"All Israel is responsible for one another." For we are all brothers and sisters, of the same blood and the same common interests. We should see each other as family, for we are all the children of Israel. And we should treat each other like brothers, for we are all dependent upon one another. We grew up together, and wherever we've been, we've had only each other. If you see your brother in peril, it is as if your life is on the line. For he is your blood, your heart, and the value in your life. To lose him, is to lose your happiness, and to see him harmed is a blow to your heart. You should care for your brother as you care for yourself, for your life is wrapped up in his existence, and your success is a burden to you while you see him in distress. Therefore you should strengthen your brother when he is weak, give to him when he is lacking, uplift him when he has fallen, and defend him from harm. For what is a family without brotherly love, and what is a nation when its people are abandoned? Family is your place of comfort and strength, where you are confident and secure, and sheltered from the outside world. All Israel is a family; your home and shelter in the world; where brothers help each other and strengthen one another; for whatever they might lose, they know they have each other. Don't steal or bear false witness: "...You shall not steal; you shall not bear false witness against your fellow." (Exodus 20:13). "'Accursed is one who moves the boundary of his fellow.' And the entire people shall say, 'Amen.'" (Deuteronomy 27:17). To steal from your brother, cheat him, or bear false witness against your own blood, is a curse to yourself and all that you love. Don't covet anything of your fellow: "You shall not covet your fellow's house..." (Exodus 20:14). "And you shall not covet your fellow's wife, you shall not desire your fellow's house, his field, his slave, his maidservant, his ox, his donkey, or anything that belongs to your fellow." (Deuteronomy 5:18). Why should you envy your brother and desire what is his? Why should you think such things of your own blood, and let evil into your heart? For when you covet the success of your fellow, and desire his household, his wife, his family, his property, his food; his life--then you see your brother as food, to consume him and all that is his, that your life should become meaningless and you should deprive yourself of all that is precious. Those who lower themselves to think depraved thoughts in their heart, against their own blood, are the ones who chase after these evil inclinations, to debase themselves and ruin all that they touch. Love your fellow: "You shall not be a gossiper among your people, you shall not stand over the blood of your fellow--I Am Hashem. You shall not hate your brother in your heart; you should reprove your fellow and do not bear a sin against him. Don't take revenge and don't bear a grudge against the members of your people; you should love your fellow as yourself--I Am Hashem." (Leviticus 19:16-18). Honor the old and wise, revere G-d: "In the presence of an old person you should rise and you shall honor the presence of a sage and you shall revere your Judge--I Am Hashem." (Leviticus 19:32). To honor the old and wise, who have lived according to G-d and experienced the Wisdom of His Torah, is an honor to your Judge; just as those who revere G-d and observe His Laws are respectful to the Old and honor the Wise. In the family of our nation, this is like honoring our father and mother--which is an honor to G-d. It is this respect and honor that holds the family together, and brings Israel close to G-d. Don't harm the weak and vulnerable: "You shall not cause pain to any widow or orphan. If you [dare to] cause him pain--for if he shall cry out to Me, I Shall Surely Hear his outcry. My Wrath shall blaze and I Shall kill you by the sword, and your wives will be widows and your children orphans." (Exodus 22:21-23). You should help the weak among your people, for they are your brothers. When your sister is bereaved of her husband, surely you should care for her, not cause her harm. And when the children of your people are homeless and without parents, surely you should shelter them from their hardships, not cause them pain. "'Accursed is one who causes a blind person to go astray on the road.' And the entire people shall say, 'Amen.' 'Accursed is one who perverts the judgement of a proselyte, orphan, or widow.' And the entire people shall say, 'Amen.'" (Deuteronomy 27:18-19). The blind you should guide and the weak you should strengthen. And a convert among you--he is your adopted brother, and should be cared for like the blood of your flesh. Gifts to the poor: "When you reap the harvest of your Land, you shall not complete your reaping to the corner of your field, and the gleanings of your harvest you shall not take. You shall not pick the underdeveloped twigs of your vineyard; and the fallen fruit of your vineyard you shall not gather; for the poor and the proselyte shall you leave them--I Am Hashem, your Judge." (Leviticus 19:9-10). "When you reap your harvest in your field, and you forget a bundle in the field, you shall not turn back to take it; it shall be for the proselyte, the orphan, and the widow, so that Hashem, your G-d, Will Bless you in all your handiwork... You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of egypt, therefore I Command you to do this thing." (Deuteronomy 24:19,22). (In Biblical Israel, each person was given an ancestral heritage, according to his household. However, a convert who joined the nation would not have his own land, unless he married into a household. Therefore, the people provided for those with disadvantages by giving them a share of their produce, as they did for the Levites and the Kohanim, who were also not given an ancestral heritage. These gifts to the poor were made available to all who needed it; to reap the remnant of the harvest for themselves.) You should know that wealth and a full harvest are dependent upon the Blessing of G-d. When you give a remnant of what G-d has Provided to those in need, then your success is warranted by your generosity; for just as G-d Provides for your needs, so should you provide for the needs of your people. Today people give the remnant of their income through taxes and charitable organizations. It's no longer necessary for farmers to leave a remnant of their produce in the field, except for the animals. Nonetheless, the act of giving remains the same. If you have enough to spare, why should you gather all the fallen fruits to yourself, harvest to the corner of your field, and search behind you for all that has been lost? Surely, since G-d has Provided for you, you should leave these things for those in need, and thus give a share of your success to your brother in distress. It is a merit to you, since your brothers will appreciate your success and your people will understand why you have been Blessed. Don't give your brother at interest: "When you lend money to My people, to the poor person who is with you, do not act toward him as a creditor; do not lay interest upon him. If you take your fellow's garment as security, until sunset shall you return it to him. For it alone is his covering, it is his garment for his skin--in what should he lie down?--so it will be that if he cries out to Me, I shall Listen, for I Am compassionate." (Exodus 22:24-26). "You shall not cause your brother to take at interest, interest of money or interest of food, interest of anything that can be given at interest. You may cause a gentile to take at interest, but you may not cause your brother to take at interest, so that Hashem, your Judge, will Bless you in your every undertaking on the Land to which you are coming, to posses it." (Deuteronomy 23:20-21). The type of interest discussed in these two verses, the Hebrew word "neshech," is a type of prepaid interest, not the accrued interest that is normally associated with the word "interest." When a person would ask his brother for a loan, he would give him something as collateral, and the loan would be extended according to the value of that object--as if the loan serves as payment for the security deposit. But causing a person to take at interest, is to give less than the value of his security deposit--thus pawning off his possessions. To pay off the loan and thus redeem his collateral, the full security value is due, along with any accrued amount that was agreed upon. Thus the debtor is at a great disadvantage, because the creditor earns interest from the initial profit as well as the accrued amount. This would be like a bank charging interest on deposits as well as loans, since the collateral can be seen as a deposit that backs the line of credit of the loan. To cheat your brother this way is a sin; still, this practice is permitted with gentiles, since there's a higher risk involved when lending to a foreigner--as he can disappear with your money and never be seen again, and you'll be left with a deposit you don't need and is hard to get rid of... And when lending to a poor person among your brothers, you should be even more considerate and not press him, nor deprive him of a necessity, even if it is his pledge. Don't embarrass your brother: "When you make your fellow a loan of any amount, you shall not enter his home to take security for it. You shall stand outside; and the man to whom you lend shall bring the security to you outside. If that man is poor, you shall not sleep with his security. You shall return the security to him when the sun sets, and he will sleep in his garment and bless you, and for you it will be an act of righteousness before Hashem, your Judge." (Deuteronomy 24:10-13). "If men fight with one another, a man and his brother, and the wife of one of them approaches to rescue her husband from the hand of the one who is striking him, and she stretches out her hand and grasps his embarrassing place, you shall cut off her palm; your eye shall not show pity." (Deuteronomy 25:11-12). In the time of the Bible men wore robes; a man's "embarrassing place" is literally his embarrassing place. If you see your brothers fighting, you cannot stand by to see them die, but you also can't humiliate them before their people. If the wife of one reaches out to grasp the embarrassing place of her fellow, to lower him before the eyes of his brothers and pluck his pride, like a woman spanking her child--you should cut off her palm, that she should bear her sin. You should not show pity, for the victim would have a right to take revenge for his humiliation. You should be very careful not to embarrass your brother, as contempt between brothers is a split in your household and a division amongst your people--that leads to calamity. But you should also not hate your brother in your heart, nor seek vengeance upon him, bearing a grudge against him; "you should reprove your brother," that Justice will prevail, "and do not bear a sin against him." For you should "love your brother as yourself," and treat him as you would like to be treated--with respect. Strengthen your brother: "If your brother becomes impoverished and his means falter in your proximity, you shall strengthen him--proselyte or resident--so that he can live with you. Do not take from him interest and increase; and you shall fear your G-d--and let your brother live with you. Do not give him your money at interest, and do not give your food for increase. I Am Hashem, your Judge, Who Took you out of the land of egypt, to Give you the Land of Canaan, to Be for you as a Judge." (Leviticus 25:35-38). There should be no homeless and destitute person in Israel. If your neighbor becomes impoverished, you are responsible for him, since he is your brother. Just as parents shelter their children, and siblings care for one another, so should you shelter and strengthen your brother. It is a merit to you, and you should be glad you are Given a chance to help your brother and rescue him from his troubles; to redeem yourself in the Face of G-d and know that you have achieved something of Value. You don't help your brother to profit off his misfortune--you shelter and feed him so that he will live, and strengthen him so he will succeed and survive on his own. It would be a sin to charge him any form of interest, that you should enslave rather than strengthen him, and further burden your brother while he has already fallen among you. Of course, there are no free rides. You help your brother so that he can provide for himself, not depend upon you. If a person is handicapped or mentally damaged and is unable to work, then either the government or his family will care for him. But if a person doesn't manage in the world and refuses to work, then he can live in a kibbutz, a worker's camp, similar to that of prisoners, or join the army--where he will be provided for and given a job. Caring for your brother, to strengthen him, is only a temporary solution until he can regain his confidence and re-establish himself. And one of the best forms of aid, is that of practical education, where a person is given the means to provide for himself. Provide redemption for Land: "...In the entire Land of your ancestral heritage you shall provide redemption for the Land. If your brother becomes impoverished and sells part of his ancestral heritage, his redeemer who is closest to him shall come and redeem his brother's sale..." (Leviticus 25:24-25). In the time of the Bible, the children of Israel were given plots of Land as their ancestral heritage, that remained in their family for all generations. If a person became impoverished and was forced to sell his Land, it was still his ancestral heritage, for it would revert to him in the Jubilee year. But until then, where would he live and how would he survive, since it is his home and source of income? Therefore "you shall provide redemption for the Land," so that it might be redeemed from its sale and your brother will be saved from poverty and possible enslavement. Today, people are not given an ancestral heritage in Israel, but if your brother becomes impoverished and is about to lose his house, his Land, or his business, you should provide redemption for his property. So that if he acquires enough to redeem it, or his brother will come to his aid and redeem his property, then he will have the opportunity to repossess it, before it passes on to someone else. Social Welfare: "...At the end of three years you shall take out every tithe of your crop in that year and set it down within your gates. Then the Levite can come--for he has no portion or inheritance with you--and the proselyte, the orphan, and the widow who are within your gates, so they may eat and be satisfied, in order that Hashem, your G-d, will Bless you in all your handiwork that you will undertake." (Deuteronomy 14:28-29). Setting aside a tithe for the poor is the basis of a welfare system. Those who don't have a means to support themselves, must be provided for--such as the orphan, the widow, and the recent immigrant, or a convert who is alone, like an orphan. Also the old, who are like children and must be taken care of--if they are in need of support, they must be provided for. Modern society is quite adept to this responsibility, and there's no need to expand upon it. Rather, the welfare system should be monitored for efficiency and honesty, that people should not labor to provide free rides and fuel for corruption. Remission of loans: "At the end of seven years you shall institute a remission. This is the matter of the remission: Every creditor shall remit his authority over what he has lent his fellow; he shall not press his fellow or his brother, for He Has Proclaimed a remission for Hashem. You may press the gentile; but over what you have with your brother, you shall remit your authority. However, may there be no destitute among you; rather, Hashem will surely Bless you in the Land that Hashem, your G-d, will Give you as an inheritance, to posses it, only if you will hearken to the Voice of Hashem, your Judge, to observe, to perform this entire Commandment that I command you today. For Hashem, your G-d, has Blessed you as He Has Told you; you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow; and you will dominate many nations, but they will not dominate you. "If there shall be a destitute person among you, any of your brethren in any of your cities, in your Land that Hashem, your Judge, Gives you, you shall not harden your heart or close your hand against your destitute brother. Rather, you shall open your hand to him; you shall lend him his requirement, whatever is lacking to him. Beware lest there be a Lawless thought in your heart, saying, 'The seventh year approaches, the remission year,' and you will look malevolently upon your destitute brother and refuse to give him--then he may appeal against you to Hashem, and it will be a sin upon you. You shall surely give him, and let your heart not feel bad when you give him, for in return for this matter, Hashem, your G-d, Will Bless you in all your deeds and in your every undertaking. For destitute people will not cease to exist within the Land; therefore I command you, saying, 'You shall surely open your hand to your brother, to your poor, and to your destitute in your Land.' If your brother, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, will be sold to you, he shall serve you for six years, and in the seventh year you shall send him away from you free..." (Deuteronomy 15:1-12). The purpose of the remission year, the Sabbatical year, was to free the enslaved people of Israel. If your brother became impoverished and was sold to you as a result of his debts, then you would remit your authority over all that is owed so that your brother would be free. Today there is no slavery. If a person becomes impoverished and is overwhelmed with debt, he can file for bankruptcy immediately, rather than wait until the remission year for his debts to be cleared. However, bankruptcy is a state of poverty and should only be seen as a last resort. Rather than force your brother into bankruptcy, which is bad for everyone, you should remit your authority in the seventh year. Not over the principle amount that is owed, but rather over the interest that a creditor would collect. That way a poor person would be able to pay off his debts, rather than be enslaved by the interest that collects. This way the seventh year will help clear the record of the destitute, giving them rest from their debts and freedom for the future. And if the remission year approaches, and a destitute person from among your brothers will need your help, then you should surely give him; as you should strengthen your destitute brother and not seek to profit off his misfortune. He will repay you according to his means; and do not press him. Concern for property of brother: "You shall not see the ox of your brother or his sheep or goat cast off, and hide yourself from them; you shall surely return them to your brother. If your brother is not near you and you do not know him, then gather it inside your house, and it shall remain with you until your brother inquires after it, and you return it to him. So shall you do for his donkey, so shall you do for his garment, and so shall you do for any lost article of your brother that may become lost from him and you find it; you shall not hide yourself. You shall not see the donkey of your brother or his ox falling on the road and hide yourself from them; you shall surely stand them up, with him." (Deuteronomy 22:1-4). Liability for borrowing and safekeeping: "If a man shall give money or vessels to his fellow to safeguard, and it is stolen from the house of the man, if the thief is found he shall pay double. If the thief is not found, then the householder shall approach the court that he had not laid a hand upon his fellow's property. For every item of liability--whether an ox, a donkey, a sheep, or a garment--regarding any lost item about which he says, 'This is it!' to the court shall come both their claims. Whomever the court finds guilty shall pay double to his fellow." (Exodus 22:6-8). If a man safeguards his brother's possessions, without pay, then he is not liable to insure cases beyond his control. But if he uses his brother's possession, then he would be responsible for it, and this a matter to be decided in court. "If a man shall give his fellow a donkey or an ox or a sheep or any animal to safeguard, and it died or was broken or was carried off in a raid, without an eyewitness; an oath of Hashem shall be between them both that he did not lay his hand upon the property of his fellow; the owner shall accept it and he shall not pay. But if it shall be stolen from him, he shall pay to its owner. If it shall be torn to death, he shall produce a witness; for a torn animal he does not pay." (Exodus 22:9-12). When a man safeguards his brother's possession for pay, than this is an insurance policy. If the animal dies of natural causes, or the object was broken, or lost in war, and the man had no control over these occurrences, then he is not liable to pay. However, "if it is stolen from him, he shall pay to its owner," since he was hired to safeguard against such an event. But if the animal was killed by a wild beast, then he should provide evidence, and will not be liable since, like a raid or a war, it is out of his control. Of course, today's liability cases are much more complex and our insurance policies can cover much more; but these verses should serve as the basis for judgement. "If a man shall borrow from his fellow and it shall become broken or shall die--provided its owner is not with him--he shall surely make restitution. If its owner is with him, he shall not make restitution. If he was a renter, it came in return for his rental." (Exodus 22:13-14). A person who borrows from his fellow is completely responsible for the item, while the owner is not there. But a renter, who pays for its use, is paying for its insurance. Matters are more complicated today, but we have a more complex system of handling it. Nonetheless, this is the basis for judgement. Damages and liability: "If an ox shall gore a man or woman and he shall die, the ox shall surely be stoned; its flesh may not be eaten and the owner of the ox shall be innocent. But if it was an ox that gored habitually from yesterday and the day before yesterday, and its owner had been warned but did not guard it, and it killed a man or woman, the ox shall be stoned and even its owner shall die. When an atonement-payment shall be assessed against him, he shall pay as a redemption for his life whatever shall be assessed against him. Whether it gores a boy or it gores a girl, in accordance with this judgement shall be done to him..." (Exodus 21:28-32). An animal that kills a person cannot be allowed to live, nor can its flesh be consumed, that anyone should be pleased by it. But if the owner had been warned and did not guard the animal, then he is at fault, and it can no longer be considered an accident. If the case is more complex and the owner is not completely at fault, then an atonement-payment can be assessed against him, which he will pay as a redemption for his life. This case serves as a basis for similar accidents, with liability for personal harm. "If a man shall uncover a pit, or if a man shall dig a pit and not cover it, and an ox or a donkey fall into it, the owner of the pit shall make restitution. He shall return money to its owner, and the carcass shall be his." (Exodus 21:33-34). This is the basis of liability with regards to damages. "If one man's ox shall strike his fellow's ox which dies, they shall sell the living ox and divide its money, and the carcass, too, shall they divide. But if it becomes known that it was an ox that had gored habitually, from yesterday and before yesterday, but its owner did not guard it, he shall surely pay an ox in place of the ox, and the carcass shall be his." (Exodus 21:35-36). If no person is at fault, then the liability is divided. But if one is at fault, for negligence, then only he is liable for the damage. Safety precautions: "If you build a new house, you shall make a fence for your roof, so that you will not place blood in your house if a fallen one falls from it." (Deuteronomy 22:8). In order to prevent an accident, you should take safety precautions, so that you will not be liable for negligence and carelessness. If you use your roof as a balcony, then you must build a fence around it; as you should build a fence around your pool or a barrier before a steep stairway, if need be; since you are liable for dangerous circumstances on your property.