Curriculum
- 11 Sections
- 13 Lessons
- Lifetime
- Why take a Jewish journey?At some point in life, every reflective human being will ask three fundamental questions: Who am I? Why am I here? How then shall I live?1
- The Way of Identity: On Being a JewIn this first unit Rabbi Sacks covers identity. We are born into a family that has a history. Who are we? To which story do we belong?3
- The Way of Prayer: Speaking to GodIn this second unit Rabbi Sacks discusses prayer, arguably the principle connection to God in Judaism.3
- The Way of Study: Listening to GodIn this third unit, we will explore study, the highest of all Jewish acts, which the Sages said was more holy even than prayer.2
- The Way of Mitzvot: Responding to GodIn this fourth unit, we study mitzvot, the way of the commandments.2
- The Way of Tzedakah: Love as JusticeIn this fifth unit we unpack tzedakah, love as justice2
- The Way of ChesedIn this sixth unit we explore Chesed, love as compassion.2
- The Way of Faith: Love as LoyaltyIn this seventh unit we will explore faith, love as loyalty.2
- The Way of Israel: The Jewish LandIn this eighth unit we will explore the role of the Land of Israel.2
- The Way of Kiddush Hashem: The Jewish TaskIn this ninth unit we explore the concept of Kiddush Hashem, sanctifying God's name in the world by acting as God's ambassadors.2
- The Way of Responsibility: The Jewish FutureThe last unit focuses on responsibility, the idea that we are God's partners and there is work to do.2
The Way of Tzedakah: Love as Justice
Transcript
There are two kinds of mitzvot. There are the commands of self-restraint that hold us back from damaging the human or natural environment. And there are the positive commands of love, for the world as God’s work, and for human beings as God’s image. Of the second, the greatest is tzedakah: love as justice (sometimes translated as ‘charity’).
The world is not always just, or equitable, or fair. Our task is to make it more so, by helping those in need, sharing some of what we have with others. This act of sharing is more than charity. It is a recognition of the fact that what we have, we have from God, and one of the conditions of God’s gifts is that we ourselves give. That way we too become like God, ‘walking in His ways’.
The market creates wealth: that is its virtue. But it does not necessarily distribute it in such a way as to alleviate poverty, granting everyone the means of a dignified life. That is its weakness. There are two possibilities: either abandon the market, or mitigate its negative effects. The first has been tried, and failed. The second can be done in two ways: through the government (taxation, welfare) or through individuals. Governments can do much, but not everything. Tzedakah is Judaism’s way of saying that each of us has a part to play. Every one of us must give.
Tzedakah means both justice and charity, for we believe that they go hand in hand. Justice is impersonal, charity is personal. We call God Avinu Malkenu, ‘Our Father, our King’. A king dispenses justice, a parent gives a child a gift out of love. That is the meaning of tzedakah, an act that combines both justice and love. Giving to others is one of the most beautiful things we can do, and one of the most creative. We create possibilities for other people. We soften some of the rough edges of the world. We help alleviate poverty and pain. We give God the sacrifice He most desires of us: that we honour His image in other people.
Nothing more marks Judaism as a religion of love than its emphasis on tzedakah. We do not accept poverty, hunger, homelessness or disease as God’s will. To the contrary, God’s will is that we heal these fractures in His world. As God feeds the hungry, so must we. As God heals the sick, so must we. We become good by doing good. We walk in God’s ways by acting out of love.
Questions for my journey…
1. How does this teaching apply to me?
2. How can I act on it to become a better person?
3. How can this help me to lead a more meaningful and fulfilled life?