Page:A Jewish Interpretation of the Book of Genesis (Morgenstern, 1919, jewishinterpreta00morg).pdf/84

 66

Book

TJic

of Genesis

man in the land of Canaan" (XLl, 13). Ever since, name and proudest title. by which the Jewish peo-

of one

the truest

has been called, and has delighted to

])le

yisrael,

"Children of

All

Israel".

call

itself,

are

Israel

h'nai

is

brothers,

the

bound together by the closest ties of common ancestry, fellowship, and love. Upon each Israelite rests the obligation of caring for his Jewish brother, and of promoting his happiness and opportunity for full and right living. After the destruction of the Temple at Jerusalem by rabbis taught,

Romans in 70 C. E., the victorious general away as captives hundreds of thousands

the ried

youths and maidens, and sold them as slaves

Titus car-

Jewish

of

in all the great

So many there were that the market and the price of slaves fell to a fraction of what it had been before. Sad indeed was the fate in store for them. But at least wherever fellow-Jews dwelt, these miserable slaves were at once bought up by their devoted coreligionists and given their freedom.^ That was true markets of the world. glutted,

w^as

Jewish brotherhood. Similarly, through

all

the

when

centuries,

persecution

and o])pression, the like of W'hich the w'orld has never known, have been Israel's lot, Jews have stood close together in the firm conviction that they were all truly l)rothers, upon each

whom

of

and

rested

happiness

of

responsibility

for

protection,

the

welfare,

more Even today we Jews have the reputaour weak and unfortunate and needy far those

brothers,

less

fortunate

or

o])pressed than they. tion of caring for

more other

systematically, ])eoj)le.

thoroughly,

Nor do we

call

it

and generously than

language and the Jewish religion have no term which ex])resses

the thought

"justice",

and we voice

that

1

word.

of this

We

any

for the llel)rew

"cliarity",

call

thereb}' the signilicant

it

(juite'

tscdakah.

Jewish tliought

our brethren have an inalienable and just claim upon Gractz. History of the Jczcs

(

l'"nglish

translation).

II.

311f.