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Compassion
Put a Little Love in Your Heart (Jackie DeShannon) Think of your fellow man Lend him a helping hand Put a little love in your heart You see it's getting late Oh, please don't hesitate Put a little love in your heart [Chorus] And the world will be a better place And the world will be a better place For you and me You just wait and see Something to ponder: The community of Brisk in Belarus on the western end of Russia, supplied their rabbi Chaim, with basic necessities, including wood to heat his home in the winter. One day, the community leaders discovered that the cost of the rabbi’s firewood was 500 rubles per year. Even the richest person in the town never used more than fifty rubles of firewood in any year. When the community leaders looked into it, they found that the rabbi kept the firewood in an unlocked shed behind his house-- and that the poor had been coming in and taking firewood whenever they needed it. As a result, the leaders of the community put a lock on the shed and gave the key to the Shamash, to the caretaker. But, R. Chaim removed the lock, allowing the poor of the town to come and take more firewood. The community leaders came to R. Chaim to complain “Rebbe,” they said, “the community cannot afford to supply firewood to all the poor in town.” “Then I want you to stop heating my house as well,” said R. Chaim. “How can I sit in a warm house when all the poor are sitting in the cold?’”[1] Compassion can be defined as an emotional response to someone else’s struggles, along with an authentic desire to help.[2] While closely related to empathy which has to do with putting yourself in someone else’s position so that you can feel what they might feel in a situation, compassion is about recognizing someone's emotions and taking some action to help them [3] The Hebrew word "mussar" means moral conduct, instruction, or discipline. The Mussar Movement arose in the 1800's in Lithuania and encourages participants to delve deeper into a reflective practice of one’s own character traits, which in Hebrew are called middot. Alan Morais writes in his classic work, Everyday Holiness: The Jewish Spiritual Path of Mussar, that compassion involves feeling and breeds action. Even more, compassion may be more accurately defined as the inner experience of touching another being so closely that you no longer perceive the other one as separate from you. A July 2022 article in the US News and World Report, cites growing anxiety brought on by a variety of problems including-- inflation, mass shootings, war, the pandemic, increased polarization, and an insurrection.[4] Last week in my sermon about anger, I noted how the news is filled with folks directing their anger at people they don’t know. I mentioned how people they don’t know are easy to demonize because they have no connection to them and so have less incentive to resolve whatever differences he or she might have with them. It’s a given that not everyone will agree to our same understanding of how the world should work and how people should interact. We all encounter people who behave badly and are judgmental, hurtful, and angry. We may even be one of them. We see on the news more and more stories of people having encounters with total strangers in places like parking lots, stores, parks, airports, etc. People in pain are spreading their pain. When we respond in kind, we also spread negativity. It isn’t hard to be kind to people who treat us kindly—but a bit harder when they don’t.[5] But, that is what we have to do. We have to bring compassion to what each of us can control—our thoughts, our actions, our reactions—which all ripple outward and make the world a better place. Research shows that being a compassionate and giving person is linked to a longer life. Kindness can reduce risk factors for cardiovascular disease; as well as help us maintain vitality and cognitive function as we age [6] Research also shows that motives do matter. Authenticity matters. If you display compassion or kindness to someone for strategic or selfish reasons, it won’t help you.[7] I don’t think you will be surprised to hear that compassion is a topic covered pretty thoroughly in Jewish writings and sacred texts. If you are surprised by that bit of news, maybe you won’t be surprised to hear that compassion is one of Judaism’s highest values. Just how high a value is it? Well, it is such a high value that the word compassion itself is built into one of God’s many names -- Harachaman, the Compassionate One. The biblical noun raḥamim comes from the root rehem, or ‘womb.’ Some scholars have suggested that the original meaning of this word had to do with “brotherhood," or a "brotherly feeling" between those born from the same womb. Just as a mother has compassion for the lives of all the children of her womb, we should have compassion for all of God’s creations. Here are a few examples of how thoroughly compassion is used in Tanakh and Jewish writings. From the Book of Psalms comes a verse that also begins the weekday evening service: וְה֤וּא רַח֨וּם ׀ יְכַפֵּ֥ר עָוֹ֘ן וְֽלֹ֢א יַ֫שְׁחִ֥ית וְהִרְבָּ֣ה לְהָשִׁ֣יב אַפּ֑וֹ וְלֹֽא־יָ֝עִיר כָּל־חֲמָתֽוֹ God being full of compassion, forgives iniquity and does not destroy[8] The rabbis of the Talmud believed in the practice of compassion as a way of imitating God. As beings created in God’s image, we should do as God does. The source of that sentiment comes from the Book of Deuteronomy: וְשָׁ֣מַרְתָּ֔ אֶת־מִצְוֹ֖ת יְיָ֣ אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ לָלֶ֥כֶת בִּדְרָכָ֖יו וּלְיִרְאָ֥ה אֹתֽוֹ: Therefore, you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, to walk in God’s ways, and to fear God[9] The rabbis interpreted “to walk in God’s ways” as --do as God does. Where do we find what God does, or how God behaves? Well in a few places, but the most well-known verse is one that comes from the Book of Exodus – a verse we will chant tomorrow morning during the Torah service. It begins: יְיָ֣ ׀ יְיָ֔ אֵ֥ל רַח֖וּם וְחַנּ֑וּן אֶ֥רֶךְ אַפַּ֖יִם וְרַב־חֶ֥סֶד וֶֽאֱמֶֽת: נֹצֵ֥ר חֶ֨סֶד֙ לָֽאֲלָפִ֔ים נֹשֵׂ֥א עָוֹ֛ן וָפֶ֖שַׁע וְחַטָּאָ֑ה וְנַקֵּה֙ לֹ֣א יְנַקֶּ֔ה פֹּקֵ֣ד ׀ עֲוֹ֣ן אָב֗וֹת עַל־בָּנִים֙ וְעַל־בְּנֵ֣י בָנִ֔ים עַל־שִׁלֵּשִׁ֖ים וְעַל־רִבֵּעִֽים: The Lord! The Lord! a God compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, rich in steadfast kindness, extending kindness to the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin.[10] Although it doesn’t include the word rachamim, this verse from the Book of Isaiah teaches us how to be compassionate: לִמְד֥וּ הֵיטֵ֛ב דִּרְשׁ֥וּ מִשְׁפָּ֖ט אַשְּׁר֣וּ חָמ֑וֹץ שִׁפְט֣וּ יָת֔וֹם רִ֖יבוּ אַלְמָנָֽה: Learn to do good; devote yourselves to justice, aid the wronged, “uphold the rights of the orphan, and defend the cause of the widow.[11] The message of rachamim, of compassion also appears often in the Siddur, in our daily prayers. Each morning we recite Baruch She’amar: which includes the words: בָּרוּךְ מְרַחֵם עַל הָאָֽרֶץ, בָּרוּךְ מְרַחֵם עַל הַבְּרִיּוֹת Blessed is the One who has compassion on the earth; blessed is the One Who has compassion for all creatures In the Torah service, we will also chant these words: Av harachamim (Father of compassion). During Yizkor and funerals, we recite the prayer El Malei Rachamim – God, full of compassion. -- The Birkat ha-mazon -- the blessing recited after a meal in which bread is eaten, speaks about God compassionately feeding the entire world: בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם הַזָּן אֶת הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ בְּטוּבוֹ בְּחֵן בְּחֶסֶד וּבְרַחֲמִים Sovereign of time and space, who with goodness and graciousness, love and compassion, nourishes the entire world. When the Birkat Hamazon focuses on nourishing the entire world it means the entire world – beyond the Jewish world. The Talmud is very clear on this point: One sustains poor Gentiles along with poor Jews, and one visits sick Gentiles along with sick Jews, and one buries dead Gentiles along with dead Jews. All this is done on account of the ways of peace, to foster peaceful relations between Jews and gentiles.[12] Even more, it isn’t just human beings who deserve our compassion, animals do as well. In the Book of Exodus we read: כִּֽי־תִרְאֶ֞ה חֲמ֣וֹר שֹׂנַֽאֲךָ֗ רֹבֵץ֙ תַּ֣חַת מַשָּׂא֔וֹ וְחָֽדַלְתָּ֖ מֵֽעֲזֹ֣ב ל֑וֹ עָזֹ֥ב תַּֽעֲזֹ֖ב עִמּֽוֹ: When you see the donkey of your enemy prostrate under its load and would refrain from raising it, you must nevertheless raise it with him" (Ex. 23:5) In case that isn’t clear, when you see your enemy’s donkey suffering under a heavy load, you are obligated to help the donkey lift its load. There is even a Talmudic rule that before sitting down to a meal one must first see that the domestic animals are fed.[13] According to a midrash Moses and David were both chosen to lead Israel because of their kindness to animals. One day when Moses was tending his father in law’s flock a little kid escaped. He ran after it until it reached a shady place where there was a pool of water. The kid stopped to take a drink. Moses said: I didn’t know you ran away of because of thirst; you must be weary.: So he placed the kid on his shoulder and walked away.[14] David led his sheep through the wilderness in order to keep them from robbing private fields. As a result, God declared David trustworthy with sheep and told him: Come therefore and tend My sheep. Elsewhere in the Torah, we read that a farmer is commanded not to muzzle his ox when he threshes[15] and not to plow with an ox and a donkey together[16], since the weaker animal would not be able to keep up with the stronger one. Animals must be allowed to rest on Shabbat.[17] In my house, it’s a day off for Bali-- off duty from guarding the house except in an emergency. These concepts are summarized in the Talmud through the Hebrew phrase tsa’ar ba’alei chayim— the mandate not to cause suffering to animals.[18] Perhaps the Jewish attitude toward animals is epitomized by the statement in Proverbs:[19] יוֹדֵ֣עַ צַ֭דִּיק נֶ֣פֶשׁ בְּהֶמְתּ֑וֹ “A righteous person knows the needs of his beast” Why so much emphasis on compassion for animals? Well, perhaps words from another tradition, from the 12th century founder of the Franciscans, St. Francis of Assisi will help: If you have men who will exclude any of God's creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who will deal likewise with their fellow men. The Jewish Bible the Tanakh, is unique in that it focuses on protecting the vulnerable and the powerless—the poor, the widow, the orphan, the fugitive slave, the migrant, the alien, the stranger in your midst. This is a concept unheard of.in ancient times. The Torah’s decree in Deuteronomy that returning a refugee slave to his master is forbidden,[20] stands in contrast to other ancient Near Eastern legal collections. It is more common to find in these ancient texts prohibitions against harboring fugitive slaves. For example, the Laws of Hammurabi, from the 18th century BCE declare: If a man should harbor a fugitive slave or slave woman of either the palace or of a commoner in his house and not bring him out at the herald’s public proclamation, that householder shall be killed. In the United States, the Fugitive Slave Act of 1850 required that slaves be returned to their owners even if they were in a free state. In the Torah however, to return a human being to his master is inhumane. [21] Last week I talked about anger and this morning I want to talk about moving from anger to compassion. It starts by being aware of the anger you are feeling as it begins to rise up within you. To move past that anger, try to think of everyone around you as another form of you—another vulnerable human being, whose feelings and personalities are like ripples. Whatever another person might do, you need to understand that you are capable of doing the very same thing.[22] We can also become compassionate by practicing patience and trying to see things from another person’s perspective. On Rosh Hashanah evening I mentioned having compassion for and seeing things from the perspective of the mosquito who needs to bite me. If you weren’t there on Rosh Hashanah evening, take my word, it’s a long story. In any case, seeing things from the perspective of another person may help turn your anger into compassion. The highest peace, said Reb Nachman of Bratslav, is peace between opposites. Don’t respond until you are able to do so without causing harm. Patience prevents things from escalating by allowing a lot of space for the other person to speak and express themselves. In the Talmud, Beit Hillel and Beit Shammai, argued about almost everything. Yet Jewish law follows Beit Hillel. If you ask why it’s because Beit Hillel would always begin by summarizing the opinion of Beit Shammai and only then state his own position. This way, Beit Hillel demonstrated a concern not just with being right, but seeking the truth that lied somewhere in between. More practically, Rabbi Shraga Simmons offers a few ways to practice compassion in our everyday lives:
Another day goes by and still, the children cry Put a little love in your heart You want the world to know we won't let hatred grow Put a little love in your heart [Chorus] And the world (And the world) will be a better place And the world (And the world) will be a better place For you (For you) and me (and me) You just wait (Just wait) and see [1] Shmuel Himelstein. A touch of wisdom a touch of wit (Brooklyn, NY : MwaoeH, 1999) 89-90 [2] https://hbr.org/2023/02/leading-with-compassion-has-research-backed-benefits [3] .1https://www.verywellmind.com/compassion-vs-empathy-what-s-the-difference-7494906 [4] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/deeper-wellness/202208/the-importance-compassion-and-kindness-in-today-s-world [5][5] Ibid. [6] https://hbr.org/2023/02/leading-with-compassion-has-research-backed-benefits [7] https://hbr.org/2023/02/leading-with-compassion-has-research-backed-benefits [8] Ps. 78:38 [9] Deut.8:6 [10] Ex. 34:6-7 [11] Isaiah 1:17 [12] Gittin 61a [13][13] Gittin 62a [14] Ex. Rabbah 2:3 [15] Deut. 25:4 [16] Deut. 22:10 [17] Ex. 20:10 [18] Bava Metzia 32b [19] Proverbs 12:10 [20] Deut. 23:16 [21] https://www.vbs.org/worship/meet-our-clergy/rabbi-harold-schulweis/sermons/compassion-yom-kippur-2011-5772 [22] Shane Lobo. Turning anger to compassion (2017) location 41 [23] https://aish.com/middot-series-10-compassion/ Comments are closed.
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