Ki Teizei and Tzedek/Rachamim Based on the Mussar Torah Commentary

Last week we studied the middah of tzedek (justice). This week we return to that very same middah, as we explore what it means to do justice, love goodness and walk humbly with God.

This week we will focus on the relationship between tzedek and rachamim (compassion).

Rabbi Bonnie Koppel, "Tzedek/Rachamim—Justice/Mercy: A Conflict of Values," Rabbi Barry Block, The Mussar Torah Commentary: A Spiritual Path to Living a Meaningful and Ethical Life (p. 307). CCAR Press.

"Justice would seem to call for returning slaves, as one would return any lost “property” to the rightful owner. Yet, in this case, compassion overrides justice. Justice may be blind. Compassion calls on us to see the other with open hearts. “Always remember,” we read, “that you were a slave in the land of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 24:22). The Rabbis depict God’s struggle with the tension between justice and mercy in creating the world. With only strict justice, the world could not endure, populated as it is by imperfect human beings. On the other hand, if there were only mercy, no one would be accountable for their actions, and we would descend into chaos. Thus, the midrash pictures the Holy One combining the two qualities in the act of Creation.

This above texts includes three different laws about (1) returning lost animals or garments (2) not taking the motherbird along with her young, (3) building safe and secure house, and (4) leaving crops for people in need.

What do these laws have in common?

Why do you think they are specifically listed in the Torah?

Rabbi Bonnie Koppel

As a military chaplain for thirty-eight years, I observed, firsthand, the sense of dehumanization of the enemy that accompanied combat. We are raised to be sensitive human beings who would never think of taking a human life. When soldiers are thrust into war, it is challenging to overcome a lifetime of training not to cause harm to others. Sadly, they steel themselves for battle by seeing enemy combatants as “other” and thereby overcoming a natural and admirable disinclination to kill. Traditionally, soldiers have achieved that emotional and moral distance by dehumanizing the enemy. However, there is an emerging understanding of “moral injury” as a foundation of post-traumatic stress. Moral injury can occur when there is a disconnect between our fundamental values—thou shalt not kill—and the reality that war entails—kill or be killed.

Rabbi Bonnie Koppel

I recall the profound impact of Passover seders in Iraq, where, as we spilled a drop of wine from our cups, mentioning each plague, we reminded ourselves that we should never rejoice over the suffering of our enemies. The ritual of spilling wine from our cups is a reminder of the ultimate humanity of every individual, understanding the divine image even in enemy combatants. If we deny that reality, we risk moral disconnect.

Alan Morinis, Everyday Holiness, p.77

A world run only according to the principle of stern justice would leave no room for free will, learning, change, or growth, because every single time you did something wrong, mechanical rules would mete out results instantly and without variation. To forestall such insufferable rigidity, God included the attribute of compassion as an essential feature of creation, right alongside judgment.

Bereishit Rabbah 12:15

[There was] a king who had empty glasses. The king said "if I put hot water in them, then they will expand and break, and if I put cold water in them, they will contract and shatter. What did the king do? He mixed hot water with the cold water and put them in the glasses. So too the Holy One of Blessing said: if I create the world with the attribute of compassion alone, no one would be concerned with the consequences of their actions. With the attribute of judgment alone, how could the world stand? Rather, behold I create it with both the attribute of judgment and the attribute of compassion, and hopefully it will stand.

How do we merge tzedek with rachamim?

Dr. Solomon Schimmel, Wounds Not Healed By Time, Oxford University Press, 2002, p. 7

“It is my belief that the best balm for the resentment, rage, guilt and shame engendered by human evil is the proper balance of justice, repentance and forgiveness. Justice, which prescribes punishment for the offender, is essential for a society that wants to prevent hurtful behavior; assuage the emotional pain of victims; and try to repair and rectify... the damage and injury they suffered... Forgiveness by a victim, in response to repentance by an offender, enables new, healthy and sometimes even loving relationships to be forged between them. Often, forgiveness can soothe our emotional pain and release us from anger and hatred, even if the person who injured us doesn't show remorse, or can't repent, as, for example, if he or she has died. Repentance gives us, and others who have cause injury, an opportunity to change; turn to the good; and help repair the physical, emotional or material harm wrought by the misdeed. Repentance also greatly facilitates forgiveness.”

Menachem Creditor, "Today" -- A Rosh HaShannah Prayer to End Gun Violence

Dear God,
God, we stand waiting for a world,
this world,
our world
to be reborn.

It's not a statement we make lightly;
it is a statement of need.

This world needs rebirthing.
Our hearts need deep healing.
Our lives need rebuilding
after all the pointless deaths
we've endured this past year.

Dear God,
Guns and violence have destroyed
tens of thousands of lives
in America this year.
Tens of thousands.

We call to You, Adonai,
and beg that you stand
in Din, in Judgment,
of our carelessness
and our callousness at the senseless,
avoidable loss of many human lives.

We call to you, Adonai,
to infuse our souls
with Chesed, Your Love,
so that we really start to cry out
from the pain our nation has endured
for far too long.

May we be inspired by You
and act to save many, many lives this coming year.
We know that only then
will we be worthy of a world reborn.

Hayom, Today,
we remember Your command to choose life
is not a given in Your broken world
but rather a demand
upon us all.

Hayom, Today,
we sing louder than weapons:
Those who sow in tears,
will reap, will reap in joy.[Psalm 126:5]

God, May we merit to see You
in each other's eyes
and sanctify Your Name
by standing together
by rising up again,
this time rebuilding Your World
by saving each other's.

Amen.