Tag
Justice
13 articles
Tzedakah: The Jewish Obligation of Justice and Giving
Tzedakah is not charity — it's justice. From Maimonides' eight levels to the humble pushke on the kitchen counter, Jewish giving is an obligation, not an option.
Jewish Supreme Court Justices: From Brandeis to Kagan
From Louis Brandeis in 1916 to Elena Kagan — the Jewish justices who shaped American law, each bringing their background and values to the nation's highest court.
Parashat Mishpatim: Civil Law, Justice, and 'We Will Do and We Will Hear'
Parashat Mishpatim moves from Sinai's thunder to the details of daily justice — laws about slavery, damages, lending, and the stranger — capped by Israel's stunning pledge: 'We will do and we will hear.'
Parashat Shoftim: Justice Justice Shall You Pursue — Judges, Kings, Prophets, and War
Parashat Shoftim establishes the Torah's vision of a just society — appointing judges, limiting kings, testing prophets, designating cities of refuge, and commanding the immortal phrase: 'Justice, justice shall you pursue.'
Shalom: Judaism's Vision of Peace and Wholeness
Shalom means far more than the absence of war — it signifies completeness, wholeness, and the way things ought to be. From Aaron the peacemaker to modern Jewish peacebuilding, explore how Judaism understands its most beloved word.
Tractate Sanhedrin: Justice, Courts, and the World to Come
Tractate Sanhedrin lays out the Jewish court system, makes capital punishment nearly impossible, teaches that saving one life saves an entire world, and contains the Talmud's most extensive discussion of the World to Come and resurrection.
Tamar: Justice Against All Odds
Tamar risked everything to claim the justice she was owed, and through her courageous act became an ancestor of King David and, according to tradition, the future Messiah.
Habakkuk: The Prophet Who Questioned God
Habakkuk dared to ask God the hardest question: why do the wicked prosper? His struggle and ultimate affirmation of faith have resonated with every generation that has faced injustice.
Justice in Judaism: The Pursuit of Tzedek
Judaism places justice at the center of religious life. From the Torah's command to 'pursue justice' to the prophets' demands for social righteousness, tzedek is a defining Jewish value.
The Nuremberg Trials: Justice After the Holocaust
The Nuremberg Trials brought Nazi leaders to justice after World War II, establishing precedents for international criminal law and the prosecution of genocide.
Book of Micah: Justice, Mercy, and Walking Humbly with God
The prophet Micah, a rural Judean contemporary of Isaiah, delivered one of the Bible's most quoted summaries of what God requires: 'Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God' — a message that became the moral compass of Jewish ethics.
Mishnah Nezikin: Justice, Damages, and Building a Fair Society
Nezikin, the fourth order of the Mishnah, covers civil law, criminal law, courts, and ethics — the rabbinic blueprint for a just society.
Judaism and Racism: The Ethical Call to Justice
Judaism's foundational teaching that every human is created b'tzelem Elohim — in the image of God — provides a powerful framework against racism. Jewish involvement in civil rights movements reflects this theological commitment.