings we must respect.

At this point, you might ask: “What are the biblical antecedents to the Golden Rule?” Actually, there are many allusions to this principle in the Torah itself and many of these passages may be found in the book of Deuteronomy, which we are currently reading!

For remember that you too were once slaves in Egypt, and the LORD, your God, brought you from there with his strong hand and outstretched arm. That is why the LORD, your God, has commanded you to observe the sabbath day. (Deut. 5:15).

Explanation: Your memory as a slave in Egypt should have taught you many valuable life lessons. Just as you hated abuse, you too must be careful never to abusively treat those who are dependent upon you like your slaves. Even the slave is entitled to rest on the Sabbath—just like you!

One of the important points Deuteronomy makes is the role of Israel’s memory in shaping her values and ethics. Memory is never nostalgic; it is active and transforming. Thus, in the case of the slave who is about to go free after serving his master for six years:

“If your kinsman, a Hebrew man or woman, sells himself to you, he is to serve you for six years, but in the seventh year you shall dismiss him from your service, a free man. When you do so, you shall not send him away empty-handed, but shall weight him down with gifts from your flock and threshing floor and wine press, in proportion to the blessing the LORD, your God, has bestowed on you. For remember that you too were once slaves in the land of Egypt, and the LORD, your God, ransomed you. That is why I am giving you this command today.

(Deut 5:12-15)

Explanation: Treat the slave like God treated you when you left Egypt. By bestowing the slave with gifts, you are showing the world how God expects His newly liberated people are to act. The Exodus thus becomes an ethical paradigm for how all people are to be treated.

Deuteronomy 24:12-22 contains some of the best teachings regarding empathy and compassion toward others.

If he is a poor man, you shall not sleep in the mantle he gives as a pledge,

but shall return it to him at sunset that he himself may sleep in it. Then he will bless you, and it will be a good deed of yours before the LORD, your God.

“You shall not defraud a poor and needy hired servant, whether he be one of your own countrymen or one of the aliens who live in your communities.

You shall pay him each day’s wages before sundown on the day itself, since he is poor and looks forward to them. Otherwise he will cry to the LORD against you, and you will be held guilty.

“Fathers shall not be put to death for their children, nor children for their fathers; only for his own guilt shall a man be put to death.

“You shall not violate the rights of the alien or of the orphan, nor take the clothing of a widow as a pledge.

For, remember, you were once slaves in Egypt, and the LORD, your God, ransomed you from there; that is why I command you to observe this rule.

“When you reap the harvest in your field and overlook a sheaf there, you shall not go back to get it; let it be for the alien, the orphan or the widow, that the LORD, your God, may bless you in all your undertakings.

When you knock down the fruit of your olive trees, you shall not go over the branches a second time; let what remains be for the alien, the orphan and the widow.

When you pick your grapes, you shall not go over the vineyard a second time; let what remains be for the alien, the orphan, and the widow.

For remember that you were once slaves in Egypt; that is why I command you to observe this rule.

Explanation: In Egypt, the Israelites experienced harsh mistreatment from their masters. The poor were hardly considered human beings by the rich and the powerful. Remembering the marginalized members of society goes a long way in eradicating many of the social ills that plague human existence. Once again, Israel’s memory as slave must serve as the remind God’s people how to treat those who are less fortunate.

Leviticus also contains several passages that stress the importance of empathy toward the Other, for example:

“When an alien resides with you in your land, do not molest him.

You shall treat the alien who resides with you no differently than the natives born among you; have the same love for him as for yourself; for you too were once aliens in the land of Egypt. I, the LORD, am your God.

“Do not act dishonestly in using measures of length or weight or capacity.

You shall have a true scale and true weights, an honest ephah and an honest hin. I, the LORD, am your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt.

Leviticus 19:33-37 (NAB) Continue Reading

According to Jewish tradition, God’s Presence in the phenomenal world is calibrated to our actions. Indeed, actions speak louder than words, and are especially more effective than espousing the typical platitudes of faith that we are so bored hearing in the media, or for that matter—at the synagogue! With the holiday of Tisha B’Av, we read in the Talmud why God withdrew His Divine Presence from the world. The warning for future generations is all too clear: We must choose to manifest healthy images of God that bring healing to ourselves and our world.

History has shown us time and time again how God-images impact the way a religious culture treats its female members. Cultures ruled by a misogynistic conception of the Divine, cannot help but treat its women in a barbarous manner. Indeed, a society that hates its women becomes incapable of loving anything else. Conversely, a religious culture that respects the maternal aspects of the Divine Feminine produces a community of believers where life becomes sacred and holy. The reverence for life—across the ideological spectrum—becomes the basis for all societal evolution and development.

In Jewish tradition, the metaphor of this aspect of the Divine Feminine is better known as the שְׁכִינָה, (“Shekhinah), signifying, “that which dwells,” deriving from the verb [שָׁכֵן, shakhen], or [שָׁכַן, shakhan], “to dwell,” “reside” see Isaiah 60:2).

In this week’s parsha, the wording states וְעָשׂוּ לִי מִקְדָּשׁ וְשָׁכַנְתִּי בְּתוֹכָם “They shall make a sanctuary for me, that I may dwell in their midst” (Exod. 25:8). The verse brilliantly captures the subtle nuances that tend go get glossed over by most translations. The verse actually says, “They shall make a sanctuary for me, that I shall dwell in them.” The more literal reading of the text suggests that God dwells not outside the human heart, but within the human heart. This interpretation explains the idea of the “Divine Indwelling,” better known as the “Shekhinah.”

As I prepared the Torah reading today, I decided to spend a few minutes and take poetic license with the Midrash. The thought occurred to me that I should write about a subject that is dear to my heart—romantic theology, also known as the “theology of love.” The topic today is: the soulful wanderings of the Shekhinah.

The language you will read is shamelessly anthropomorphic-and from a Maimonidean perspective, what I am writing is probably quite offensive. However, I do believe this interpretive midrash captures the spirit of the text. If nothing else, it is an interesting deconstruction of midrashic thought.

Abraham Joshua Heschel often observed, “God is in search of man.” In other words, our own quest for love and intimacy comes to us quite naturally, for our beloved Creator also has a similar quest. Paradoxically, our love for the Divine gives something to our Maker something that S/he does not possess. In a mystical sense, we make God’s Presence whole in the world through our acts of love and compassion. I hope you enjoy the material as much as I did writing it.

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I come to my garden, my sister, my bride;

I gather my myrrh with my spice,

I eat my honeycomb with my honey,

I drink my wine with my milk.

Eat, friends, drink, and be drunk with love.

Song of Songs 1:1

The Midrash views all of Song of Songs as an extended metaphor about God’s love for Israel. The word “my garden” has Edenic overtones and significance.

The term “gani” (“My garden,”) implies not just any “garden,” but specifically to “My garden,” i.e., the bridal chamber where a bride and groom consummate their love for one another. By saying “My bridal chamber,” the text mystically suggests a return to a time when God’s Being was originally present and revealed.

The Midrash teaches that when Moses built the Tabernacle, the Shekhinah returned to co-inhabit the earth just as She did in the days of Eden before the primal couple’s great fall. In Eden, God could be seen “walking” alongside mortals (Gen 3:8). However, after the primal couple sinned, the Shekhinah began retreating Her Presence from the earthly realm. Bereft of Her divine intimacy, Adam and his wife hid themselves because they felt alienated from the deepest dimension of their souls. Adam’s spiritual stature underwent a radical reduction.

However, the Shekhinah’s mystical ascent was far from finished, for when Cain murdered his brother Abel, the Feminine Presence felt disgusted with human violence and retreated unto the second level of Heaven in a panic.

Alas, Her ascent away from the earth still continued for when Enosh forgot his Creator when he worshiped idols, so the Shekhinah retreated to the third level; after watching more of man’s inhumanity to man, a flood occurs, and the saddened Shekhinah retreats because She could not watch Her children perish. With the passage of time, the Shekhinah develops a revulsion for violence. Once again, human cruelty chased Her one more degree away from the earth.

After the Tower Builders announced their designs to conquer the heavens, the Shekhinah retreated yet another degree because she found human arrogance repugnant. The violence of the Sodomites upset Her even more, as she wanted nothing to do with men because of their barbarism and sadism. The Shekhinah’s withdrawal from the world reached Her zenith after the Egyptians mistreated their fellow earthly brothers and sisters, by enslaving the Israelites to a life of suffering and pain. She could not bear to watch. She wondered, “Could the rift with humanity get any worst than this?”

However, the Shekhinah could not remain in a permanent state of estrangement from humanity—despite its errant ways. Abraham was the first to recognize the Shekhinah’s Reality and he sought to make her more intimate with mortals once more. Isaac’s willingness to die for Her, as a show of his love and devotion, made the Shekhinah yearn yet more for intimacy with mortals. Continue Reading

Hillel is remembered for many innovations. During the Sabbatical Year, he made it possible for lenders to still collect outstanding debts so that people would be able to borrow money during the Sabbatical Year. It is widely believed that Hillel invented the famous ‘Hillel Sandwich” during the Passover Seder (this is not true, Semites have been making sandwiches for thousands of years!). Many people also think he invented the “Golden Rule.”

According to Jewish tradition, the best known version of the Golden Rule derives from the teachings of Hillel. Here’s the origin of the tradition. When a non-Jew came to Hillel, seeking to make fun of the old teacher, he asked Hillel to teach him the entire Torah while he stood on one foot.

Unlike Shammai, who chased the practical joker away, Hillel knew exactly how to make his point poignantly clear to his wily guest. Hillel exclaimed, “What is hateful to you, do not to your neighbor: that is the whole Torah, while the rest is the commentary thereof; now go and study it.”[1]

Although Hillel is credited with inventing the Golden Rule, he was not the first Jew to formulate it.

Here are at least four sources that most people are unfamiliar with that antedate Hillel’s Golden Rule by at least three centuries:

The king received the answer with great delight and looking at another said to the Sage: ‘What is the teaching of wisdom?’ And the other replied, ‘As you wish that no evil should befall you, but to be a partaker of all good things, so you should act on the same principle towards your subjects and offenders, and you should mildly admonish the noble and good. For God draws all men to Himself by his benignity.’[2]

The first century Jewish philosopher, Philo of Alexandria observes, “Moreover, it is ordained in the laws themselves that no one shall do to his neighbor what he would be unwilling to have done to himself.”[3]

And in the book of Tobit, we also find: “Do to no one what you yourself dislike.”[4]

According to the wisdom of Ben Sira, one of my favorite Jewish philosophers of antiquity, the Golden Rule pertains to many important areas of human relations—especially with respect to forgiveness.

The vengeful will face the Lord’s vengeance,

for he keeps a strict account of^a their sins.

Forgive your neighbor the wrong he has done,

and then your sins will be pardoned when you pray.

Does anyone harbor anger against another,

and expect healing from the Lord?

If one has no mercy toward another like himself,

can he then seek pardon for his own sins?

If a mere mortal harbors wrath,

who will make an atoning sacrifice for his sins?

Remember the end of your life, and set enmity aside;

remember corruption and death, and be true to the commandments.

Remember the commandments, and do not be angry with your neighbor;

remember the covenant of the Most High, and overlook faults. [5] Continue Reading

My father, Leo Israel Samuel was a very wise man in more ways than I can remember. But here is one anecdote I do remember that I would like to share with all you parents out there in cyber-space.

Many years ago, when I was a young child of about five or six, I remember getting upset with my parents. I felt so angry, I told my Father, “I don’t want to live here anymore!” My father decided to teach me one of many memorable life lessons. To my surprise, he said, “OK, I will help you pack your suitcase.”

So, he immediately took out a tiny suitcase, and packed some of my clothes in it. He walked me to the street corner. Oh yes, before I forget, at that time we were living in a small town on the Pennsylvanian border named, “Midland.” Midland was an old steel-mining town, which had a population of about 5,000 people at the time.

Well, being so young, I was shocked that my father walked me outside to the corner. Where was I going to go? What would I do for dinner? I was getting anxious—and hungry! I stood there at the stop light. Being so young, I was afraid to cross the street because cars would dart past me. Confused, I began to cry, and cry I did.

Well, Father brought me home and gave me a spanking that really hurt! He said, “You are a part of this family—whether you like it or not, so you had better start liking it because there’s nothing you can do about it!” Well, when I was eight, I remember trying to run away a second time, and sure enough-Father caught me and spanked me-again! By then, I was cured . . .

Now, let’s fast-forward this tape to the year 1975, the year I had worked on my rabbinical ordination in Brooklyn. The streets of Brooklyn are not known for their safety. If you don’t get mugged, you always run the risk of getting hit by a speeding motorist. I can recall several near-misses where either I or a friend nearly got ran over by speeding motorist.

In New York, if you have small children, it’s generally a good idea to make sure either the child walks with a group of other kids—preferably older children—or better yet, a parent should always walk the child or pick the child up from school. In addition, parents must make it a daily exercise to tell their children, “Do not talk to strangers.” As a child, I never understood exactly why, but these words served to protect me from harm’s way in my early youth.

The reason I mention this story is because of the tragedy that occurred earlier this past month in Brooklyn. I mention this anecdote so that parents in general will take the necessary measures to not let young children—and especially young children that have known learning difficulties, such as poor Leiby. His parents made a dreadful mistake, one that had disastrous consequences for their family and son. Continue Reading