THE CA LL TO

AC T I O N
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introduction
The primary blessing of the modern world is freedom. And with >> As Jews in
that freedom we canmore than any other generation in history America, we have two
remake ourselves every day. Once upon a time, our identity was primary languages,
sealed at birth. We were Jew or Catholic; French or Chinese; rich or two identities, two
poor; free or slave; cobbler or farmer; red-headed or blonde. cultures: Jewish and
But today, things are different. We are free (at least in theory) to shape American. <<
not only our thoughts, speech and action, but our identity as well. And,
as almost always is the case with choice, once we have the option to
choose, we also have the obligation to choose.

One of the hardest tasks we confront, then, is to respond to

this obligation of choice. We must choose which group,
which culture, and which identity will be ours, and
what we will do in response to that choice. We can-
not choose none of the above for we can no more
be just human than we can speak just language.
To talk, we must speak a particular language, with a
particular vocabulary and a particular structure which
grows out of a particular culture. We develop a special
relationship with our language and our culture, and to
the others who were likewise raised in it. As it is with
language, so it is with identity.

As Jews in America, we have two primary languages, two identi-

ties, two cultures: Jewish and American. Often these cultures overlap
and reinforce each other. Other times they dont. The question for us is:
how do we negotiate this bi-lingualism? Given a world of choice, why
should we continue to choose to be Jews? And when? If Jewish and
American values either clash or are motivated by different impulses,
how shall we choose between them? As Jews, how should we negotiate
the tug of particularism with the demand of universalism? In the world
of social action and social justice that we will be exploring together, the
questions become even more nuanced.

S E C T I O N I Torah/Study 9
 The framing exercise and five texts presented below explore social action
as a core Jewish imperative.
TEXT 1: To Work and to Tend (Genesis, Ch. 2) introduces the biblical under-
standing of the purpose of humanity, a profound idea which serves as a
foundational pillar of Jewish ethical teachings.

TEXT 2: Behold My Works! (Kohelet Rabbah) further develops the concept of

humanitys responsibility to care for and preserve the world.

TEXT 3: Being for Myself (Mishna, Avot 1:13) highlights the tension between
the global responsibilitylooking outward beyond oneselfand the need for
individuals to focus also on their own personal situation.

TEXTS 4 & 5: The Poor in Your Land (Deuteronomy 15:11, Maimonides Laws of
the Gifts to the Poor 7:13) addresses one of the practical challenges of responding
to obligations and suggests a hierarchy of responsibilities to which individuals
can respond.
TEXT 6: Creation as Perfect and Imperfect (Alon Goshen-Gotteschien)
challenges us to assimilate two perspectives of the world which are somewhat
in tension and to let each view inspire us and drive us towards action.

Framing EXERCISE

Read the introductory paragraph with participants and have them reflect on the
following questions.

> When in your life do you feel a sense of obligation? To whom are you
obligated? What do you feel obligated to do? What makes you feel
obligated in general?
Introduce participants to the phrase, universe of obligationreferring to the
idea of considering, all at once, our varied obligations and all of the people or
groups to whom we feel obligated.

> How do you prioritize the categories which exist in this universe? Are all
of your obligations equally important or equally demanding? What are the
principles by which you rank your obligations?
> Do you have an obligation to engage in social action? If so, what is the
source of your obligation? Where does it come from? If not, why might you
choose to engage in social action?
> Who are you when you act? Which culture(s) and which value(s) are
motivating you to act?
> Do you (or should you) act as a Jew engaged in social action or
as American? What is the difference? Can your actions reflect both
simultaneously?

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Call to Action
Text Exploration
TEXT 1 To Work and to Tend
This text is drawn from the beginning of the Torah and the introduction to
the Garden of Eden.

, ,-
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On the day the Lord God made the earth, there was neither shrub nor
plant, for God had not yet watered the earth, and there was no human
to work the land... The Lord God fashioned the human with dust from
the earth, and blew into his nostrils the breath of life, and the human
became a being full of life... And God put the human in the Garden of
Eden to work it and to tend it.
Genesis, 2:4-5, 7, 15

t According to this story, what is the stated purpose, the calling, of

humanity? That is, what was the human created to do?
Humankind was created to manage, protect and improve the world. The
Torahs opening description of the world relates that there was no man to
work the land and that humans were created to work it and to tend it.
The very purpose of human existence, therefore, is to be Gods partner in
safeguarding and guiding the affairs of the world. We are not the earths
owners, but its stewards, responsible for the well-being of nature and
civilization alike.
Explore with the participants how this might be different from an American
vision of the purpose of humans. Share with them the core-values expressed
in each cultures founding texts. Humankind, according to the Declaration
of Independence, is endowed with the following rights: life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness. Humankind, according to Judaism, is created with the
following obligations: to work the land to work it and to tend it.

S E C T I O N I Torah/Study 11
 t How was the human made? What is the starting point (genesis) of
the first human?
The point here is that we possess a bit of godliness in us. At birth, we are
brought to life with the breath of God. It is that which keeps us going and
that which we lose (literally our breath) when we die.

t What demands or capabilities do you think that the source of animatt

tion (God) places upon us or within us?
The idea that humanity is created by God blowing air into Adams nostrils
(Gen. 2:7) suggests that within each and every human is a spark of the
Divine. As such, the Bible implies that humans have an ability to bring
godliness into the world. Consider the contrast between this account of
humanitys beginning and the slap on the bottom that usher most infants
into life in American hospitals.

t Why would the Torah begin with this story?

This text emphasizes the idea that tending to the world is a defining
human value inherent in the conception of the world. It is not a punishm-
ment, or an after-thought. It is the reason we were created in the first
place. The text suggests that we would not be here if we were not needed;
if the world did not need human intervention, humans would not have
been created.

t Do you think this is a Jewish story? To whom do you think it is

addressed?
This is a particularistic story of a universal calling. Some students may claim
that this is a Jewish story because it is drawn from our scriptural tradition
and is part of our collective narrative. Others may see its audience as
much broader, citing the universality of this passage and the broad claims
it makes about all humanity. Essentially it is both: this is a Jewish story,
informing the founding identity of the Jewish people, but as Jews, we say
such sacred work is the task of everyone. Still, it is the Jews who use this
story as their founding narrative.
Christians take a later part of this story, The Fall, (Adam and Eves disobed-
dience to God in eating from the Tree of Knowledge) and make that their
founding universal text. America takes individual liberty, not communal
responsibility, as its founding universal text. The Genesis story is a quintess-
sentially Jewish text, expressing quintessential Jewish values. Even though
it is in our shared western scriptual tradition, only the Jewish tradition
turns to these particular verses to ground and guide the purpose of life.

What the Text Means to Me

s How are we like the human in the story?
We are the human in the story. Adam is every man, every human.

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Call to Action
s How does this metaphor, that each and every one of us becomes
alive by Gods breathing into us, affect who we are and what we are
to do with our lives? What can this metaphor mean to those who do
not believe in God? What can such a metaphor do for both believers
and non-believers?

s How does such an awareness of the Torahs take on the purpose of

humanity affect us? Where do we/should we position the work of
social activism in our lives in light of this teaching?

TEXT 2 Behold My Works!

This midrash expands on the phrase found in Genesis chapter 2 that we
read in the first text above: to work [the earth] and to tend it.

, ,

, ,

When the Holy One created the human being, He took him and led
him around all the trees of the Garden of Eden and said to him: Behold
my works, how beautiful they are. All that I have created is within your
domain. Take care, therefore, that you do not destroy My world, for if
you do, there will be no one else to set it right after you.
Kohelet Rabbah 7:13

t Describe ways humanity works the earth. Are these good or bad or
neutral?

t Describe ways humanity tends the earth. Are these good or bad or
neutral?

t Do these two concepts (of working and tending) contradict or

complement each other? How?
Pursue the meaning of working the earth. This could include exploring it,
using it, developing it, changing it. It could include building upon it, damm-
ming the waters, harnessing its renewable energy, inventing materials,
medicines, fabrics, farming, etc., to increase the quality of human (and
animal) life. Does this midrash endorse such uses or not? It seems to do
so when it says, All I have created is within your domain. Humans have
been given the world, according to the biblical story, and are instructed by
the word lovdah (work it) to make it a better place.

S E C T I O N I Torah/Study 13
 The question is: what is permissible in the arena of working the earth
and what is not ? When is it necessary and good for tending to consist
of protecting and preserving the world? Lshomrah has both meanings as if
the best way to protect something is to preserve it. Is that always the case?
Even the concept of tikkun olam implies constant change and constant
improvement. Today, especially in light of popular kabbalistic lore, we
read tikkun as fixing a world that has been broken, restoring it to a pristine
condition. This is not so in the biblical text. There we are instructed to
work and to tend as part of the natural order. This tikkun assumes a world
in constant need of tending as part of the natural order, but never one that
was perfect to begin with. Tikkun then is not something we do because
something went wrong. Tikkun is something we do as part of our cons-
stitutive identity: it is the reason we were created in the first place. If this
tikkun, this work, requires changing the world, the question is: what are the
boundaries? When does work become destructive instead of constructive?
How do we balance working with preserving/protecting?

What the Text Means to Me

s What/how does this story make you feel?
s Do you find it compelling that a contemporary environmental ethic
is reflected in this classical text? What differences do you notice
between contemporary environmentalism and the perspective
reflected in this text?

s What do you think about the idea that each individual has a personal
obligation to protect the environment? How might that be different
from making an individual contribution towards a collective effort?

TEXT 3 Being for Myself

Hillel was a first century rabbinic leader. He is remembered as a kind
and wise teacher who had a way with words. One of his most famous
sayings is:

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If I am not for myself, who will be for me? But if I am only for myself,
what am I? And if not now, when?
Mishna, Avot 1:13

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Call to Action
t Examine this Mishna piece by piece. What is Hillel saying?
In the first phrase, Hillel validates a strong sense of self-worth, teaching that
it is a prerequisite to earn the support of others. The next phrase comm-
municates the idea that someone who is exclusively self-focused is not
exhibiting the defining trait of humanity (i.e., an outward sense of responsib-
bility). Hillel challenges us: If I am only for myself, What am I?

t How does someones attitude about him/herself affect how others

feel about him/her?

t What is the relationship between peoples commitment to others and

their sense of self-worth?

t How does the last question that Hillel asks relate to the first two?

What the Text Means to Me

s How does this statement negotiate the tension between the
particular (me) vs. universal (others)?

s Do you agree with this teaching? All of it? Some of it?

This text brings into focus the universal/particular tension that most
modern Jews wrestle with today. Hillel clearly embraces both poles of
this tension, but prioritizes them. The participants responses to this text
will serve as a window into their own attitudes.

s Do you agree with the following statement?

If I am not for my people, who will be? But if I am only for my
people, what am I? And if not now, when?

s For whom might this saying be true?

s Describe a situation when you would choose to be for your people.
s Describe a situation when a person of another ethnicity might
choose to be for his people.

s How do you feel about such behavior? Is such behavior selfish?

Righteous? American? Un-American?
The variation on Hillels statement and the questions which follow are
presented as an experiment. If participants agree with Hillel on a personal
level, will they agree on an ethnic, communal, peoplehood-level? This
might raise fascinating issues on the place of peoplehood in the modern
world. If so, mine the discussion and explore the foundation and source of
values of such attitudes.

S E C T I O N I Torah/Study 15
 TEXTS 4 & 5 The Poor in Your Land

The following presents a verse from Deuteronomy followed by a

rabbinic interpretation of this same verse.

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Because the poor will never cease to be in the midst of your land, thereff
fore I command you saying: open your hand to your brother, to your
needy and to your poor in your land.
Deuteronomy 15:11

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The needy in your home precede the needy of your city. The needy of
your city precede the needy of another city, as it says: to your brothef
ers [first] and to the needy and the poor throughout the land [second]
(Deuteronomy 15:11).
Maimonides, Laws of the Gifts to the Poor 7:13

t On what is this interpretation founded?

The prioritization evident in the interpretation is not obvious in the text
itself. Maimonides sees the list of different categories of poor (kin, needy,
poor throughout the land) as intentionally sequentialindicating specific
priorities of giving.

t Why would our tradition choose to understand the verse this way?
You might want to emphasize the following points. Maimonides succinct
articulation is based on the following assumptions: (a) it is imperative to
give; (b) the needs of the world outweigh your ability to meet them; (c)
priorities and policies for giving must be established; (d) priorities help
the donor avoid donor fatigue, i.e., being overwhelmed by the depth of
need; how little seems to be accomplished even after so much work has
been done and so much money has been given; either turning away from
despair or choosing to give less since you can never give enough to allevia-
ate all need.

t When referring to the needy in your home does Maimonides mean

that the people in your physical home claim priority, or does he

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Call to Action
mean the people who belong and can lay claim to your home, i.e.,
your family? And if the latter, who constitutes family for the Jewish
people? For other ethnicities?

t When might this policy make sense and when might it be

superseded?

What the Text Means to Me

s Who are the needy close to youin your home?
s How might a Jew and a Christian act differently if their giving is
guided by this teaching?

s Does this difference make sense to you?

TEXT 6 Creation as Perfect and Imperfect

Judaism sees creation as perfect and imperfect. When we consider the
perfect G-d who made it [the earth] in goodness and proclaimed it to be
good we must acknowledge its perfection. But when we consider the
evolutionary aspect of life, always striving to greater perfection, we
must call it imperfect. This striving must be an integral part of any
Jewish conception of creationa conception that allots to humanity the
responsibility for furthering the evolution of creation and bringing to
completion the works of G-d.
Alon Goshen-Gotteschien, Creation in Contemporary Religious Thought, eds. Arthur
Cohen and Paul Mendes-Flohr, (Charles Scribners Sons, New York, 1987).

t What does Goshen-Gottstein mean when he writes that, Judaism

sees creation as perfect and imperfect?
Perfection flows from the fact that the Creator is perfect. When we first
look at how nature functions and how our bodies work, we can see that
sense of perfection. But upon closer examination, when we see how
much suffering is part of the world and how our seemingly perfect bodies
can break down from disease, we recognize the potential of humans to
improve upon creation and alleviate some of the suffering in the world.

t In what ways does Judaism make it clear that striving for perfection is
an important aim in life?
Judaism makes striving for perfection a normal aspect of daily life through
practices such as Shabbat. Shabbat is way to experience life as it might
bewith no work, surrounded by family and friends. When we experience
Shabbat as day of happiness and fulfillment, we then strive to infuse the
rest of our week with some of that spirit.

S E C T I O N I Torah/Study 17
 What the Text Means to Me
s If you took the idea of humanitys responsibility to perfect the world
seriously, how would it change your life?

s What do you do with this idea if you dont believe that creation is
a Divine act? Is it possible for Judaism to be a source of personal
obligation if you dont believe in God?

Your local college Hillel wants to run a Light up the Night Hanukkah
fundraising campaign to help provide children with meaningful, qual-
ity education. The fundraising committee has asked for suggestions of
Case Study

schools that should receive the grants.

These are the suggested schools:

KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) is a local charter middle school

that serves needy children who otherwise would go to sub-standard
neighborhood public schools.

St. Thomas is a private Catholic school that serves children in an

impoverished farming village in Chile, providing them with both a
1

quality secular education and a Catholic upbringing.

Rabin School is a local Jewish community day school that provides

Jewish children with quality general and Jewish education. The gift
would go to the scholarship fund.

Gramercy is a local non-sectarian private school for special needs

children.

Beit Yeladim is a kindergarten in the Israeli city of Ashkelon that

primarily serves Ethiopian refugees, helping to weave them into
Israeli society.

Public School #23 is a high school located on an Indian reservation

in Utah. This school needs assistance with its academic programs and
requires support for its alcohol and drug abuse programs.
Discuss the merits of giving to each proposed school. How would you
apportion the $5,000 if each gift had to be [no less than] $1,000?

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Call to Action
You have never been to Israel and a friend asks you to accompany her
on the winter break trip. You havent been inside a synagogue since your
Bar-Mitzvah and you are ambivalent and somewhat embarrassed about

Case Study
Israeli policies toward the Palestinians. You arent sure just how much your
Judaism means to you but would welcome fun ways to find out. And this
trip is free!
Meanwhile, you see an ad asking for volunteers to go for a week during
winter break to help rebuild homes with Habitat for Humanity. You and
your friends regreted not doing something significant after recent natural
disasters. This trip has presented you with an opportunity to make up for
that. You have to pay for this trip.

2
The week-long Habitat for Humanity program coincides with the trip to
Israel so you must choose one or the other. Where do you go? Why?

S E C T I O N I Torah/Study 19