LESSONS FROM OUR SAGES
On Deeds of Loving
Kindness He Said:
I
desire mercy not sacrifice (Hosea 1:70) . For it said,
the world is built on loving kindness, in the very heavens
you establish your faithfulness (Psalms 89:3). He who
is kind to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will repay
him for his deed. (Proverbs 19:17).
Ethic of the Fathers:
Say
little and do much, receive all men cheerfully. Render
judgments that are true, and make peace. Man looks at
the outward appearance, The Eternal looks at the heart.
Judge not your fellow man, until your in his place.
The Proclamation
of Shema:
G'd
said to Israel: I did not impose on you to read the
"Shema," neither standing on your feet, or standing
on your heads, but only at your convenience, when you
sit in your house and when you walk on your way.
The Love of Fellow
Man:
The
Rabbis said: "He who loves G'd must love his fellow
man, and whoever hates his fellow man hates G'd." They
declare G'd would rather have us ignore him by abstaining
from prayer and worship than ignore our obligation to
feed the hungry and clothe the naked. They stress the
need for compassion for the widow and orphan and insist
that one only be sensitive to the physical discomfort
of others, but must be considerate of their feelings,
never embarrass anyone or putting another to shame.
The
Rabbis do not consider man as a helpless pawn of fate,
but rather as a "partner of G'd" in the unfinished
work of creation. While they recognize that some of
life's experiences are beyond man's control, they declare
that in the realm of moral choice this is not the case;
that man is endowed with freedom of will, can choose
between good and evil and master his own impulses, and
is therefore responsible for his conduct.
