Knowing the Heart of the Stranger: Empathy, Remembrance, and Narrative in Jewish Reception of Exodus 22:21, Deuteronomy 10:19, and Parallels

With its exhortation “You shall also love the stranger (ger), for you were strangers (gerîm) in the land of Egypt” (Deut 10:19), the book of Deuteronomy helps cultivate a healthy and appreciative sense of past hardship, current prosperity, progress, and relative privilege. In contemporary culture, w...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Tzoref, Shani (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Sage Publ. [2018]
In: Interpretation
Year: 2018, Volume: 72, Issue: 2, Pages: 119-131
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Bible. Exodus 22,21 / Bible. Deuteronomium 10,19 / Rabbinic literature / Ger (Word) / Hospitality / Hospitality (Motif) / Foreigner / Immigrants
IxTheo Classification:BH Judaism
HB Old Testament
Further subjects:B Hospitality
B rabbinic exegesis
B Bible. Exodus 22,21
B Memory
B gerîm
B Empathy
B Immigrants
B Trauma
B Stranger
B Narrative
B Ger
B Imitatio Dei
B Continuity
B Identity
B Privilege
B Other
Online Access: Volltext (lizenzpflichtig)
Description
Summary:With its exhortation “You shall also love the stranger (ger), for you were strangers (gerîm) in the land of Egypt” (Deut 10:19), the book of Deuteronomy helps cultivate a healthy and appreciative sense of past hardship, current prosperity, progress, and relative privilege. In contemporary culture, where the term “privilege” has become an unfortunate source of contention, Deuteronomy might point a way for recognition of one's relative privilege in regard to an Other as a basis for gratitude and responsibility. This essay argues that we have gained “privilege” after having been immigrants and strangers in a strange land. Privilege could become an empowering and challenging exercise of counting one's blessings and considering how these could be used for the benefit of others, including strangers in our land.
ISSN:2159-340X
Contains:Enthalten in: Interpretation
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1177/0020964317749540