Behar-Bechukotai 5785: Who Are You?

GOOD MORNING! A person’s job and income can significantly shape how they feel about themselves – no wonder, then, that it often plays a central role in identity, self-worth, and overall well-being. No one will be surprised that recent surveys show that three of the top five things causing stress in the American people’s lives are either financial or work-related: 1. Financial Concerns, 2. Work-Related Stress, 3. Health Issues, 4. National Political Climate, 5. Housing Costs.

The average length of a “work week” in different countries depends on a number of economic, social, and societal factors. In general, less-developed countries tend to have much longer work weeks, with many averaging 50+ hours per week. However, history has shown that weekly working hours decrease as prosperity and productivity rise. For example, in Germany, the average weekly working time for a full-time worker not employed in agriculture fell by almost 40 percent between 1870 and 2010.

But many drivers of long work weeks are not just financial; they are also cultural. The extreme “996” work culture in China, where employees work from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six days a week, has been linked to health problems and other issues, sparking national protests. South Korea, once idolizing marathon workdays, implemented a cap of 52 hours per week after realizing that people were quite literally working themselves to death (a phenomenon called gwarosa).

Small wonder, then, that both China and South Korea have among the lowest population birth rates in the world – about 0.7 (a birth rate of 2.1 is required to maintain a stable population). Both governments have generous incentive programs to try and promote a higher birth rate, but these efforts have been unsuccessful. Perhaps they should just study the Torah. Overworking one’s citizens was exactly Pharaoh’s plan to stem the population explosion of the nascent Jewish nation in the beginning of the book of Exodus.

The United States averages 38.8 hours per work week (not counting the hours spent pretending to work while on Zoom). Japan, despite its infamous work culture, has been trying to cut back, averaging 36.9 hours. Meanwhile, Germany keeps it efficient at around 34.5 hours, showing that you can make a world-class car and still clock out before 5 p.m. Important note: Research suggests that longer hours do not necessarily mean more productivity. According to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Germany works fewer hours than most industrialized countries but has one of the highest productivity rates.

I was surprised to learn that Mexico ranks third for the longest average work week, coming in at almost 46 hours per week. Mexicans are not typically known for their tendency to overwork. I had always heard that a “Mexican workaholic” was someone who, upon hearing the word “work,” broke out the Coronas and Modelos. (That crashing sound you hear is the collapse of my Mexican readership base as they unsubscribe en masse.)

People generally conflate their identity with what they do professionally. For example, when I ask men to tell me about themselves, they generally lead with, “I am a lawyer, teacher, doctor,” etc. Even though almost everyone will insist that the most important part of their lives is their family, they rarely begin with, “First and foremost, I am a father to four great kids and a husband to the most amazing woman.”

(Of course, if someone does not feel this way about their family, it may explain the omission. It reminds me of the line by comedian Jim Gaffigan, who began one of his shows by saying, “I am a father to three AMAZING kids…” At which point, the crowd roared enthusiastically. He then continued, “and then I have ANOTHER kid…”)

Of course, this week’s Torah reading has a relevant message that speaks to this very issue: “If your brother becomes impoverished and his hand falters…you shall hold on to him…” (Leviticus 25:35)

We find a puzzling Midrash on this verse which discusses one’s responsibility to help a poor person. The Midrash states that if we do not help a poor person now, the following year he will need much more help. It ends cryptically: if we neglect to fulfill our responsibility to help, we are actually robbing from the poor.

This requires clarification. How is not giving charity equivalent to stealing from the poor? It seems difficult to equate not giving charity with stealing; one is a sin of omission, the other a sin of commission.

We find a remarkably similar discussion in the Talmud (Brachot 6b) regarding an enigmatic admonition from the prophet Isaiah: “What you have stolen from the poor is in your houses” (Isaiah 3:14). The Talmud is bothered by the odd limitation of merely stealing from the poor. After all, stealing from the rich is also a terrible sin!

Additionally, it does not even make sense to steal from the poor; how much can one realistically take? (As the famous bank robber Willie Sutton supposedly answered when asked why he robs banks, “because that’s where the money is.”)

To explain what the prophet Isaiah meant when he criticized his generation for “stealing from the poor,” the Talmud makes a remarkable statement: “This is referring to a situation where someone greets you and you ignore him.” Ignoring someone’s friendly overture is improper, perhaps even boorish behavior, but why do the Jewish sages refer to this as stealing? What, in fact, was actually taken? And why is this specific to a poor person – wouldn’t this similarly be hurtful to most people?

The answer is that you took something very, very valuable; you took the person’s self-respect. By ignoring his friendly overture, you expressed exactly what you think of him – that he is not even worthy of a response. You denigrated his very existence. Obviously, this is very painful for anyone to experience, but it is particularly devastating for a poor person who already feels depressed about his situation and his stature.

When someone is particularly insecure about something, every slight – real or perceived – is filtered through that anxiety. When a person has a poor self-image, that insecurity is projected into almost every situational interaction with others. For example, in a marriage, one spouse may fly into a jealous rage because, deep down, they do not really understand why their spouse wants to be with them. (I am reminded of a patient who called his therapist, complaining, “My wife left me because I’m too insecure. Wait – hang on, she’s back – she just went to get a coffee.”)

The verse in this week’s Torah reading instructs us very explicitly on how we should view a fellow Jew who has fallen on hard times – “If your brother becomes impoverished…” In other words, we must treat someone who needs our help as we would a blood brother. When a person helps his brother, he does not consider it charity. In fact, a person ought to consider it a privilege to be able to help his family because he wants to see them succeed. Similarly, a child who receives help from his parents does not feel like a charity case. Quite the opposite, he feels love, support, and validation from his parents.

When we ignore the needs of a poor person, we are taking away his self-esteem and telling him that he is not worthy of our help. Destroying a person’s self-respect will predictably lead to dire consequences. A person with low self-esteem has no interest in improving his situation because he feels inadequate, incapable, and unworthy of better circumstances. This is why, if you do not help a poor person, the following year it becomes exponentially worse; destroying their self-esteem creates a devastating downward spiral.

Therefore, when we give charity, we must make every effort to ensure that the recipient does not feel like a charity case; he must feel that it is our honor to help because we believe in him and respect him. If a person knows that he has a backer who believes in him, he will inevitably “pull himself up by the bootstraps” and improve his own situation. The Torah is teaching us that the antidote to poverty is creating a relationship with someone who needs our help. Ultimately, this validation enables them to help themselves.

Because the root cause of a person’s insecurity is mostly related to how they perceive themselves, the greatest gift we can give someone is a way to feel better about themselves. Set aside a few minutes today and call some people you know are having a difficult time. Ask them how they are really doing, listen to them, and focus on making them feel valued and important. Even when interacting with strangers, acknowledge them, wave or nod in their direction. You will be certain to have made a positive impact on them, and in addition, you will be fulfilling our sages’ dictum: “Greet everybody with a cheerful and pleasant countenance.” (Ethics of our Fathers 1:15) – After all, that is the very essence of making everyone feel valued.

Behar-Bechukotai, Leviticus 25: 1 – 27:34

Behar begins with the laws of Shemitah, the Sabbatical year, where the Jewish people are commanded not to plant their fields or tend to them in the seventh year. Every 50th year is the Yovel (Jubilee year) when agricultural activity is also proscribed.

These two commandments fall into one of the seven categories of evidence that God gave the Torah. If the idea is to give the land a rest, then do not plant one-seventh of the land each year. To command an agrarian society to completely stop cultivating every seventh year one has to be either God or a meshugenah – a “crazy person.”

Also included in this portion: redeeming land that was sold, to strengthen your fellow Jew when his economic means are faltering, not to lend to your fellow Jew with interest, and the laws of indentured servants. The portion ends with the admonition to not make idols, to observe the Shabbat, and to revere the Sanctuary.

The second portion for this week, Bechukotai, begins with the multitude of blessings you will receive for keeping the commandments of the Torah (truly worth reading!). It also contains the tochachah, words of admonition: “If you will not listen to Me and will not perform all of these commandments […].” There are seven series of seven punishments each. Understand that God does not punish for punishment’s sake; He wants to get our attention so that we will introspect, recognize our errors, and correct our ways. God does not wish to destroy us or annul His covenant with us. He wants us to know that there are consequences for our every action. He also wants to get our attention so that we do not stray so far away that we assimilate and disappear as a nation. I highly recommend reading Leviticus 26:14 – 45 and Deuteronomy 28.

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