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ViewPoint

Social Justice: More Than a Fight Against Idolatry
March 1998

The following ViewPoint was intended to provoke thought and discussion.

Last month's ViewPoint, "The Idolatry Within Our Own Land," contained a response from a Noachide in which he stated (among several things which I plan to address through subsequent ViewPoint pages), "you do not seem to understand the nature of the Seven Laws or to grasp the overall picture." As you saw from his response, he did not elaborate on the nature of the Seven Laws. Considering the fact that he did not inquire about their nature, one can probably safely assume that he is confident that he "knows" their nature. In the same response, he also pronounced, "There is one law in particular that I feel is greatly neglected; the law of dinim, or social justice."

Herein is the irony: Rather than taking the opportunity to possibly inform and teach a fellow Noachide, a person finds it easier to deride a fellow Noachide for constantly urging (or as it was stated, "sitting around whining") the Orthodox Jews to perform their G-d-given mitzvah of teaching B'nei Noach the Sheva Mitzvot , while in the same breath voicing concern over the lack of social justice!

Was I really sitting around whining? Or was I hoping to provoke Orthodox Jews into performing a mitzvah in order for them to earn the reward of a mitzvah - another mitzvah! And why do I want them to perform the mitzvot? In order to bring Moshiach and to reveal G-dliness in this world!

Do I understand the nature of the Seven Laws? Yes... And how do I know about their nature? Because Orthodox Jews taught them to me! And why did they teach them to me? Because the Rebbe urged and prompted his tzaddikim to perform this mitzvah!

Our fellow Noachide claims that he wants social justice. So do I, so do all B'nei Noach. But what about kindness and compassion? What about the desire to share and teach? Social Justice is more than a fight against idolatry - it is derech eretz - proper manners and proper respect to a fellow human being. It is respecting the individual and treating him or her with kindness, not with degrading speech and accusations; belittling a fellow Noachide is not in harmony with the concept of Social Justice. It is now my turn to ask a few questions:

Do you understand the nature of the Seven Laws?

Do you really grasp the overall picture?

Are you willing to work together with me in order to answer these questions and more?

G-d willing, I will explore the aspect of Social Justice in the next ViewPoint.

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