Jewish Values Online - Is it a Jewish value to support the notion that government should do more to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor?

Unquestionably not

First Jews do not impose Jewish law on gentiles except in very limited contexts called the 7 Noahide laws which deal with things like murder and theft

We consider it disrespectful to tell others how to run their lives except for certain basic societal norms necessary for civilization to exist

Even within a Jewish state while there is great emphasis on reducing or eliminating poverty that is often more a local government concern than an overarching act of the national government possibly because it was felt that local governments were able to respond more appropriately to people's needs

Third the formulation suggests opposition noy just to poverty which is fine, but also to wealth

Judaism does not oppose wealth if iot is gained legitimately

For sources and further discussion see Aaron Levine's seminal Free Enterprise in Jewish Law

Certainly charity giving, tithing, responding to needs that arise is required

But not with an attitude that suggests that being wealthy is a problem that needs to be solved

Answered by: Rabbi --- Not Active with JVO Suspended

Judaism holds up before us a vision of an ideal society in which there would not be any “evyon” [needy person] among us (Deuteronomy 15:4). And yet, until such time as we achieve that ideal, Judaism teaches us to take responsibility for the poor, spelling out for us practical steps designed to train our hearts and minds to compassion and caring (Deuteronomy 15:11).

To this end, the Bible included specific commandments, including the mitzvot [commandments] of pe’ah [leaving the corner of the field for the poor] and leket [fallen sheaves of grain] which was to be left on the ground for the poor during the harvest.

These, and other Biblical commandments relating to the religious obligation to care for the needy in a primarily agricultural setting, were expanded in the Rabbinical period and adapted to urban settings as well.

Realizing that individuals need to work together to attain the level of caring that the Torah envisioned for the poor, Jewish communities established various societal mechanisms to feed the poor on a daily basis, to aid indigent newly weds, and to care for the deceased.

In the Middle Ages, Maimonides (Mishneh Torah: Hilkhot Tzedakah 10:7-14) outlined eight levels of giving, emphasizing the need for individuals to contribute to those in need at whatever level they could sustain. At the top of the ladder of giving, Maimonides placed the inspiring goal of raising up the needy person to a level of economic self-sufficiency.

While not losing sight of the ideal, a society in which none are needy, it is important to keep in mind that many elements affect the gap between rich and poor and that in the past, as in the present, no individual, community, or government, can be expected to provide unlimited support while retaining its ability to serve effectively in the future.

So, for instance, In the United States today, one of the many elements that affect the economic gap between rich and poor is the issue of health care. In relation to this one element, see Rabbis Elliot N. Dorff and Aaron L. Mackler’s “Responsibilities for the Provision of Health Care” in Responsa1991-2000: The Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Conservative Movement, Rabbinical Assembly, NY, 2002 pp. 319-336.

This responsum first addresses the responsibility of patients and of their families, then it addresses the responsibility of physicians and of other health care professionals. Part III of the responsum, pp. 330-336, “The Responsibility of the Community,” reveals a thoughtful discussion of the legitimate goals and expectations we may have of our communities versus the limitations that necessarily must be taken into account, if community is to function effectively on its many levels of service to the public.

To circle back to your original question, you ask: Is it a Jewish value to support the notion that government should do more to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor?

Certainly government can and should play an important part in reducing the gap between the rich and the poor since the goal of caring for the poor and of enabling them to live in dignity is both an individual and a shared communal Jewish value. However, reducing the gap is not intrinsically a governmental task as opposed to the task of individuals, of local community organizations, or of the private sector and, historically, Jewish communities have employed a combination of resources to achieve our shared communal goal.

The Jewish values of human dignity and mutual responsibility should guide us as we search for practical ways in which to be as effective as possible in caring for the needy amongst us, given the particular circumstances of our times.

Hopefully, the debate surrounding the question of who is responsible: the government or the private sector – will not derail us from our true objective – relating to the needy among us with respect, with an open hand and with an open heart.

Answered by: Rabbi Gilah Dror

Shavua tov!

The simple 'on one foot' answer to your question is 'yes'. Since Biblical Times, Jewish tradition has seen a governmental role in reducing poverty and tasking the greater citizenry with that amelioration, often with an eye toward closing the gap between rich and poor. We see it in the Toraitic legislation to leave the gleanings and the corners of one's fields (Lev. 19:9) which both reduces the income of the farmer, but also allows the poor to sustain themselves off that 'remnant'. Likewise the Sabbatical Year, or shmita (appearing throughout Torah) describes a seventh year hiatus from planting and harvesting, but also a remission of debts, thus alleviating poverty through a state sanctioned fashion. Later on, the Rabbis of the Talmudic period and the Middle Ages established protocols and semi-governmental organizations that imposed tax-like fines on the wealthy in order to support various forms of tzedakah, including the chevra kadisha (burial society), hospitals, soup kitchens, and funds to provide dowries for impoverished brides. Indeed, an individual who didn't pay enough could have his assets seized or even suffer corporal punishment (Yoreh Deah Section 249). The rabbis imposed other measures to minimize the impact of money; Torah scrolls could not be illuminated or written in anything other than black ink on white parchment, to prevent communities from writing them in gold leaf and the like (eruvin 13a), and wedding bands had to be plain; indeed, one was able to wed with something worth even as little as a penny, again to prevent too great a discrepancy between rich and poor. Elsewhere a synagogue is permitted to sell its Torah Scroll to provide for the dowry of a poor bride.

Today, through the Religious Action Center the Reform Movement has long argued that government has a special role in ameliorating the situation of the poor and has an obligation to utilize their resources--including through generating further revenue through taxes--in order to eliminate hunger, increase education and health care for those who cannot afford, protect the rights of workers, and the like.

Answered by: Rabbi Yair Robinson