Hunger

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Living on More Than Bread Alone

TANAKH

God subjected the Israelites to hunger and then provided manna to teach them that human beings do not live on bread alone, but on everything that God decrees. In the book of Deuteronomy, Moses recounts how God used the experience of hunger and the provision of manna to emphasize the importance of spiritual nourishment and reliance on divine sustenance.

[God] subjected you to the hardship of hunger and then gave you manna to eat, which neither you nor your ancestors had ever known, in order to teach you that a human being does not live on bread alone, but that one may live on anything that יהוה decrees.

Deuteronomy 8:3

Jewish Food Aid

HALAKHAH

The Talmud and later law codes emphasize a communal responsibility to ensure that no one goes hungry. Rambam’s 12th-century legal code, Mishneh Torah, outlines the tamchui system, where trustees collect and distribute food and money to the poor daily.

Mishneh Torah, Gifts to the Poor 9:2

The Eternal Reward of Charity

TARGUM

The righteous are promised joy and spiritual reward in the world to come for their acts of charity, such as feeding the hungry and providing for the thirsty. The Aramaic Targum to Ecclesiastes emphasizes the eternal significance and divine recognition of charitable deeds.

19. In joy the righteous make bread to feed the hungry poor and the wine which they mix for the thirsty it will be joy for them in the world to come, and their redemption money will testify in favor of them in the world to come in the presence of all.

Aramaic Targum to Ecclesiastes 10:19

The Consequences of Neglect

MISHNAH

Famine and suffering are seen by the rabbinic sages as direct consequences of neglecting spiritual and moral duties. Pirkei Avot, a tractate of the Mishnah, enumerates specific sins or spiritual failings that cause famine.

Seven kinds of punishment come to the world for seven categories of transgression:When some of them give tithes, and others do not give tithes, a famine from drought comes some go hungry, and others are satisfied. When they have all decided not to give tithes, a famine from tumult and drought comes; [When they have, in addition, decided] not to set apart the dough-offering, an all-consuming famine comes. Pestilence comes to the world for sins punishable by death according to the Torah, but which have not been referred to the court…

Pirkei Avot 5:8

Ruth's Journey from Famine

TANAKH

Famine sets the stage for Ruth's migration and eventual integration into the Israelite community and her role in the Davidic lineage.

In the days when the chieftains ruled, there was a famine in the land; and a man of Bethlehem in Judah, with his wife and two sons, went to reside in the country of Moab.

Ruth 1:1

Desperation in Times of Famine

TANAKH

The extreme desperation and scarcity faced by individuals during times of famine can lead them to dire actions for survival. In the biblical book of Kings, the story of a widow and her son highlights the severe hunger and desperation during a time of famine.

“As the ETERNAL your God lives,” she replied, “I have nothing baked, nothing but a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am just gathering a couple of sticks, so that I can go home and prepare it for me and my son; we shall eat it and then we shall die.”

I Kings 17:12

Divine Decree of Famine

KABBALAH

When God decides to judge the world with famine, God announces it directly, underscoring the divine origin of such judgments. The Zohar, a foundational text of Jewish mysticism, explores the esoteric dimensions of the Torah and the nature of divine judgments.

When God resolves to punish the world with famine, He makes the proclamation Himself, and not by the hand of a herald, as in the case of all other punishments.

Zohar, Emor 19:78

Dedication Amidst Famine

REFERENCE

Even in the face of severe famine, the dedication to religious duties persisted until the very last resources were exhausted. This account describes the continuation of Temple services during the Roman siege of Jerusalem in 70 CE, despite extreme hunger and deprivation.

But in spite of the siege the temple service continued until the 17th day of Tamuz. Throughout long months the inhabitants of the city had nothing to eat but the daily sacrifice was offered until the last lamb was gone and not even a handful of flour was left in the city. Then the sacrifice was discontinued and the fire on the altar expired.

The Jewish Spiritual Heroes, Volume I; The Creators of the Mishna, The Time of the Destruction of the Temple 44

Abraham's Trials of Faith

SECOND TEMPLE

Abraham faced profound personal and spiritual challenges during his migration, including enduring extreme hunger without a divine promise to rely on. Philo of Alexandria, a first-century Jewish philosopher, explores the trials of Abraham, emphasizing the compounded difficulties of leaving his homeland and wandering desolate roads.

[287] And further, the mere leaving of his fatherland, to emigrate without any possibility of dwelling there again, to be borne hither and thither and to wander over desolate and untrodden roads were in itself a grievous war for one who had no divine message or promise wherein to trust. Still more he had, to crown this profusion of terrors, a third, famine (Gen. 12:10), an evil worse than migration and war.

Who is the Heir of Divine Things 58:5

Divine Sustenance in Hallel HaGadol

LITURGY

God’s providence in providing food to all creatures is one manifestation of His kindliness. Psalm 136, known as Hallel HaGadol, is recited during the morning prayers on Shabbat and holidays and emphasizes God's continuous providence and kindness.

He gives food to all flesh, for His kindliness endures forever. Thank the Almighty of heaven for His kindliness endures forever. In this psalm, (33) Dovid expresses the joy of the righteous in the Divine Providence of God in every aspect of the world and in the affairs of man. For the righteous see the “laws of nature” only as an external cloak, concealing the true supervision of God. They see through the laws of nature and perceive the Divine order and providence of the Creator.

Machzor Yom Kippur Ashkenaz Linear, The Morning Prayers, Hodu 452-456

The True Essence of Fasting

TANAKH

True fasting is not just about self-denial but about actively pursuing social justice and caring for the needy. Isaiah emphasizes that the essence of a fast is to contend with injustice and provide for those in need by sharing food, shelter, and clothing.

Is such the fast I desire,
A day for people to starve their bodies?
Is it bowing the head like a bulrush
And lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Do you call that a fast,
A day when GOD is favorable? No, this is the fast I desire:
To unlock fetters of wickedness…

Isaiah 58:5-7

Immediate Relief for the Hungry

TALMUD

Hunger causes immediate suffering, and applicants for food should be given assistance without delay. The Babylonian Talmud in tractate Bava Batra emphasizes the urgency of feeding the hungry, bringing support from the biblical prophet Isaiah.

Rav Huna says: Charity collectors examine the level of poverty of one who asks for food, but they do not examine the level of poverty of one who asks for clothing. If a person comes before the charity collectors in tattered clothes, he is given clothing without any questions being asked. If you wish, say that this distinction is derived from a verse; if you wish, say instead that it is derived via logical reasoning. If you wish, say that this distinction is derived via logical reasoning: This one who stands before us in rags is…

Bava Batra 9a:6-8

The Greater Merit in Feeding the Hungry

MUSAR

Providing immediate sustenance to the poor, such as bread, meat, and wine, is considered a greater merit than giving money. The 17th-century work Kav HaYashar emphasizes the importance of directly alleviating hunger and the high regard for charity officers who distribute food.

From here we see that one who gives the poor money does not receive as much merit as one who gives them bread, meat and wine, thereby sparing them the need to go and purchase these things and enabling them to benefit more readily. For this reason the ideal custom is to distribute flour to the poor. Although this overtaxes the charity officers, they receive more reward as a result. Moreover, our Rabbis have said of the verse, “And those who lead the many to righteousness are like stars forever and ever” (Daniel 12:3)…

Kav HaYashar 91:9

Famine in a Besieged City

TANAKH

The acute and immediate impact of famine on the common people within a besieged city is a stark reminder of the dire consequences of war and siege. The book of Kings details the severe famine that struck Jerusalem during a siege, leaving the general populace without food.

By the ninth day [of the fourth month] the famine had become acute in the city; there was no food left for the common people.

II Kings 25:3

Divine Justice and Sustenance

COMMENTARY

God's continuous care and provision for the needy reflect divine justice and sustenance for those who are oppressed and hungry. Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz's modern translation and commentary on the Hebrew Bible emphasizes the importance of social justice and compassion in Jewish tradition.

Moreover, God not only created the world, but continues to watch over it, performing justice for the ones who are oppressed and abused and who have no one else to rely upon, and also giving bread to the hungry. The Lord releases the imprisoned.

Steinsaltz on Psalms 146:7

The Divine Promise of Sustenance

TANAKH

The fate of God's servants is contrasted with that of others, promising sustenance and joy for the faithful while others face hunger, thirst, and shame. The prophet Isaiah, in the context of divine justice, offers a vision where the righteous are rewarded and the rebellious are punished.

Assuredly, thus said my Sovereign GOD:
My servants shall eat, and you shall hunger;
My servants shall drink, and you shall thirst;
My servants shall rejoice, and you shall be shamed;

Isaiah 65:13

A stamp with the writing "and I will not bring famine upon you", Ezekiel 36:29, Israel Philatelic Federation

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