War Reparations

Consider the moral dilemma faced by the State of Israel and its citizens whether to accept war reparations from Germany.

Given what transpired during World War II in Germany, there was doubt amongst many of those who survived the war whether a governing entity could be trusted. In contrast, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, one of the foremost decisors of Jewish law, and resident on New York’s Lower East Side, referred to America as a “Malchut Shel Chessed,” a country of kindness, since Jews in America are free to practice their Judaism. In the second Mishna in this week’s third chapter of Pirkei Avot, Ethics of the Fathers, we are taught to pray for the welfare of the government because, absent a strong government instilling both fear and maintaining social order, people would swallow each other alive.

To learn more and broaden your ethical horizons, print out the third chapter of Ethics of the Fathers this afternoon and join thousands of fellow Jews around the globe who will be enjoying an uplifting experience and inspired discussions this Shabbat.