"Love Thy Stranger"
INTRODUCTION TO PARASHAT HASHAVUA
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This shiur is dedicated in memory of Dr. William Major z"l.
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The VBM mourns the untimely passing of Adam Bengal z”l of Ktav Publishing House,
a true professional who made an important contribution to Jewish publishing.
Our thoughts are with his family. Yehi zikhro barukh.
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PARASHAT EKEV
'Love Thy Stranger'
By Rav Zvi Shimon
In this week's Torah reading we are commanded:
"For the Lord your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty
and the awesome God, who shows no favor and takes no bribe, but upholds the
cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, providing him
with food and clothing. You too must love the stranger, for you were strangers
in the land of Egypt" (Deuteronomy 10:17-19).
According to our Sages, the stranger referred to in these verses is the
proselyte who converts and comes to live amongst the people of Israel. We are commanded to love the
proselyte. This commandment overlaps
with the general commandment of loving thy neighbor: "Love your neighbor as
yourself" (Leviticus 19:18).
Although the proselyte also comes under the category of 'your neighbor' who you
must love, the Torah nevertheless commands to love him separately.
The Torah not only commands, as a positive injunction, to love the
stranger; it also warns, in a prohibitive commandment, not to maltreat him: "You
shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of
Egypt" (Exodus 22:20). The same
justification "for you were strangers in the land of Egypt" used in the positive
commandment to love the stranger is used in the prohibition of maltreating him. Interestingly, the prohibition of
wronging a stranger also overlaps with the general prohibition of wrongdoing
another person: "Do not wrong one another, but fear your God" (Leviticus 25:17).
This overlap of commandments is noted by the enumerators of the
commandments of the Torah, among them, the Sefer Ha-Chinukh (Lists and
elaborates the 613 commandments, anonymous author, Spain, 13th century):
"Even though he is included in the commandment about Israelites, regarding whom
it is stated, 'but you shall love your neighbor' (Leviticus 19:18), since a
righteous convert is clearly included in the category of 'your neighbor,' the
Eternal God gave us an additional precept about him specifically in regard to
affection for him.
The matter is the same in regard to the restraint against cheating him: Even
though he is included in the scope of the admonition, 'And you shall not wrong
one another' (Leviticus (25:17), Scripture gave us another prohibition about it
specifically concerning him, by stating, 'And a 'stranger' you shall not wrong'
(Exodus 22:20). It was then taught
in the Talmud that a person who treats a convert ill transgresses both the
injunction 'you shall not wrong one another' etc. and the admonition, 'a
stranger you shall not wrong.'
Likewise, then [here] one would disobey the precept 'and you shall love your
neighbor,' and the precept 'you shall love the stranger.'
The Sefer Ha-chinukh notes that one who transgresses any of the two
commandments relating to the proselyte actually transgresses two commandments,
the specific commandment relating to the stranger and the parallel general
commandment relating to all people.
Although the Sefer Ha-chinukh marks this peculiarity, he does not explain the
reason for it. Why are there
distinct commandments in relation to the stranger when he is anyway included in
the general parallel commandments?
Why did the Torah see fit to command separately in relation to the treatment of
the proselyte?
I. The Vulnerable Stranger
Our Sages emphasize the vulnerability of the stranger due to his past,
his life prior to converting to Judaism:
"If a man was a penitent, one must not say to him, 'Remember your former deeds.' If he was a son of proselytes one
must not taunt him, 'Remember the deeds of your ancestors,' because it is
written, (Exodus 22:20) "You shall not wrong a stranger nor oppress him"
(Mishna, tractate Bava Metzia, 4:10)
It is easy to denigrate proselytes.
People can always belittle them on account of their sinful past. This disadvantage of the proselyte
gives rise to the need for special commandments directed exclusively in relation
to him. The Torah prohibits
reminding the proselyte of his past and of relating to him differently on
account of it. Our Sages continue
this line of interpretation in the rationale offered by the Torah for the
proselyte commandments:
"What is the meaning of the verse 'You shall not wrong a stranger nor oppress
him for you were strangers in the land of Egypt' (Exodus 22:20)? It has been taught: Rabbi Nathan
said: Do not taunt your neighbor with the blemish you yourself have" (Babylonian
Talmud, tractate Bava Metzia 59b)
The Torah's rationale for the proselyte commandments is: "for you were
strangers in the land of Egypt." How
does Israelite history connect to loving and not wronging the proselyte? Our Sages explain that Israel has the
very same 'blemish' as the proselyte; they, too, were strangers in a foreign
land. Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo ben
Yitzchak, France, 1040-1105) elaborates this point as follows:
"For you were strangers"(Exodus 22:20)- "If you hurt him, he too is able to hurt
you and to say to you: 'you are also descended from strangers."
The proselyte can denigrate the Israelites in the very same manner that
he is denigrated. The necessity for
a special commandment relating to the proselyte rests in his vulnerability due
to his problematic past. The
rationale for the commandments relating to the stranger is that the Israelites
have a similar history which makes them just as vulnerable.
A diametrically opposite explanation for the Torah's distinct emphasis on
the proselyte is raised by a different source of our Sages:
"It has been taught: Rabbi Eliezer the Great said: Why did the Torah warn
against [wrongdoing] the proselyte in thirty-six, or as others say, in
forty-six, places? Because he has a
strong inclination to evil" (Babylonian Talmud, Bava Metzia 59b)
Why is there such a concentration on the proselyte? Rabbi Eliezer the Great answers that
the Torah is not so concerned with the proselyte's past as he is with his
future. If the proselyte is
maltreated there is a strong likelihood of his leaving the Israelite community
and reverting to his previous way of life.
His abandonment of Judaism might lead to his total deterioration and has
potential for a terrible desecration of God's name. The proselyte may become
disillusioned with Judaism and completely reject it. In light of the sensitivity and
precariousness of the proselyte's situation, the Torah adds specific
commandments relating to him.
The explanations offered so far for the Torah's specific commandments in
relation to the treatment of the proselyte concentrated on dangers stemming from
either the proselyte's past or from his future.
However, the majority of the commentators focused on dangers rooted in
the stranger's PRESENT position in the community.
A clue to the status of the stranger in biblical times is the coupling,
throughout Scripture, of the stranger with the fatherless and the widow. The Torah continually exhorts to look
out for the needs of these unfortunates and warns against taking advantage of
them:
"When you reap the harvest in your field and overlook a sheaf in the field, do
not turn back to get it; it shall go to the STRANGER, the FATHERLESS and the
WIDOW" (Deuteronomy 24:19; see also ibid. 24:20-22; 26:12)
"Cursed be he who subverts the rights of the STRANGER, the FATHERLESS and the
WIDOW" (ibid. 27:19; see also 24:17,18)
The stranger, usually poor and helpless, was easy prey for sinister people
looking to profit by taking advantage of the weak. God commands the Israelites to help
the weaker segments of the society and warns them to beware of harming them.
The vulnerability of the orphan and of the widow is obvious. Why is the stranger placed in the
same lot? The Ibn Ezra (Rabbi
Avraham ben Ezra, Spain, 1092-1167) comments:
"The reason for the prohibition 'You shall not wrong a stranger' (Exodus
22:20)...is that he has no family roots" (Ibn Ezra's short commentary to Exodus
22:20)
Just as the orphan and widow lack family structure and support, so too
with the stranger; he left his family to join the people of Israel and,
therefore, has no family to assist him in times of need. The people of Israel are commanded to
be sympathetic to the difficult conditions of those without a family. The community must help fill in the
gap in these individuals' lives and provide them with any necessary assistance.
Rabbeinu Bechayei (Rabbi Bechayei ben Asher, Spain, end of 13th beginning
of 14th century) further elaborates:
"In several places in the Torah does God warn regarding the [treatment of]
strangers, because the stranger finds himself alone in a foreign land."
The stranger is not only uprooted from his family; he has no social framework at
all. He is a complete loaner with no
family or friends. He knows no one!
The Chizkuni (Rabbi Chizkiya ben Manoach, France, mid-thirteenth century)
highlights a different vulnerability of the stranger:
"Since they [the strangers] do not know anything about the ways of the land, and
it is therefore easy to deceive them, the Torah warned about their treatment"
(Exodus 22:20)
According to the Chizkuni, it is not the lonesomeness and lack of family
or social framework which make the stranger vulnerable. Rather, it is his unfamiliarity with
the norms and customs of his new land and people.
Foreigners are easy prey for the seasoned veterans. God prohibits taking advantage of the
stranger's unacquaintedness with his new society.
The Sefer Ha-chinukh expands this prohibition beyond the proselyte:
"It is for us to learn from this precious commandment to take pity on any man
who is in a town or city that is not his native ground and site of the family of
his fathers. Let us not maltreat him
in any way, finding him alone, with those who would aid him quite far from him -
just as we see that the Torah adjures us to have compassion on anyone who needs
help. With these qualities we will
merit to be treated with compassion by the Eternal Lord, Be He blessed" (ibid.).
It is not only the proselyte who must be treated benevolently. It is forbidden to take advantage of
the unfamiliarity of any and all foreigners.
All newcomers must be treated with compassion and consideration.
According to this line of interpretation, how are we to understand the
rationale "for you were strangers in the land of Egypt" (Leviticus 19:32-34)
offered by the Torah for the commandments directed towards the stranger?
According to the Ibn Ezra, the clause "for you were strangers in the land
of Egypt" obliges us to remember what it was like when we were strangers,
thereby enabling us to empathize with the stranger in our midst. In contrast to Rashi, cited above,
who viewed Israel's experience as strangers in Egypt as a weakness, a blemish
which could be used against them by the stranger himself, the Ibn Ezra,
considers the experience positively; it is our past personal experience as a
nation that implores and enables us to identify and empathize with the
stranger's position.
The Ramban (Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman, Spain, 1194-1274) offers a totally
different explanation to the rationale "for you were strangers in the land of
Egypt:"
"There is no reason why all strangers [from countries outside the land of Egypt]
should be included here because of our having been strangers in the land of
Egypt! And there is no reason why
they be assured for ever against being wronged or oppressed because we were once
strangers there! ... The correct interpretation appears to me to be that He is
saying: 'Do not wrong a stranger or oppress him, thinking as you might that none
can deliver him out of your hand; for you know that you were strangers in the
land of Egypt and I saw the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppressed you,
and I avenged your cause on them, because I behold the tears of such who are
oppressed and have no comforter, and I deliver each one from him that is too
strong for him. Likewise you shall
not afflict the widow and the fatherless child, for I will hear their cry, for
all these people do not rely upon themselves but trust in Me."
Our personal experience as strangers in Egypt is not aimed at
facilitating our ability to empathize with the proselyte but rather is a warning
of the consequences of failing to do so.
The Egyptians paid a very heavy price for oppressing the strangers in
their land. God does not tolerate
the maltreatment of the stranger.
Failure to adhere to the commandments relating to the stranger will result in
harsh retribution similar to that suffered by the Egyptians.
II. The Righteous Stranger
So far we have attempted to understand why the Torah mentions the
stranger in tandem with the orphan and widow.
We suggested that the common denominator between these individuals is
vulnerability and analyzed the different understandings of the vulnerability of
the stranger. However, Scripture
reveals a different aspect to the stranger:
"You shall rise before the aged and show deference to the old; you shall fear
your God: I am the Lord. When a
stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not wrong him. The stranger who resides with you
shall be to you as one of your citizens; you shall love him as yourself, for you
were strangers in the land of Egypt" (Leviticus 19:32-34).
In the book of Leviticus, the commandment regarding the treatment of the
stranger immediately follows the commandment of respecting the aged and the
wise. This juxtaposition of
commandments differs drastically from the previously examined connection between
the stranger, orphan and widow. The
placing of the stranger adjacent to the aged and wise deserving of respect no
longer presents an image of vulnerability and weakness but rather of prominence
and import. According to the
juxtaposition of commandments in Leviticus, the stranger is not one in need of
charity and compassion, but rather is deserving of respect and admiration. This laudatory view of the stranger
is not unique to the Torah. It
exists within the daily prayer service.
The thirteenth blessing of the 'amida' prayer, a blessing for the
righteous, reads:
"May your compassion, Lord our God, be bestowed over the righteous, the pious,
the leaders of your people, the remnant of their scribes, the TRUE PROSELYTE and
towards us" (Daily prayers, the 'Amida,' 13th blessing).
The compilers of the prayers saw fit to mention the proselyte amongst the most
righteous and holy. What makes this
new member of the faith worthy of such honorable mention? Why should a convert be held in such
high esteem?
An inspiring and beautiful homiletic commentary of the Sages may provide
us with an answer:
"[The stranger] shall be to you as one of your citizens" (Leviticus 19:34) -
Rabbi Alexandri said: How loved is the stranger in the eyes of the Lord, who
commanded regarding them in forty-eight instances. [The stranger] is like a deer that
joins a shepherd's herd and is favorable in his eyes. He says, "In this one I have not
invested from its birth but it joined my sheep [on it's own] therefore I love
it. Such are the righteous
proselytes. God said, "since he came
under my wing, he "shall be to you as one of your citizens"(idrash Ha-chadash on
Leviticus' cited in 'Torah Sheleima').
The merit of the proselyte lies in his joining the people and the faith
of Israel out of his own free will.
He is like a wild deer who has roamed free all his life and then taken upon
himself the duties and responsibilities of God's herd. The voluntary choice to worship God
elevates the proselyte to the level of the most righteous.
The Torah commands to "love the stranger, for you were strangers in the
land of Egypt." Just as God loves
Israel and redeemed them from bondage in Egypt where they were strangers, so too
must love be bestowed upon strangers who join the faith. This commandment is one of emulating
God's relation to his 'chosen strangers.'
The opposing portrayals of the stranger, vulnerability versus spiritual
prominence, are not contradictory.
They may reflect different types of proselytes or different traits inherent to
the proselyte. In fact, the opposing
portrayals of the stranger may explain the existence of both a positive and
negative commandment in relation to the stranger.
The prohibition of wronging the stranger protects him from abuse and
manipulation which may result from the vulnerability of being an outsider. The obligation to love the stranger
stems from his elevated spiritual status resulting from his voluntary attachment
to the Jewish people.
III. The Equal Stranger
In addition to vulnerability and righteousness, the Torah intimates an
additional reason for the existence of specific commandments devoted to the
treatment of the stranger. The
proselyte is often mentioned adjacent to exhortations regarding justice in the
legal system. For example:
"You shall not subvert the rights of your needy in their disputes. Keep far from a false charge ... Do
not take bribes, for bribes blind the clear-sighted and upset the pleas of those
who are in the right. You shall not
oppress a STRANGER ..." (Exodus 23:6-9, see also Leviticus 19:33-36).
There is deep concern that the status of the stranger may influence the
passing of judgement. Regarding the
stranger as inferior leads to injustice.
The Torah emphasizes the absolute necessity that all people be treated
equally before the law. Equality is
the foundation of justice. This is
formulated in the Torah as follows:
"There shall be one law for you and for the resident stranger; it shall be a law
for all time throughout the ages.
You and the stranger shall be alike before the Lord" (Numbers 15:15).
There is equality before the judge and before God, in the court and in
the temple of worship. Equality is
the basis for both civil and religious order.
Rabbi Hirsch reaches a similar conclusion in his analysis of the
following verses:
"He that sacrifices to any god other than the Lord shall be destroyed. You shall
not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of
Egypt" (Exodus 22:19,20).
How are these two verses linked?
What connects the prohibition of worshiping other gods to the treatment
of the stranger? Rabbi Hirsch
explains:
"You shall not wrong a stranger - is in close connection with the preceding
verse. There we were told that even
a native-born Jew of the purest descent loses his right of existence in the
Jewish Community the moment he departs in the least degree from the purity of
the basic principle of the Jewish conception of God. And in contrast, a heathen born and
bred, as soon as he attaches himself to Judaism by simply acknowledging the
Jewish principle of the conception of God, can demand the fullest equality and
the full equal rights in Law with any Jew.
By the juxtaposition of these two verses, the great, oft-repeated in the
Torah, basic law is laid down, that it is not race, not descent, not birth or
country or property, altogether nothing external or due to chance, but simply
and purely the inner spiritual and moral worth of a human being, which gives him
all the rights of a man and of a citizen.
This basic principle is further ensured against neglect by the additional
motive 'for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.' Here it says simply and absolutely
'for you were strangers in the land of Egypt,' your whole misfortune in Egypt
was that you were 'foreigners,' 'aliens' there.
As such, according to the views of other nations, you had no RIGHT to be
there, had no claim to rights of settlement, home or property. Accordingly, you had no equal rights
in appeal against unfair or unjust treatment.
As aliens you were without any rights in Egypt, out of that grew all your
slavery and wretchedness. Therefore
beware, so runs the warning, form making rights in your own State conditional on
anything other than on that simple humanity which every human being as such
bears within him. With any
limitation of these human rights the gate is opened to the whole horror of
Egyptian mishandling of human beings."
The equality accorded to the proselyte is demonstrated in a brilliant
response of the Rambam (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon, Egypt, 1138-1204) to Ovadiah the
convert. The proselyte Ovadiah asks
whether he may use the same formulation of prayer pronounced by all Israelites;
may he relate to the Hebrew patriarchs as his own. Is Abraham his father? Does thanking God for taking us out
of Egypt include gratitude for his own personal deliverance? After all, his ancestors were not
among those who toiled in mud and mire to build the pyramids for Pharaoh?
The Rambam responds to the proselyte's question as follows:
"I received the question of the wise scholar Ovadiah, the proselyte. You ask as to whether you, being a
proselyte, should utter the prayers: 'Our God and God of OUR FATHERS, Who has
separated US from the nations; Who has brought US out of Egypt.'
Pronounce all prayers as they are written and do not change anything. Your prayer and blessing should be
the same as that of any other Israelite, regardless of whether you pray in
private or conduct the service. The
explanation is as follows: Abraham our Father taught mankind the true belief and
the Unity of God, repudiating idolatry; through him many of his own household
and also others were guided to keep the way of the Lord to do righteousness and
justice' (Genesis 18:19). Thus, he
who becomes a proselyte, and he who confesses the unity of God, as taught in the
Torah, is a disciple of Abraham our Father.
Such persons are of his household.
Just as Abraham influenced his contemporaries through his word and
teaching, so too does he lead to belief all the future generations through the
testament he gave to his children and to his household. In this sense Abraham is the father
both of his descendants who follow his ways and of his disciples and all the
proselytes.
You should therefore pray: 'Our God and the God of our fathers,' for Abraham is
also YOUR father. In no respect is
there a difference between us and you.
And certainly you should say: 'Who has given unto US the Law,' because
the Law was given to us and to the proselytes alike, as it is said: 'As for the
congregation, there shall be one statute both for you and for the stranger who
lives with you; as you are, so shall the stranger be before the Lord" One law
and one ordinance shall be both for you and for the stranger that lives with
you" (Numbers 15:16-17). Keep in
mind, that most of our ancestors who left Egypt were idol worshippers; they
mingled with the Egyptian heathens and imitated their ways, until God sent Moses
our Teacher, the master of all the prophets.
He separated us from these nations, initiated us into the belief in God,
us and all the proselytes, and gave us one Law.
Do not think little of your origin: We are descended from Abraham, Isaac and
Jacob, but your descent is from the Creator, for in the words of Isaiah: 'One
shall say: I am the Lord's; and another shall call himself by the name of Jacob'
(Isaiah 44:5)."
The criteria for determining whether one is a descendant of Abraham is not
biological but rather an issue of faith.
Abraham spread his belief by opening his tent to all who were prepared to
enter and learn. Those who accepted
his teachings were considered part of Abraham's household. In this tradition, all who accept the
teachings of Judaism are considered descendants of Abraham.
The Rambam goes one step further.
Even the Israelites who left Egypt were, in some manner, proselytes
themselves. While in Egypt, the
Israelites worshipped idols. It was
Moses who brought them back into the monotheistic faith and, as it were
"converted" them. Thus, the Jewish
nation is a nation of proselytes!
Although the Rambam does not explicitly state this, it would appear that
he is offering a novel interpretation to the rationale "for you were strangers
in the land of Egypt." This clause may be understood to mean that we must treat
the proselyte equally, as a full-fledged Israelite since, we are, in essence all
proselytes ourselves. This approach
explains the overlap of commandments between the treatment of the stranger and
the treatment of all Israelites. We
are commanded to "Love the stranger" (Deuteronomy 10:19) and to "Love your
neighbor as yourself" (Leviticus 19:18).
The Torah warns "You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him" (Exodus
22:20) and also commands "Do not wrong one another" (Leviticus 25:17). The blatant similarity between the
commandments relating to proselytes and those relating to all Israelites is not
coincidental. It teaches us that the
proselyte and Israelite are actually one and the same. The proselyte is to be treated
exactly like all Israelites. Your
stranger is your neighbor. Love thy
stranger!