Chancellor Eisen in Time
A couple of weeks ago, I read two newspaper headlines that called to mind one of the most important teachings of Judaism, which happened to loom large in the Torah portion we read that Shabbat. The issue is how we treat those weaker than ourselves. When a public figure praises an autocrat like Vladimir Putin, blames women in the armed forces for sexual assault, or belittles minorities and people with disabilities, it seems they are taking the side of the strong against the weak. This kind of rhetoric goes directly against Jewish tradition. In fact, if the Torah had known the word “bully,” I have no doubt it would have ordered Jews, in the clearest possible terms, “Thou shalt not bully.”
