My Rabbi Hat

This week, Parashat Mishpatim, I can’t resist putting on my Rabbi hat and sharing my commentary, because this Parasha contains the core of Jewish ethics and the secret of Jewish survival.

The verse I am targeting is: Ve Ger Lo Tilchats, VeAtem Yedaatem et nefesh hager, Ki Ger Hayita Beerets Mitrayim. “And thou shall not oppress the stranger, and you know how it feels to be a stranger, because you were a stranger in the land of Egypt.” The message is clear: Universal morality emanates from personal empathy — “you know how it feels to be a stranger.”

Universal morality emanates from personal empathy — “you know how it feels to be a stranger.”

And where does personal empathy emanate from? Here comes the second part to answer those who argue, “I am an American, and never been a stranger anywhere” and reminds them: “personal empathy emanates not from personal experience but from our collective, peoplehood memory.”

Individual experience is not rich enough to cope with the complexity of human life and the ups and downs of human history. Collective memory is what is needed. “You were once a stranger in the land of Egypt, we all were there, remember?”

Our record, performance, survival and resilience attest to the power and wisdom of this symbiosis of universal values and people-based memories.

Judea Pearl is a UCLA professor and president of the Daniel Pearl Foundation (www.danielpearl.org), named after his son. He and his wife, Ruth, are editors of “I Am Jewish: Personal Reflections Inspired by the Last Words of Daniel Pearl” (Jewish Light, 2004), winner of the National Jewish Book Award.