It's a central tenet of Judaism and the centerpiece of next week's Parsha. The phrase is proudly displayed on many a Jewish lawyer's office walls. Its meaning includes the principles of impartiality, not taking bribes, balance and equality.
It is also often interpreted as "charity" or tzedakah. But tzedakah goes beyond a simple, spontaneous act of goodwill. Tzedakah is an attempt to even up one's own blessings with those less fortunate, in other words, to make the world a little more fair, more just. Now we all know, life is not fair. Some folks are happily married for 50 plus years; some know multiple divorces and heartbreak. Some of us live long, productive lives; some are struck down in mid-stride. One person flounders in business while another flourishes in just the right position.
We cannot make the whole world right, but we must try. It is an obligation, not a choice, in Judaism.
Someone once asked me why so many Jews are Democrats. Surely our collective desire for upward mobility and business success, our interest in economics (think Greenspan and Yellen), the legal profession (think Dershowitz and Shapiro) and Wall Street would make us lean right, no? I believe our long time status as the world's oppressed, the underdogs, the scrappy come-from-behind pluggers, along with our deep-seated commitment to Heal The World, makes us identify more with the party that at least claims to represent the downtrodden best.
Justice, Justice, Shall You Pursue...
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