Deuteronomy 21: [13] And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife. [14] And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her.— Deuteronomy 21:13–14
Compassion is one of Judaism’s highest values and this caring concern and empathy for our fellow human beings is considered one of the three distinguishing marks of being Jewish.
As a friend of Israel, you, like me, are probably frustrated by the slanted media coverage of Israel. The media loves to portray Israel as an aggressive enemy of her Arab neighbors, but that picture is very far from the truth.
For example, even though Israel is officially at war with Syria ever since Syria’s civil war began a few years ago, Israel has been quietly treating injured Syrians, who are often secretly brought across the border to Israeli hospitals. What’s more, Israel treats the injured at its own expense.
One Israeli hospital administrator said, “For us they are patients who need immediate help or they will die. And it makes no difference where they come from, or whether they’re combatants or civilians.” The Truest Test of Compassion
Treating our enemies with kindness is part of our tradition, going all the way back to the Torah itself. We read in the Book of Deuteronomy, “[13] And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife. [14] And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her..”
According to the Torah, a woman captured in war was to be given 30 days to mourn her family, and only after that time, if the soldier truly wished to make her his wife, could he then marry her. Otherwise, she was to be set free.
A few verses later we learn that an Israelite found guilty of a capital offense must be put to death. The Jewish sages comment that these two laws are side by side to teach us that we are to treat all people fairly. Everyone, even our enemies, must be treated with justice and with mercy.
Treating our enemies with kindness is the truest test of compassion. We need to forgive those who have hurt us, but the Bible encourages us to go even further. We are to help, assist, and treat our former “enemies” with kindness and dignity. Your Turn: Is there someone in your life who has hurt you in the past? Consider how you can let go of that painful memory and embrace the person with love.
[14] And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her.— Deuteronomy 21:13–14
Compassion is one of Judaism’s highest values and this caring concern and empathy for our fellow human beings is considered one of the three distinguishing marks of being Jewish.
As a friend of Israel, you, like me, are probably frustrated by the slanted media coverage of Israel. The media loves to portray Israel as an aggressive enemy of her Arab neighbors, but that picture is very far from the truth.
For example, even though Israel is officially at war with Syria ever since Syria’s civil war began a few years ago, Israel has been quietly treating injured Syrians, who are often secretly brought across the border to Israeli hospitals. What’s more, Israel treats the injured at its own expense.
One Israeli hospital administrator said, “For us they are patients who need immediate help or they will die. And it makes no difference where they come from, or whether they’re combatants or civilians.”
The Truest Test of Compassion
Treating our enemies with kindness is part of our tradition, going all the way back to the Torah itself. We read in the Book of Deuteronomy, “[13] And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife.
[14] And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her..”
According to the Torah, a woman captured in war was to be given 30 days to mourn her family, and only after that time, if the soldier truly wished to make her his wife, could he then marry her. Otherwise, she was to be set free.
A few verses later we learn that an Israelite found guilty of a capital offense must be put to death. The Jewish sages comment that these two laws are side by side to teach us that we are to treat all people fairly. Everyone, even our enemies, must be treated with justice and with mercy.
Treating our enemies with kindness is the truest test of compassion. We need to forgive those who have hurt us, but the Bible encourages us to go even further. We are to help, assist, and treat our former “enemies” with kindness and dignity.
Your Turn:
Is there someone in your life who has hurt you in the past? Consider how you can let go of that painful memory and embrace the person with love.