Voices of WRJ: B'har-B'chukotai

by Judy Silver Weisberg Sometimes we have to dig deep to find a connection of a particular parashah to contemporary society; but the lessons of B’har-B’chukotai are very clear and relevant. One theme revolves around the care of the land and distribution of its products. The portion states that the land must lie fallow every seventh year. Not only is this is good agricultural practice, but it reflects the supremacy of God, to whom Israel and the land belong. During this fallow time, “… you may eat whatever the land may produce—you, your male and female slaves, the hired and the bound laborers who lives with you, and your cattle and the beasts in your land may eat all its yield" (Leviticus 25:2-7). Another law in Leviticus mandates freedom from economic oppression. Just like the land, the people should observe a “Shabbat” in the 50th year. In this “Jubilee Year,” indentured Israelites were to be released from debt slavery, a common form of slavery in biblical times. In a nutshell, the theme is social justice: making sure that a healthy and safe food supply is available to all; employment opportunities are available, wages are fair and all past injustices be remedied. This message of treating others fairly resonates today. A day doesn’t go by without reports of injustice. Our world is in turmoil; people are starving, enslaved, and many are persecuted for political or religious beliefs. Education has a huge impact on one’s future financial success, but race and geography seem to play a larger part than we’re willing to acknowledge. A study by Harvard economists Raj Chetty and Nathaniel Hendren reveal that black males in poor neighborhoods will lag behind their white counterparts. And yet, the United States Senate passed a budget that would cut vital programs for the poor and could help repeal the Affordable Care Act. How to remedy pay inequity is another important issue. National Organization for Women President Terry O’Neill stated that while white women make 78 cents for every dollar a white man makes, their minority women counterparts fare worse. “African American women are paid 64 cents, and Latinas just 54 cents to every white man’s dollar,’’ said O’Neill, adding that, “Over a woman’s working lifetime, she will be cheated out of $700,000 -$2,000,000 in income due to these gender/race wage gaps.” So, it is especially disturbing that Senate Republicans recently blocked the Paycheck Fairness Act that would have narrowed the pay gap between minorities and non-minorities. Recently, several corporations, including Walmart and McDonalds, have raised their minimum wages for employees in response to workers’ demands. Did they just develop a social conscience? The cynical part of me says, hardly. The pay increases seems to be based on public relations rather than what is fair and right. The march toward economic empowerment may be stumbling rather than rumbling! So, how we can fulfill the message of B’har? We can make a difference through education, advocacy, and social action. On a personal level, we can make socially responsible decisions and support politicians who share our values. We can work individually or through organizations. WRJ has launched a Pay Equity Initiative to combat the injustice of pay inequity through legislative advocacy, social action, and education. Hopefully, your WRJ Districts and individual sisterhoods can incorporate these invaluable suggestions into your own advocacy and social action efforts. If you want to learn more about pay discrimination, attend the WRJ Assembly Nov. 4-8, 2015 in Orlando, FL! The keynote speaker will be Lilly Ledbetter, who is the Fair Pay Act of 2009's namesake. Judy Silver Weisberg is WRJ Mid-Atlantic District First Vice President and a past president of Bet Aviv Sisterhood in Columbia, MD.