Socijalna pravda u starom jevrejskom zakonodavstvu

Abstract

Ideje, za čije se ostvarenje na cijelom svijetu danas bore najbolji duhovi, ideje slobode, jednakosti i bratstva, nisu, kako se to općenito smatra, tekovina francuske revolucije, nego su starije od najstarijih državnih tvorevina današnjeg kulturnog svijeta. Te ideje ostvarili su Jevreji kroz moćno zakonodavstvo još u doba iz kojega nemamo uopće nikakve historijske predaje o većini naroda Evrope. Socijalna pravda tvorila je vazda osnovnu karakteristiku pravog jevrejstva, koja se, doduše, u razna vremena i u različitim okolnostima, očitovala na raznorazne načine, ali je ipak uvijek ostala karakterističan značaj jevrejstva. Tako Mojsije, prema predanju, započinje svoje djelovanje kao socijalni osloboditelj svoga naroda daleko ranije nego što mu donosi vjersko poslanje. On obilazi svoju braću i vidi njihov ropski rad. Odgojen kao misirski kraljević, koji je sretnim okolnostima umjesto bijednog života roba upoznao odgoj i užitke kraljevskog dvora, Mojsije još uvijek smatra robove, koji stenju pod teškim telesnim radom, svojom braćom i posvećuje im svoj život. Kruna svih socijalnih ustanova bila je subota. U Tori se subota smatra čisto socijalnom institucijom. Subota je dan odmora; njeno dobročinstvo treba da koristi naročito radnoj i socijalno zapostavljenoj klasi. U novo organiziranoj jevrejskoj zajednici, koja je imala manje politički, a više vjerski karakter, bilo je konačno ostvareno, što do tada ni opomene proroka, ni zakonske odredbe nisu mogle da provedu: jevrejska općina, u kojoj je svako bio slobodan i ravnopravan, općina, čiji je temelj bio monoteizam, a cilj socijalna pravda.

Ideas, whose achievements in the whole world today are fought by the best spirits, ideas of freedom, equality, and fraternity, are not, as it is generally considered, the property of the French Revolution, but are older than the oldest state creations of the cultural world today. Jews realized these ideas through powerful legislation from an era from which we have no historical record of most of the peoples of Europe. Social justice always formed the basic characteristic of true Jewry, which, although at different times and under different circumstances, manifested itself in various ways, but nevertheless always remained the characteristic significance of Jewry. Thus, according to legend, Moses begins his work as a social liberator of his people far earlier than his religious mission. He visits his brothers and sees their slave labor. Raised as the prince of Misir, who, under fortunate circumstances, brought to the place of the poor slave's life the upbringing and pleasures of the royal court, Moses still considers slaves, who groan under hard physical labor, his brothers, and dedicate their lives to them. The crown of all social institutions was Saturday (Shabat). Saturday, in the Torah, is considered a purely social institution. Saturday is a day of rest; its charity should benefit especially the working and socially disadvantaged class. In the newly organized Jewish community, which had a less political and more religious character, it was finally realized, which until then neither the warnings of the prophets nor the legal provisions could enforce: a Jewish community, in which everyone was free and equal, a community, which was based on monotheism and aimed at social justice.