Understanding the Nature of Evil
“Good and evil are not values among other values. Good is life, and evil is death. 'See I have set before thee this day life and good, death and evil…choose life' (Deuteronomy 30:15.19). Good and evil are not values among other values. The distinction between good and evil counts as much as the distinction between life and death." - Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
"The opposite of good is not evil; the opposite of good is indifference." - Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
"Indifference to evil is more insidious than evil itself. It is a silent justification affording evil acceptability in society." - Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
Calls to Action
“Few are guilty, but all are responsible.” - Rabbi Abraham Joshua Hecshel
(27) And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.
(ו) כִּ֠י אֵיכָכָ֤ה אוּכַל֙ וְֽרָאִ֔יתִי בָּרָעָ֖ה אֲשֶׁר־יִמְצָ֣א אֶת־עַמִּ֑י וְאֵֽיכָכָ֤ה אוּכַל֙ וְֽרָאִ֔יתִי בְּאָבְדַ֖ן מוֹלַדְתִּֽי׃
בְּכָל-דּוֹר וָדוֹר חַיָּב אָדָם לִרְאוֹת אֶת-עַצְמוֹ כְּאִלּוּ הוּא יָצָא מִמִּצְרַיִם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְהִגַּדְתָּ לְבִנְךָ בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא לֵאמֹר, בַּעֲבוּר זֶה עָשָׂה ה' לִי בְּצֵאתִי מִמִּצְרַיִם. לֹא אֶת-אֲבוֹתֵינוּ בִּלְבָד גָּאַל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אֶלָּא אַף אוֹתָנוּ גָּאַל עִמָּהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: וְאוֹתָנוּ הוֹצִיא מִשָּׁם, לְמַעַן הָבִיא אוֹתָנוּ, לָתֶת לָנוּ אֶת-הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר נִשָׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֵינוּ.
In each and every generation, a person is obligated to see himself as if he left Egypt, as it is stated (Exodus 13:8); "For the sake of this, did the Lord do [this] for me in my going out of Egypt." Not only our ancestors did the Holy One, blessed be He, redeem, but rather also us [together] with them did he redeem, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 6:23); "And He took us out from there, in order to bring us in, to give us the land which He swore unto our fathers."
(כ) צֶ֥דֶק צֶ֖דֶק תִּרְדֹּ֑ף...
(20) Justice, justice shall you pursue...
Dissolving Evil and Injustice
(טו) ס֣וּר מֵ֭רָע וַעֲשֵׂה־ט֑וֹב
בַּקֵּ֖שׁ שָׁל֣וֹם וְרָדְפֵֽהוּ׃
(15) Depart from evil, and do good;
Seek peace, and pursue it.
“The words of the Psalmist, 'Depart from evil, and do good' (34:15), contain the epitome of right living. Yet, it seems that Jewish tradition believes that the right way of departing from evil is to do good; it puts the accent on the second half of the sentence." - Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heshel
“What is a mitzvah? A prayer in the form of a deed. And to pray is to sense His presence.” - Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
“At the end of days, evil will be conquered by the One; in historic times, evils must be conquered one by one.” - Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel