RMPS - Int2/Higher - World Religions - Judaism - Education Scotland

THE PRACTICES THAT HELP ACHIEVE THE GOALS
according to Jewish law and accept the authority of the Beth Din. Many
observant Jews prefer disputes to be settled in this way rather than
through the ordinary courts. This does not apply to criminal cases.
The passionate words ‘Justice, justice shalt thou follow’ can be
interpreted as the key demand for humane legislation; they were the
spur in the quest for social righteousness by the Israelite prophets and
sages. They imply that justice should not only be done, but be seen to
be done. They were also taken to imply that justice should be done even
if it was to one’s own personal disadvantage. They were also interpreted
as a demand not to use unjust means in an attempt to do justice, e.g.
obtaining a rightful conviction with false evidence.
The importance of justice is emphasised elsewhere in the Torah, e.g. ‘Ye
shall do no unrighteousness in judgement; thou shalt not respect the
person of the poor, nor favour the person of the mighty but in
righteousness shall you judge your neighbour’ (Leviticus 19: 15). There
are also many biblical commandments that emphasise justice in
particular spheres of life, e.g. in relation to business affairs and in
dealings between employer and employee.
The belief in man being created in the image of God leads to the belief
that each human being is sacred and unique. In Judaism, justice is an
expression of the respect for the person of others and their rights.
Judaism requires that human dignity be respected in every human being,
from the delinquent petty thief to the murderer condemned to death.
Although in theory the death penalty existed for offences that were
regarded as particularly serious, such as murder, in practice it was
almost never carried out.
There was, and is, no place for mutilation in Jewish law. The verse ‘an
eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth’ (Exodus 21: 24) has always been
interpreted as referring to monetary compensation only. It teaches that
if someone’s eye is injured, he or she may claim the cost of any medical
treatment and compensation for the disability and other losses suffered
and no more than this value.
Judaism also gives serious consideration to people who are too weak to
defend themselves against injustice and oppression. For example, it is a
duty for Jews to show kindness to widows and orphans: ‘The Lord
protects strangers; he sustains the fatherless and the widow’ (Psalm 146:
9).
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RMPS: WORLD RELIGIONS – JUDAISM (INT 2, H)
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