Tzedek, Tzedek Songwriters Session
We entered the space to Katie Melua’s Spiders Web, did a close reading of Leviticus 19: 9-15, Pirkei Avot 2:5, and Bertolt Brecht’s All of Us or None.
Drash
You shall not. This is not a question, neither a riddle, nor a request. It is a command, an imperative. We are compelled to love those around us. To see to their wellbeing. To see the image of G-d in everyone and act accordingly. We are commanded to not let our blessings be a burden on the backs of the less fortunate. We cannot take from others what deprives them of dignity, nor blindly receive without acknowledging those on the periphery of society. It sounds comically simple: be kind. But this requires a fierceness of character, a brazenness of Malchut (kingship or divine presence) to look into a world where every manner of misdeed is available and to choose to not ignore the grievous injury of injustice…
Thought Starters
Considering Brecht’s supposition that common experience is central to solidarity, what can we draw from the Levitical text regarding the safe keeping of moral fortitude in the face of injustice?
Much is made of awareness, both in these texts and modern life. What role does awareness play in our pursuit of moral character and justice work?
Does the separation between experience and awareness require of us a greater vulnerability to the realities of human
nature? Should we cultivate the primacy of intentional thought when dealing with matters of justice?
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