Judaism and Human Rights
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Shareוַיִּבְרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ אֶת־הָֽאָדָם֙ בְּצַלְמ֔וֹ בְּצֶ֥לֶם אֱלֹהִ֖ים בָּרָ֣א אֹת֑וֹ זָכָ֥ר וּנְקֵבָ֖ה בָּרָ֥א אֹתָֽם׃ וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֹתָם֮ אֱלֹהִים֒ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לָהֶ֜ם אֱלֹהִ֗ים פְּר֥וּ וּרְב֛וּ וּמִלְא֥וּ אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ וְכִבְשֻׁ֑הָ וּרְד֞וּ בִּדְגַ֤ת הַיָּם֙ וּבְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וּבְכָל־חַיָּ֖ה הָֽרֹמֶ֥שֶׂת עַל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
And God created humankind in the divine image, creating it in the image of God – creating them male and female
God blessed them and God said to them, “Be fertile and increase, fill the earth and master it; and rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, and all the living things that creep on earth.”
This passage becomes the proof text in which we are required, as a positive commandment, to respect human dignity and physical and mental health
הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, חָבִיב אָדָם שֶׁנִּבְרָא בְצֶלֶם. חִבָּה יְתֵרָה נוֹדַעַת לוֹ שֶׁנִּבְרָא בְצֶלֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ט) כִּי בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים עָשָׂה אֶת הָאָדָם.
He (Akiva) used to say:Beloved is man for he was created in the image [of God]. Especially beloved is he for it was made known to him that he had been created in the image [of God], as it is said: “for in the image of God He made man” (Genesis 9:6
(א) לַמְנַצֵּ֥חַ עַֽל־הַגִּתִּ֗ית מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃ (ב) יְהוָ֤ה אֲדֹנֵ֗ינוּ מָֽה־אַדִּ֣יר שִׁ֭מְךָ בְּכָל־הָאָ֑רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר תְּנָ֥ה ה֝וֹדְךָ֗ עַל־הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ (ג) מִפִּ֤י עֽוֹלְלִ֨ים ׀ וְֽיֹנְקִים֮ יִסַּ֪דְתָּ֫ עֹ֥ז לְמַ֥עַן צוֹרְרֶ֑יךָ לְהַשְׁבִּ֥ית א֝וֹיֵ֗ב וּמִתְנַקֵּֽם׃ (ד) כִּֽי־אֶרְאֶ֣ה שָׁ֭מֶיךָ מַעֲשֵׂ֣י אֶצְבְּעֹתֶ֑יךָ יָרֵ֥חַ וְ֝כוֹכָבִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר כּוֹנָֽנְתָּה׃ (ה) מָֽה־אֱנ֥וֹשׁ כִּֽי־תִזְכְּרֶ֑נּוּ וּבֶן־אָ֝דָ֗ם כִּ֣י תִפְקְדֶֽנּוּ׃ (ו) וַתְּחַסְּרֵ֣הוּ מְּ֭עַט מֵאֱלֹהִ֑ים וְכָב֖וֹד וְהָדָ֣ר תְּעַטְּרֵֽהוּ׃ (ז) תַּ֭מְשִׁילֵהוּ בְּמַעֲשֵׂ֣י יָדֶ֑יךָ כֹּ֝ל שַׁ֣תָּה תַֽחַת־רַגְלָֽיו׃ (ח) צֹנֶ֣ה וַאֲלָפִ֣ים כֻּלָּ֑ם וְ֝גַ֗ם בַּהֲמ֥וֹת שָׂדָֽי׃ (ט) צִפּ֣וֹר שָׁ֭מַיִם וּדְגֵ֣י הַיָּ֑ם עֹ֝בֵ֗ר אָרְח֥וֹת יַמִּֽים׃ (י) יְהוָ֥ה אֲדֹנֵ֑ינוּ מָֽה־אַדִּ֥יר שִׁ֝מְךָ֗ בְּכָל־הָאָֽרֶץ׃
(1) For the leader; on the gittith. A psalm of David. (2) O LORD, our Lord, How majestic is Your name throughout the earth, You who have covered the heavens with Your splendor! (3) From the mouths of infants and sucklings You have founded strength on account of Your foes, to put an end to enemy and avenger. (4) When I behold Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and stars that You set in place, (5) what is man that You have been mindful of him, mortal man that You have taken note of him, (6) that You have made him little less than divine, and adorned him with glory and majesty; (7) You have made him master over Your handiwork, laying the world at his feet, (8) sheep and oxen, all of them, and wild beasts, too; (9) the birds of the heavens, the fish of the sea, whatever travels the paths of the seas. (10) O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name throughout the earth!
Theological basis for justifying the dignity of all humans
a) God created humans in the divine image (Gen 1:26)
b) Out of this stems the inviolability of human dignity
c) This applies to all people and is the basis for the equality of all people
d) Since all humans have the same dignity, it follows that the same rights and responsibilities apply to all people.
a) God created humans in the divine image (Gen 1:26)
b) Out of this stems the inviolability of human dignity
c) This applies to all people and is the basis for the equality of all people
d) Since all humans have the same dignity, it follows that the same rights and responsibilities apply to all people.
Love your neighbour as yourself: R. Akiba states, "this is a great principle of the Torah". Ben Azzai states: "This is the book of the descendants of Adam" (Genesis 5:1): This is even a greater principle. (Sifra, on Sefer Va-Yikra (ad loc.) see also TJ Nedarim 9:4)
Ben Azzai comes to teach that the ground of Jewish interpersonal ethics is not merely a social contract between disparate individuals but is rooted in the fact that every human being was created in the image of God. Hence, the end of Genesis 5:1 is the crucial key. That is the point ofthe Torah stating “This is the book of the descendants of Adam”. It is precisely the fatherhood of God that is the ground of our duty to embrace the brotherhood of man. Hence, even if one has broken the social contract and harmed someone else, one dare not retaliate. Every human being is created in the image of God, and no one may ever forget it (David Horwitz)
Ben Azzai comes to teach that the ground of Jewish interpersonal ethics is not merely a social contract between disparate individuals but is rooted in the fact that every human being was created in the image of God. Hence, the end of Genesis 5:1 is the crucial key. That is the point ofthe Torah stating “This is the book of the descendants of Adam”. It is precisely the fatherhood of God that is the ground of our duty to embrace the brotherhood of man. Hence, even if one has broken the social contract and harmed someone else, one dare not retaliate. Every human being is created in the image of God, and no one may ever forget it (David Horwitz)
“God formed Adam out of dust from all over the world: yellow clay, white sand, black loam, and red soil. Therefore, no one can declare to any people that they do not belong here since this soil is not their home.” (Pirkei dRabbi Eliezer, Tannaitic)
".... if any relationship between the universal Declaration and more generally the place of the rights of man in the modern world on the one hand, and the Decalogue as the first formulation of man's basic duties on the other hand does exist, this relation is not a formal one. Nevertheless, its reality is evident and must be traced back to the earliest periods of ancient history, when man, standing erect, mastering fire, and enjoying the benefits of written language, became aware of his innate dignity.
The expression: "God created Man in his own Image" characterizes both that prise de conscience (awareness) and the religious form which it adopted initially. Secularization followed. The dignity of man has been reaffirmed by philosophers, sociologists, and statesmen regardless of religious beliefs, and has been detached from religious credos or cults. What is incontestable is the permanence of the idea through the centuries and despite the most profound divergences of interpretation of the doctrine. " From the Ten Commandments to the Rights of Man by Rene Cassin
The expression: "God created Man in his own Image" characterizes both that prise de conscience (awareness) and the religious form which it adopted initially. Secularization followed. The dignity of man has been reaffirmed by philosophers, sociologists, and statesmen regardless of religious beliefs, and has been detached from religious credos or cults. What is incontestable is the permanence of the idea through the centuries and despite the most profound divergences of interpretation of the doctrine. " From the Ten Commandments to the Rights of Man by Rene Cassin
What are human rights?
Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person in the world, from birth until death.
They apply regardless of where you are from, what you believe or how you choose to live your life.
They can never be taken away, although they can sometimes be restricted – for example if a person breaks the law, or in the interests of national security.
These basic rights are based on shared values like dignity, fairness, equality, respect and independence. https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/human-rights/what-are-human-rights
Human rights are the social conditions necessary for human dignity.
They apply regardless of where you are from, what you believe or how you choose to live your life.
They can never be taken away, although they can sometimes be restricted – for example if a person breaks the law, or in the interests of national security.
These basic rights are based on shared values like dignity, fairness, equality, respect and independence. https://www.equalityhumanrights.com/en/human-rights/what-are-human-rights
Human rights are the social conditions necessary for human dignity.
“It would seem that the Jewish political tradition has no place for the modern notions of rights.When the question has been raised, some Jewish scholars have pointed out that rights are a foreign import into Jewish legal and political discourse. One of the chief argments made along these lines is that in Judaism there are duties and anything that could be termed rights is strictly derivative from these duties ….Proof of this is that there are a number of ready made terms for duty, most obviously hovah a debt, but there is no real term for a “right”. The closest term that comes to mind for the concept of right is zechut, (hence the modern phrase zechuyot enoshiyot) but in its original rabbinic setting, a zechut is a privilege, that is an entitlement. It is not what a person “holds” as much as it is what a person has been granted – and by implication, what can be revoked. The same is true of the term “reshut” (permission) which could be defined as that which has not yet been legislated…..nevertheless the term that does correspond to rights is a “cry” “tsa’aqah” in the language of scripture (see Job 19:7), or a claim “ta’anah” in the language of the Rabbis.(Mishnah Ketubot 13:4) (David Novak in introduction to "Covenantal Rights, a Study in Jewish Political Theory)
(ו) אֲנִ֧י יְהוָ֛ה קְרָאתִ֥יךָֽ בְצֶ֖דֶק וְאַחְזֵ֣ק בְּיָדֶ֑ךָ וְאֶצָּרְךָ֗ וְאֶתֶּנְךָ֛ לִבְרִ֥ית עָ֖ם לְא֥וֹר גּוֹיִֽם׃ (ז) לִפְקֹ֖חַ עֵינַ֣יִם עִוְר֑וֹת לְהוֹצִ֤יא מִמַּסְגֵּר֙ אַסִּ֔יר מִבֵּ֥ית כֶּ֖לֶא יֹ֥שְׁבֵי חֹֽשֶׁךְ׃ (ח) אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה ה֣וּא שְׁמִ֑י וּכְבוֹדִי֙ לְאַחֵ֣ר לֹֽא־אֶתֵּ֔ן וּתְהִלָּתִ֖י לַפְּסִילִֽים׃
(6) I the LORD, in My grace, have summoned you, And I have grasped you by the hand. I created you, and appointed you A covenant people, a light of nations— (7) Opening eyes deprived of light, Rescuing prisoners from confinement, From the dungeon those who sit in darkness. (8) I am the LORD, that is My name; I will not yield My glory to another, Nor My renown to idols.
(ו) הֲל֣וֹא זֶה֮ צ֣וֹם אֶבְחָרֵהוּ֒ פַּתֵּ֙חַ֙ חַרְצֻבּ֣וֹת רֶ֔שַׁע הַתֵּ֖ר אֲגֻדּ֣וֹת מוֹטָ֑ה וְשַׁלַּ֤ח רְצוּצִים֙ חָפְשִׁ֔ים וְכָל־מוֹטָ֖ה תְּנַתֵּֽקוּ׃ (ז) הֲל֨וֹא פָרֹ֤ס לָֽרָעֵב֙ לַחְמֶ֔ךָ וַעֲנִיִּ֥ים מְרוּדִ֖ים תָּ֣בִיא בָ֑יִת כִּֽי־תִרְאֶ֤ה עָרֹם֙ וְכִסִּית֔וֹ וּמִבְּשָׂרְךָ֖ לֹ֥א תִתְעַלָּֽם׃ (ח) אָ֣ז יִבָּקַ֤ע כַּשַּׁ֙חַר֙ אוֹרֶ֔ךָ וַאֲרֻכָתְךָ֖ מְהֵרָ֣ה תִצְמָ֑ח וְהָלַ֤ךְ לְפָנֶ֙יךָ֙ צִדְקֶ֔ךָ כְּב֥וֹד יְהוָ֖ה יַאַסְפֶֽךָ׃
(6) No, this is the fast I desire: To unlock fetters of wickedness, And untie the cords of the yoke To let the oppressed go free; To break off every yoke. (7) It is to share your bread with the hungry, And to take the wretched poor into your home; When you see the naked, to clothe him, And not to ignore your own kin. (8) Then shall your light burst through like the dawn And your healing spring up quickly; Your Vindicator shall march before you, The Presence of the LORD shall be your rear guard.
(יז) כִּ֚י יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם ה֚וּא אֱלֹהֵ֣י הָֽאֱלֹהִ֔ים וַאֲדֹנֵ֖י הָאֲדֹנִ֑ים הָאֵ֨ל הַגָּדֹ֤ל הַגִּבֹּר֙ וְהַנּוֹרָ֔א אֲשֶׁר֙ לֹא־יִשָּׂ֣א פָנִ֔ים וְלֹ֥א יִקַּ֖ח שֹֽׁחַד׃ (יח) עֹשֶׂ֛ה מִשְׁפַּ֥ט יָת֖וֹם וְאַלְמָנָ֑ה וְאֹהֵ֣ב גֵּ֔ר לָ֥תֶת ל֖וֹ לֶ֥חֶם וְשִׂמְלָֽה׃ (יט) וַאֲהַבְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־הַגֵּ֑ר כִּֽי־גֵרִ֥ים הֱיִיתֶ֖ם בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃
(17) For the LORD your God is God supreme and Lord supreme, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who shows no favor and takes no bribe, (18) but upholds the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and befriends the stranger, providing him with food and clothing.— (19) You too must befriend the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
(יח) שֹׁפְטִ֣ים וְשֹֽׁטְרִ֗ים תִּֽתֶּן־לְךָ֙ בְּכָל־שְׁעָרֶ֔יךָ אֲשֶׁ֨ר יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לְךָ֖ לִשְׁבָטֶ֑יךָ וְשָׁפְט֥וּ אֶת־הָעָ֖ם מִשְׁפַּט־צֶֽדֶק׃ (יט) לֹא־תַטֶּ֣ה מִשְׁפָּ֔ט לֹ֥א תַכִּ֖יר פָּנִ֑ים וְלֹא־תִקַּ֣ח שֹׁ֔חַד כִּ֣י הַשֹּׁ֗חַד יְעַוֵּר֙ עֵינֵ֣י חֲכָמִ֔ים וִֽיסַלֵּ֖ף דִּבְרֵ֥י צַדִּיקִֽם׃ (כ) צֶ֥דֶק צֶ֖דֶק תִּרְדֹּ֑ף לְמַ֤עַן תִּֽחְיֶה֙ וְיָרַשְׁתָּ֣ אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לָֽךְ׃ (ס)
(18) You shall appoint magistrates and officials for your tribes, in all the settlements that the LORD your God is giving you, and they shall govern the people with due justice. (19) You shall not judge unfairly: you shall show no partiality; you shall not take bribes, for bribes blind the eyes of the discerning and upset the plea of the just. (20) Justice, justice shall you pursue, that you may thrive and occupy the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
God's creation of human beings in the 'image of God (tselem Elohim)' appears three times in the Bible (Genesis I :26-28; 5: 1-3; 9:6), although the term tselem appears even more often in a negative context, referring to idolatry.The biblical word 'kavod,' which can be.translated as dignity, honour, or glory, stems from a common Semitic root meaning 'heavy" - similar to the latin "gravitas"....The concept of dignity is initially introduced in the Bible as an attribute of God. Moses asks God to see his 'kavod', and God responds by agreeing to show Moses his back (Exodus.16:7). .....While the term kavod appears frequently in the Hebrew Bible, applied both to humans and to God, the Bible gives no precise definition over what constitutes the dignity of either. Kavod,as 'dignity' is not simply an attribute shared with God, but an attribute bestowed upon the human being by God, according to Psalm 8:6: 'You have crowned him (man) with glory and honor (kavod v 'hadar).' Although not always explicitly evoked, hu man dignity hovers over biblical thought, including the prophetic injunc tions against injustice and economic exploitation, and also the Levitical proscriptions regarding incest. In all of these cases, it is the physical body that' is viewed as most vulnerable to violations of dignity.
'Wherever You See the Trace of Man, There I Stand Before You': The Complexities of God and Human Dignity Within Judaism
Susannah Heschel
'Wherever You See the Trace of Man, There I Stand Before You': The Complexities of God and Human Dignity Within Judaism
Susannah Heschel
דבר שאיסורו מדבריהם הרי הוא נדחה מפני כבוד הבריות בכל מקום, ואע'פ שכתוב בתורה לא תסור מן הדבר הרי לאו זה נדחה מפני כבוד הבריות.
A Rabbinic prohibition is always and everywhere superseded for the sake of human dignity. And even though we are explicitly enjoined in the Torah not to depart from the Sages' teachings either to the right or to the left, this negative precept itself is set aside in the interests of human dignity. [translation by Rabbis for Human Rights] Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Kilayim 10:29
תָּא שְׁמַע: גָּדוֹל כְּבוֹד הַבְּרִיּוֹת שֶׁדּוֹחֶה [אֶת] לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה.
The Gemara cites an additional proof from a baraita: Come and hear: Great is human dignity, as it overrides a prohibition in the Torah.
(י) הֵם אָמְרוּ שְׁלשָׁה דְבָרִים. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, יְהִי כְבוֹד חֲבֵרְךָ חָבִיב עָלֶיךָ כְּשֶׁלָּךְ, וְאַל תְּהִי נוֹחַ לִכְעֹס. וְשׁוּב יוֹם אֶחָד לִפְנֵי מִיתָתְךָ.
(10) They [each] said three things: Rabbi Eliezer said: Let the honor of your friend be as dear to you as your own; And be not easily provoked to anger;
(א) בֶּן זוֹמָא אוֹמֵר, אֵיזֶהוּ חָכָם, הַלּוֹמֵד מִכָּל אָדָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קיט) מִכָּל מְלַמְּדַי הִשְׂכַּלְתִּי כִּי עֵדְוֹתֶיךָ שִׂיחָה לִּי. אֵיזֶהוּ גִבּוֹר, הַכּוֹבֵשׁ אֶת יִצְרוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי טז) טוֹב אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם מִגִּבּוֹר וּמשֵׁל בְּרוּחוֹ מִלֹּכֵד עִיר. אֵיזֶהוּ עָשִׁיר, הַשָּׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (תהלים קכח) יְגִיעַ כַּפֶּיךָ כִּי תֹאכֵל אַשְׁרֶיךָ וְטוֹב לָךְ. אַשְׁרֶיךָ, בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה. וְטוֹב לָךְ, לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. אֵיזֶהוּ מְכֻבָּד, הַמְכַבֵּד אֶת הַבְּרִיּוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמואל א ב) כִּי מְכַבְּדַי אֲכַבֵּד וּבֹזַי יֵקָלּוּ:
(1) Ben Zoma said:Who is wise? He who learns from every man, as it is said: “From all who taught me have I gained understanding” (Psalms 119:99). Who is mighty? He who subdues his [evil] inclination, as it is said: “He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty; and he that rules his spirit than he that takes a city” (Proverbs 16:3). Who is rich? He who rejoices in his lot, as it is said: “You shall enjoy the fruit of your labors, you shall be happy and you shall prosper” (Psalms 128:2) “You shall be happy” in this world, “and you shall prosper” in the world to come. Who is he that is honored? He who honors his fellow human beings as it is said: “For I honor those that honor Me, but those who spurn Me shall be dishonored” (I Samuel 2:30).
(... וְכָל שֶׁלֹּא חָס עַל כְּבוֹד קוֹנוֹ, רָאוּי לוֹ שֶׁלֹּא בָּא לָעוֹלָם:
...And whoever takes no thought for the honor of his creator, it would have been better had he not come into the world.
Btselem Elohim: Human Dignity Derives from Divine Origins of Human Being
Traditional Jewish literature employs the term kvod ha-briot (the dignity of created beings), alluding to the Creator as the source of human dignity and grounding the requirement to protect human dignity in the divine origins of the human being. From its foundations, our tradition grants consummate value to the human being, as in the first chapter of the Book of Genesis: ‘Naaseh adam b’tsalmenu,’ ‘Let us make the human being in Our image’ (Gen. 1:26).
Both biblically and post-biblically, the word kavod itself harbours multiple meanings. In some contexts, the tradition demands special kavod for designated groups of people: the king; scholars and the elderly; one’s parents (kibud av v’em) and community (kvod ha-tsibur).
The term kvod ha-briot—on the other hand—signals a form of unqualified, universal respect for human beings as such, intrinsic to their existence as human beings, whether old or young, sick or healthy, tzadik (righteous person) or rasha (criminal), independent of social status, identity, or context.
Halakhic sources concur that kvod ha-briot is one of the overarching values of Jewish tradition;
Traditional Jewish literature employs the term kvod ha-briot (the dignity of created beings), alluding to the Creator as the source of human dignity and grounding the requirement to protect human dignity in the divine origins of the human being. From its foundations, our tradition grants consummate value to the human being, as in the first chapter of the Book of Genesis: ‘Naaseh adam b’tsalmenu,’ ‘Let us make the human being in Our image’ (Gen. 1:26).
Both biblically and post-biblically, the word kavod itself harbours multiple meanings. In some contexts, the tradition demands special kavod for designated groups of people: the king; scholars and the elderly; one’s parents (kibud av v’em) and community (kvod ha-tsibur).
The term kvod ha-briot—on the other hand—signals a form of unqualified, universal respect for human beings as such, intrinsic to their existence as human beings, whether old or young, sick or healthy, tzadik (righteous person) or rasha (criminal), independent of social status, identity, or context.
Halakhic sources concur that kvod ha-briot is one of the overarching values of Jewish tradition;
"The meaning of kvod ha-adam [human dignity] is to not degrade and debase the image of God in the human being. ... The halakhah adopts more strictness in relation to the sort of harm in which there is degradation and debasement of the divine image – for example, conducting a strip search in which someone's clothing is removed publicly. Furthermore, [Jewish tradition] finds that it is preferable not to humiliate or degrade someone publicly even if they have transgressed a rabbinic prohibition and it is well known publicly, and some say even if he has transgressed a Biblical prohibition. [From Rabbis for Human Rights website, http://www.rhr-na.org/files/Human%20Dignity%20Weintraub_0.pdf]
מנחם אלון
...לעתים קרובות, במקום הביטוי "כבוד האדם" בא הביטוי "כבוד הבריות". והלא דבר אחד הוא. "כבוד הבריות" פירושו כבודם של הנבראים, של כל הנברא בצלם אלוקים
Menachem Alon, Israeli Supreme Court Justice
[In Judaism] we often use the phrase ‘human dignity’ (kavod ha-adam) and ‘respect for creations’ (kavod ha-beriyot) interchangeably because they are one and the same. ‘Respect for mankind’ is in fact respect for all created beings as we were all created in the image of God.
(י) הֲל֨וֹא אָ֤ב אֶחָד֙ לְכֻלָּ֔נוּ הֲל֛וֹא אֵ֥ל אֶֽחָ֖ד בְּרָאָ֑נוּ מַדּ֗וּעַ נִבְגַּד֙ אִ֣ישׁ בְּאָחִ֔יו לְחַלֵּ֖ל בְּרִ֥ית אֲבֹתֵֽינוּ׃
(10) Have we not all one Father? Did not one God create us? Why do we break faith with one another, profaning the covenant of our ancestors?
("Rabbinic Judaism uses the expression, 'kavod ha-adam '; dignity (or honor) of the person, when speaking ofthe dignity ofindividuals, usually Jews, and applies the broader term, 'kavod ha-briot', dignity of created beings, to all human beings in the collective, including Gentiles and some times animals as well......Within classical rabbinic texts, the inherent dignity of all human beings is occasionally affirmed, while at the same time recognizing that dignity requires affrrmation, particularly in cases when dignity might not be au tomatically conveyed. That is, dignity is both an essential, intrinsic aspect of being human, while at the same time it is created through appropriate behavior and societal acknowledgment. Dignity may be inviolable, but it is also dependent upon recognition and action by others to be brought into existence. The intrinsic dignity of human beings is established by the fun damental conviction that humans were not only created by God, but were created to bring honor to God. The earliest stratum of rabbinic literature the Mishnah, siates: 'All that God created in His world He created exclu sively for His kavod (honor or glory)' (M Avot 6:11). Indeed, God's love ·of humanity is exemplified in the creation of human beings as images of God, according to a statement in the Mishnah (M Avot 3:14). Moreover, the dignity ofothers should be considered as important as one's own: 'Let the honor of your fellow human being be as precious to you as your own' (M Avot 2:10).......Jewish law and tradition recognize that dignity is conveyed (or not) and is thus dependent upon human will and human actions. Actions that convey dignity are es�ential requirements of Jewish law, which recognizes that dignity is receiyed froill acts performed by other people, and also that the act of conveying dignity to another person also brings dignity to the one who is conveying it. In that sense, dignity is not fixed, but depends upon actions and recognition; it is created through performance"
'Wherever You See the Trace of Man, There I Stand Before You': The Complexities of God and Human Dignity Within Judaism
Susannah Heschel
'Wherever You See the Trace of Man, There I Stand Before You': The Complexities of God and Human Dignity Within Judaism
Susannah Heschel