Performing a Mitzvah

There were some interesting letters to the WSJ in response to the opinion piece (Norman Podhoretz) on 9-11 which urged liberal Jews to "break free of the liberalism to which they have remained in thrall long past the point where it has served either their interests or their ideals." The writers responded about God's command for good works or mitzvah. Liberal Christians as well as Jews need to listen up here, because oddly enough, some Christians seem to think Jesus invented "good works" as the sum total of his ministry when in fact, nothing he said about how you treat your fellow man was new--he was reciting his religion--Judaism. As Podhoretz points out in his article

"Most American Jews sincerely believe that their liberalism, together with their commitment to the Democratic Party as its main political vehicle, stems from the teachings of Judaism and reflects the heritage of "Jewish values." But if this theory were valid, the Orthodox would be the most liberal sector of the Jewish community. After all, it is they who are most familiar with the Jewish religious tradition and who shape their lives around its commandments.

Yet the Orthodox enclaves are the only Jewish neighborhoods where Republican candidates get any votes to speak of. Even more telling is that on every single cultural issue, the Orthodox oppose the politically correct liberal positions taken by most other American Jews precisely because these positions conflict with Jewish law. To cite just a few examples: Jewish law permits abortion only to protect the life of the mother; it forbids sex between men; and it prohibits suicide (except when the only alternatives are forced conversion or incest)."

Yes, liberal Christians have the same viewpoint--they see the Democratic party as their vehicle to achieve their goals. (And to be fair, conservatives often see the Republican party that way although they are much more suspicious of government.) The readers wrote

"One cannot perform a mitzvah by having the government take one person's property and give it to another."

"There is no argument in the Torah that requires all people to be materially equal."

"The Torah demands personal responsibility from all Jews at whatever station they hold in life."

"The highest form of charity is giving a person independence (work) so that he or she will not have to depend on charity."

"Over the past 150 years classical liberalism and free-market capitalism revolutionized economies and did more to improve the conditions of the poor than any other competing system."

"No where does the Bible instruct us to tax others and rely on government to feed the hungry and clothe the naked."

Amen and amen.