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April 08, 1994 - Image 30

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
The Detroit Jewish News, 1994-04-08

Disclaimer: Computer generated plain text may have errors. Read more about this.

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Selective Kindness
Is Highly Prejudicial

RABBI MORTON F. YOLKUT SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

I

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n this week's Torah portion,
we find a detailed and com-
prehensive list of kosher and
forbidden animals, fish and
fowl. Ramban. (Nachmanides)
in his commentary observes
that the forbidden fowl are all
birds of prey and their cruel
habits render them unfit for our
unique, spiritual diet.
This interesting explanation
presents a problem. For among
the prohibited birds, there is
one which is reputed to be gen-
erous and kindly, busily en-
gaged in delivering "bundles of
joy" to grateful parents — the
stork. Jewish tradition also
seems to attest to the noble
character of this remarkable
bird. The Hebrew word for
stork is hasidah. This name is
derived from the word hesed
which means loving kindness.
Why is the stork called hasi-
dah? The Talmud explains:
"Sheosah hasidut im havroteha
—because it shows kindness to
its own kind, by sharing food
with other storks (B.T. Hulin
63a)."
What could be a nicer, a more
sublime name for a bird? But
the obvious question is, if, ac-
cording to Nachmanides, the
reason the prohibited birds are
not eaten is because they are
predatory and cruel, what can
we say of the stork? Why is this
ostensibly kindly and sympa-
thetic bird treife? Doesn't it
deserve to be included among
the kosher rather than the for-
bidden fowl?
The great Chasidic master,
the Kotzker Rebbe, answers
that it is because the hasidah
shows kindness only to its own
kind. It shares its food only with
its close companions. It is con-
cerned only with the needs of
its own immediate group. This
selective and parochial type of
kindness is, in fact, an extreme
form of cruelty. Generosity ex-
tended to favorites only, while
withholding it from others, is
not hesed, but discrimination
and cruelty. True kindness
must be indiscriminate — who-
ever needs help is deserving.
In our interpersonal rela-
tionship, we must guard against
this ubiquitous distortion of the
concept of kindness. Hesed is
a quality of character that res-
onates out of a recognition of the
innate dignity of all peoples. It
rests on the assumption that all
human beings are worthy of
humane consideration, regard-

Morton Yolkut is rabbi of Congre-
gation B'nai David.

less of color, creed or class. Once
we begin to make distinctions
among groups or individuals as
a prerequisite for considerate
treatment, we deny the hu-
manity of all men and under-
mine the foundation of ethical
behavior. Discriminatory kind-
ness becomes an act of preju-
dice, all the more cruel and
ruthless because it pretends to
be kindness.
Legion are the examples in
Jewish history of this subtle, yet
painful, form of cruelty and dis-
crimination. We are a people
that has suffered not only from
undisguised inhuman brutality,
but also the type that parades
as kindness. We are the victims
not only of Nazi bestiality, but
also of nations with pretentions
to kindness, whose "kindness"
somehow never reached the
Jews in their midst. We have

Shabbat Shemini:
Leviticus 9:1-11:47
II Samuel 6:1 7:17.

-

known the anguish of living
with peoples whose concern
never extended to their Jewish
neighbors. Our history has
taught us how insidious this
stork-like kindness can be,
which favors its own kind, and
is only capable of selective
goodness.
The hasidah teaches us a
vital lesson. Its ability to feel
and care is limited only to those
that are of its own kind and for
this failure the Torah lists it
among the birds which we are
not allowed to eat.
Let this lesson inspire us to
extend the parameters of our
acts of hesed and concern
beyond our own kind, beyond
our own circle of family and
close friends. To justify our
existence we must extend our
deeds of loving-kindness to all
people, even as it is written in
the Psalms: "And His tender
mercies are over all His
works." ❑

Independence
Event Planned

Adat Shalom Synagogue mem-
bers will mark Israel Indepen-
dence Day at a congregational
service and dinner on April 15.
Reservations are required.
For costs, call the synagogue,
851-5100.

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