Re’eh; Deuteronomy 12:10-16:17

I think one of the most moving passages in this week’s Torah portion, Re’eh, has to do with caring for those in need. We are commanded to always care for a needy person, and specifically, “not to harden your heart nor shut our hand against your needy kinsman.” Everyone is to be cared for in society and we must lend him or her enough to supply those needs. Perhaps this is a clue as to why Jews typically believe that society and yes, our government has an obligation to care for those in poverty. We base our values of caring for the impoverished and providing a safety net as stemming directly from these verses. This is no mere political position- this is our religious position. As a society we must provide programs to help those in need, whether it they are in need of food, shelter or yes, healthcare.

In our own American society, the gap between rich and poor continues to grow. It is not just a gap but rather a chasm that widens with each year. Government policies and fiscal policies continue to favor the rich. And as government services continue to be cut to the core by fiscal conservatives who believe that the needs of the poorest among us should not be met by government programs, there is clearly more work to be done by those of us in the private sector.

As corporate directors and officers make higher and higher salaries at the expense of the workers, as jobs disappear, and the economy continues its slide producing few jobs and even fewer well-paying jobs, the neediest among us grow. According to an article in Business Week Online magazine, * “Today more than 28 million people, about a quarter of the workforce between the ages of 18 and 64, earn less than $9.04 an hour, which translates into a full-time salary of $18,800 a year -- the income that marks the federal poverty line for a family of four.”

Thus programs that feed the hungry, and provide shelter for the homeless are stretched to the max by the overload they face.

If we truly live our values as the Torah teaches—then we must do better by the poorest among us. We must urge our lawmakers to continue to provide the safety net to help the poorest among us. We must fund programs both governmental and not-for profit that not only feed and provide shelter for the hungry and homeless but we must fund job training programs and incentives to business to provide higher paying jobs for those in need. We must pressure the hotel industry, and grocery industry, corporate farming to negotiate fairly with the unions and continue to provide healthcare benefits for workers. And we the consumers must be willing to use our own dollar power to bring pressure to bear.

The Torah reminds us this week, “ that there will never cease to be needy ones is your land, which is why I command you: open your hand to the poor and needy kinsman in your land.” ( v.11)
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* Business Week Online, May 31, 2004. http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_22/b3885001_mz001.htm

Posted by Lee at August 10, 2004 09:28 AM