(ו) יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן פְּרַחְיָה וְנִתַּאי הָאַרְבֵּלִי קִבְּלוּ מֵהֶם. יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן פְּרַחְיָה אוֹמֵר, עֲשֵׂה לְךָ רַב, וּקְנֵה לְךָ חָבֵר, וֶהֱוֵי דָן אֶת כָּל הָאָדָם לְכַף זְכוּת:
Joshua ben Perahiah used to say:
(a) make for yourself a teacher,
(b) and acquire for yourself a friend,
(c) and judge every person with the presumption of innocence.
Guide to Source #1
1. Joshua's teaching is in three parts. Take a close look at parts a and b. What is similar? What is different?
2. In your life, think about someone whom you have "made" into a teacher. Describe part of your active role.
3. Part c is different. Can you identify a story in the news (or in your life) where a person was not presumed innocent? How does it effect the story? When there is no presumption of innocence, is it possible for the accused to ever truly be vindicated? Even if they were innocent at the start?
4. Where is the communal responsibility in this teaching? Where is the individual responsibility?
הִלֵּל אוֹמֵר, אַל תִּפְרֹשׁ מִן הַצִּבּוּר,
וְאַל תַּאֲמִין בְּעַצְמְךָ עַד יוֹם מוֹתְךָ,
וְאַל תָּדִין אֶת חֲבֵרְךָ עַד שֶׁתַּגִּיעַ לִמְקוֹמוֹ, וְאַל תֹּאמַר דָּבָר שֶׁאִי אֶפְשָׁר לִשְׁמֹעַ, שֶׁסּוֹפוֹ לְהִשָּׁמַע.
וְאַל תֹּאמַר לִכְשֶׁאִפָּנֶה אֶשְׁנֶה, שֶׁמָּא לֹא תִפָּנֶה:
Hillel used to say:
1. Do not separate yourself from the community,
2. Do not trust in yourself until the day of your death,
3. Do not judge not your fellow until you have reached his place.
4. Do not say something that cannot be heard, for in the end it will be heard.
5. Say not: ‘when I shall have leisure I shall study;’ perhaps you will not have leisure.
Guide to Source #2
1. What are the individual responsibilities Hillel seeks to ensure we take seriously. Name each part of this teaching by what responsibility is being highlighted:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
2. Rank the 5 in order of importance. Defend your choice for most important by making an argument in how it would apply to your life today.
(ו) תָּנֵי חִזְקִיָּה (ירמיה נ, יז): שֶׂה פְזוּרָה יִשְׂרָאֵל, נִמְשְׁלוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל לְשֶׂה, מַה שֶּׂה הַזֶּה לוֹקֶה עַל רֹאשׁוֹ אוֹ בְּאֶחָד מֵאֵבָרָיו וְכָל אֵבָרָיו מַרְגִּישִׁין, כָּךְ הֵן יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֶחָד מֵהֶן חוֹטֵא וְכֻלָּן מַרְגִּישִׁין,
(במדבר טז, כב): הָאִישׁ אֶחָד יֶחֱטָא, תָּנֵי רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בַּר יוֹחָאי, מָשָׁל לִבְנֵי אָדָם שֶׁהָיוּ יוֹשְׁבִין בִּסְפִינָה נָטַל אֶחָד מֵהֶן מַקְדֵּחַ וְהִתְחִיל קוֹדֵחַ תַּחְתָּיו, אָמְרוּ לוֹ חֲבֵרָיו מַה אַתָּה יוֹשֵׁב וְעוֹשֶׂה, אָמַר לָהֶם מָה אִכְפַּת לָכֶם לֹא תַחְתִּי אֲנִי קוֹדֵחַ, אָמְרוּ לוֹ שֶׁהַמַּיִם עוֹלִין וּמְצִיפִין עָלֵינוּ אֶת הַסְּפִינָה.
I. Hezkiya taught (Jeremiah 50:17):
"Israel are scattered sheep" - why are Israel likened to a sheep? Just as a sheep, when hurt on its head or some other body part, all of its body parts feel it. So it is with Israel when one of them sins and everyone feels it.
II. (Numbers 16:22): "When one man sins [will You be wrathful with the whole community]." Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai taught a parable: Men were on a ship. One of them took a drill and started drilling underneath him. The others said to him: What are sitting and doing?! He replied: What do you care. Is this not underneath my area that I am drilling?! They said to him: But the water will rise and flood us all on this ship.
Guide to Source #3
The structure of this source is a bit more complex than the ones above. Here, the rabbis seek to illustrate their points through biblical interpretation (midrash or exegesis) rather than through direct statement.
1. Give a name to parts I and II.
2. In each part, where is the locus of responsibility--the individual or the communal? Which do you find more compelling? Why?
3. How might each part relate to the argument about self-defense? Whose responsibility is it--the individual or the communal? Why? Make your argument based on logic and text #2.
a. First, apply it to a situation from the Middle Ages (as described in one of the situations from our reading).
b. Second, apply the same questions to gun rights in the US today.