Occupy Justice
Rabbi Ron Shulman
Shabbat Vayera 5772
There’s a lot of unrest and uneasiness in our country’s discourse these days. Some citizens occupy parks and public places to protest the social inequities they perceive and experience. Other citizens mock these protests not hearing a legitimate cry, seeing instead a misguided stunt attracting social miscreants.
Like most things, I suspect the truth lies somewhere in between these two perspectives. There is a huge socio-economic gap in our society. Too many people are unable to find response to their struggles for employment, a living wage, health care, shelter, and personal dignity. Too many others are frustrated that this is the case today. Most everyone agrees that this shouldn’t be.
It can be uncomfortable to have while others lack, even if what I have is earned and deserved. I worked hard. I studied hard. I applied myself. The circumstances and experiences of my life are fortunate or I pulled myself up. My interpretation is that this discomfort expresses itself defensively as criticism.
On the other hand, it is confusing to lack while others have or to wonder about the future. Why am I the one falling on hard times? Why am I the one seeking assistance? Why am I the one not achieving as I imagined I would or think I should? My interpretation is that this restlessness expresses itself socially as protest.
The truth lies in between these perspectives. We do need to earn what we have. But, we don’t have to deserve who we are. We are entitled to both the benefit of our achievements and the dignity of our existence. We are required to recognize both, as well. The rewards of accomplishment come with social responsibilities, which means as citizens we are bound together, and at some basic level, accountable to each other and responsible for one another.
Let’s study the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. In it we are immediately confronted with caring concern for people who seem to have no voice. This consciousness lies at the heart of Abraham’s remarkable response to God’s plan. Arguing against the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah establishes the moral imperative of Judaism to seek justice and fairness on behalf of all people, in every situation.
Abraham challenges God with the question, or perhaps demands, “Far be it from You to do such a thing, to bring death upon the innocent as well as the guilty, so that innocent and guilty fare alike. Far be it from You! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?”
But, the destruction of the cities ensues. Abraham fails in his search to find even ten good, righteous individuals among all who live in those places. This leads us to ask, what was Sodom and Gomorrah’s sin? What was it they did that they could not be saved?
The Torah itself doesn’t tell us directly. Rabbi Judah answers that it was proclaimed in Sodom, “He who sustains a stranger or a poor and needy person with a morsel of bread is to be burned alive.” Harsh, isn’t it? I wonder whom Rabbi Judah had in mind when he answered.
Another Midrash teaches, “The people of Sodom were arrogant because of the bounty the Holy One had bestowed upon them. They said to themselves: ‘We live in peace and plenty. Food can be got from our land, gold and silver can be mined from our land, precious stones and pearls can be obtained from our land. What need have we to look after wayfarers, people who come here only to deprive us? Come let us see to it that the duty of entertaining food travelers be forgotten in our land.’ So the Holy One said: ‘Because of the bounty I bestowed upon you, you would make the very memory of wayfarer’s feet forgotten in your midst. Therefore, I will cause the memory of anything good in you to be utterly forgotten in the world.’” Harsh, isn’t it?
All of us know how the story ends. Abraham’s nephew Lot is told to save his family and get out. Loyal to their home and his concern for others, Lot and his family delay and manage to save their hometown from doom. As morning breaks and the destruction begins everywhere else, Lot and his family rush out.
As their journey begins, “Lot’s wife looked back, and she thereupon turned into a pillar of salt.” The Torah commentator Rashi explains her punishment. “By salt had she sinned and by salt was she punished. Lot once said to her: ‘Give a little salt to these strangers’ and she answered him, ‘Do you mean to introduce this bad custom, also, into our city?’” Harsh, isn’t it?
We may now imagine that Sodom’s sin lie in its citizens’ inability to show hospitality and kindness to others. Harsh, isn’t it? They did not recognize that the rewards of accomplishment or the benefits of circumstance come with social responsibility. They did not acknowledge that as human beings we are bound together, and at some basic level, accountable to each other and responsible for one another.
Jewish tradition understands Sodom and Gomorrah to represent places where each and every individual’s life and integrity are not valued. We may need to earn what we have. We never have to deserve who we are. Just like the unfound innocents Abraham sought, all of us are entitled to the dignity of our existence.
I neither join those who occupy parks and public places nor mock their protests. Instead, I watch with understanding. The unrest and uneasiness in our country’s discourse these days results from disappointment in circumstances most of us did not create and all of us want to see corrected.
As Abraham challenges God, “Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?” we, too, must challenge ourselves. Shall not we strive to figure out what’s fair and then how to deal justly?
© 2011 Rabbi Ronald J. Shulman
