Ethics
The podcast below gives an overview of Jewish views on various ethical issues. Again, the podcast script will be posted at the bottom for you to follow along.
Ethics Podcast Script
The ethical teachings of Judaism are derived from the sacred texts, primarily from the Torah and other writings like the Mishnah. Of particular importance are the Ten Commandments or Decalogue, which were delivered to Moses atop Mt. Sinai during the Jews exile from Egypt. As in Christianity, the Ten Commandments form the basis for Jewish ethics. It is from this base that the other Jew ethical practices have been expanded upon.
The Jewish ethical system is known as the Halachah, which is the series of laws that govern Jewish life and ethical behaviour The Halachah are also known as mitzvah, which is used to refer to a good deed. There are six hundred and thirteen original Commandments, which are derived from the Torah. Out of the 613 commandments, 248 are positive commandments, e.g. do this, and 365 are negative, e.g. don’t do this. Overtime various figures and prophets, including King David, Isaiah, Micah and Jesus, have condensed these down. King David’s version of the Halachah consisted of 11 laws that a Jewish person must live by. A person must:
1. Walk uprightly
2. Work righteously
3. Speak truth in his heart
4. Not slander
5. Do not do evil
6. Not take up reproach against a neighbour
7. Despise vile people
8. Honour those who fear the Lord
9. Not change his pledged word even though it hearts him
10. Not lend on interest
11. Not take a bribe against the innocent
The 613 halachah are the most important components of the Jewish ethical teachings. However, Jewish law also comes from two other sources: The laws of Rabbi’s and longstanding customs. The laws of Rabbi’s are considered to be binding, much like the original 613 commandments. They are mainly in place to prevent a person from breaking one of the original commandments. An example of a Rabbi law is on the Sabbath, a Jew is snot permitted even hold an instrument that could be used for work, e.g. a pen or hammer, so that there is no opportunity for the Commandment of not working on the Sabbath to be violated. Practices that are along standing tradition, e.g. public Torah readings every Monday and Wednesday, are seen as law. but are not as binding as the 613 Halachah .Importantly, when there is a clash between teachings, the 613 commandments take precedent over Rabbi made laws. This stems from the belief that the laws made by God (the 613 commandments) cannot be contradicted by the laws made by men.
The Halachah stipulate Jewish ethical teachings. So what exactly are Jewish ethical beliefs? Jews are encouraged not to have sex before marriage, and homosexuality and adultery are forbidden. The issue of homosexuality as an ethical issue is a controversial one. Although homosexuality is traditionally forbidden within orthodox Jewish beliefs, more progressive or liberal Jews argue that if a person is born homosexual, than it is God’s will that this is so. There are to divergent views, both expressed at different points in the sacred texts, with regards to the role of sex in Jewish life. The less common view is that sex is a necessary evil and should only occur for the purposes of procreation. The more common view is that sex is fine between two married people, even if it is not for the direct purpose of procreation. However, contraception is discouraged in Judaism. This stems from the belief that human life is sacred and is a gift given by God. For this reason, it is against Jewish law to commit suicide, and murder is one of the worst crimes a person can commit.
This belief in the sanctity of life is the basis for Jewish ethical beliefs about abortion. Traditionally, Judaism discourages abortion, however it is a heavily debated issue. Generally, abortion within the first forty days of pregnancy is considered to be okay, because the foetus has not begun to for properly. However, some parts of the Talmud say that a person is not truly a person until they are born, therefore making abortion acceptable. Others argue that abortion is not allowed because even the smallest embryo carries the potential for human life, and therefore abortion is not an option.
As the sacred texts emphasise the sanctity of life above all else, there are no halachah that prevent cloning, stem cell research and other similar procedures. As these technologies are relatively new, there is no established doctrine on these issues. Currently, it is largely up to Rabbi’s and other scholars of the sacred texts to interpret the teachings on these issues.
Charity and community service is another important part of Jewish ethical teachings. In ancient times Jewish people had to give a portion of their livestock to the needy, or make a number of sacrifices to God. This has now been transformed into charity and community service in modern times. The Hebrew word of charity is Tzedakah, and is considered to be an obligation for a Jewish person. The Talmud commands that Jews give 10% of their income to charity, which does not include money taken through government taxation. In penance for wrongdoing, Jews do community service in order to atone for there sins. Interestingly, the Jewish sacred texts also command that interest should not be placed on a loan, which has been interpreted somewhat liberally since ancient times. However, the general intent is that a man should not profit of the misery or hardship or another. There is a Halachah which states that if a Jew has the means to help someone experiencing hardship, and they do not do so, they are no longer Jewish. Charity is also not meant to be given for personal gain or satisfaction. The highest level of charity that a Jewish person can give, according to the Talmud, is anonymously, with the donor not knowing where their money is going to.
There are also a number of Jewish ethical teachings on environmental ethics. Jewish environmental ethics stems from the belief that the natural world was created by God, and therefore should not be damage for one’s personal gain. There is a mitzvoth in the Torah called ‘Bal Taschit’ or Do not destroy, which forbids a Jewish person from intentionally damaging the environment. It also acknowledges that all the land on earth belongs to God, and to damage it is to damage God’s property.
It is up to each individual adherent of Judaism as to how they follow or interpret Jewish ethical teachings. Regardless of how they are adhered to, Jewish ethical practices make up an integral part of Jewish life and tradition.
The ethical teachings of Judaism are derived from the sacred texts, primarily from the Torah and other writings like the Mishnah. Of particular importance are the Ten Commandments or Decalogue, which were delivered to Moses atop Mt. Sinai during the Jews exile from Egypt. As in Christianity, the Ten Commandments form the basis for Jewish ethics. It is from this base that the other Jew ethical practices have been expanded upon.
The Jewish ethical system is known as the Halachah, which is the series of laws that govern Jewish life and ethical behaviour The Halachah are also known as mitzvah, which is used to refer to a good deed. There are six hundred and thirteen original Commandments, which are derived from the Torah. Out of the 613 commandments, 248 are positive commandments, e.g. do this, and 365 are negative, e.g. don’t do this. Overtime various figures and prophets, including King David, Isaiah, Micah and Jesus, have condensed these down. King David’s version of the Halachah consisted of 11 laws that a Jewish person must live by. A person must:
1. Walk uprightly
2. Work righteously
3. Speak truth in his heart
4. Not slander
5. Do not do evil
6. Not take up reproach against a neighbour
7. Despise vile people
8. Honour those who fear the Lord
9. Not change his pledged word even though it hearts him
10. Not lend on interest
11. Not take a bribe against the innocent
The 613 halachah are the most important components of the Jewish ethical teachings. However, Jewish law also comes from two other sources: The laws of Rabbi’s and longstanding customs. The laws of Rabbi’s are considered to be binding, much like the original 613 commandments. They are mainly in place to prevent a person from breaking one of the original commandments. An example of a Rabbi law is on the Sabbath, a Jew is snot permitted even hold an instrument that could be used for work, e.g. a pen or hammer, so that there is no opportunity for the Commandment of not working on the Sabbath to be violated. Practices that are along standing tradition, e.g. public Torah readings every Monday and Wednesday, are seen as law. but are not as binding as the 613 Halachah .Importantly, when there is a clash between teachings, the 613 commandments take precedent over Rabbi made laws. This stems from the belief that the laws made by God (the 613 commandments) cannot be contradicted by the laws made by men.
The Halachah stipulate Jewish ethical teachings. So what exactly are Jewish ethical beliefs? Jews are encouraged not to have sex before marriage, and homosexuality and adultery are forbidden. The issue of homosexuality as an ethical issue is a controversial one. Although homosexuality is traditionally forbidden within orthodox Jewish beliefs, more progressive or liberal Jews argue that if a person is born homosexual, than it is God’s will that this is so. There are to divergent views, both expressed at different points in the sacred texts, with regards to the role of sex in Jewish life. The less common view is that sex is a necessary evil and should only occur for the purposes of procreation. The more common view is that sex is fine between two married people, even if it is not for the direct purpose of procreation. However, contraception is discouraged in Judaism. This stems from the belief that human life is sacred and is a gift given by God. For this reason, it is against Jewish law to commit suicide, and murder is one of the worst crimes a person can commit.
This belief in the sanctity of life is the basis for Jewish ethical beliefs about abortion. Traditionally, Judaism discourages abortion, however it is a heavily debated issue. Generally, abortion within the first forty days of pregnancy is considered to be okay, because the foetus has not begun to for properly. However, some parts of the Talmud say that a person is not truly a person until they are born, therefore making abortion acceptable. Others argue that abortion is not allowed because even the smallest embryo carries the potential for human life, and therefore abortion is not an option.
As the sacred texts emphasise the sanctity of life above all else, there are no halachah that prevent cloning, stem cell research and other similar procedures. As these technologies are relatively new, there is no established doctrine on these issues. Currently, it is largely up to Rabbi’s and other scholars of the sacred texts to interpret the teachings on these issues.
Charity and community service is another important part of Jewish ethical teachings. In ancient times Jewish people had to give a portion of their livestock to the needy, or make a number of sacrifices to God. This has now been transformed into charity and community service in modern times. The Hebrew word of charity is Tzedakah, and is considered to be an obligation for a Jewish person. The Talmud commands that Jews give 10% of their income to charity, which does not include money taken through government taxation. In penance for wrongdoing, Jews do community service in order to atone for there sins. Interestingly, the Jewish sacred texts also command that interest should not be placed on a loan, which has been interpreted somewhat liberally since ancient times. However, the general intent is that a man should not profit of the misery or hardship or another. There is a Halachah which states that if a Jew has the means to help someone experiencing hardship, and they do not do so, they are no longer Jewish. Charity is also not meant to be given for personal gain or satisfaction. The highest level of charity that a Jewish person can give, according to the Talmud, is anonymously, with the donor not knowing where their money is going to.
There are also a number of Jewish ethical teachings on environmental ethics. Jewish environmental ethics stems from the belief that the natural world was created by God, and therefore should not be damage for one’s personal gain. There is a mitzvoth in the Torah called ‘Bal Taschit’ or Do not destroy, which forbids a Jewish person from intentionally damaging the environment. It also acknowledges that all the land on earth belongs to God, and to damage it is to damage God’s property.
It is up to each individual adherent of Judaism as to how they follow or interpret Jewish ethical teachings. Regardless of how they are adhered to, Jewish ethical practices make up an integral part of Jewish life and tradition.