Doing Without

Better is a little with righteousness than great income with injustice. Proverbs 16:8

Injustice – Some things we can do without.  This proverb tells us that one of those things is belo mishpat.  We can do without “without justice.”  While our translation provides us with the correct English equivalent, the Hebrew thought is made up of two separate words, beliy and mishpatBeliy is the negative particle that means “not” or “without.”  Mishpat is the noun that encompasses a wide range of generally legal concepts.  It can mean a judgment, a legal decision, a claim, a legal case or proper conduct.  It covers the ground from correct legal procedures to the character of righteousness.  Mishpat is what we want and what we desperately need.  It is often associated with tsedaqah, righteousness, the passionate concern for justice, especially for the oppressed.  In fact, that is the contrast in this verse.  Even the smallest amount of righteousness is better than great wealth achieved without justice.

We may nod in agreement, believing that those who cheat, steal and lie in order to gain are reprehensible and deserve punishment.  They are the perpetrators of injustice.  But mishpat has a much bigger extension.  To gain belo mishpat is to gain through any means that does not exhibit righteousness, that does not align with the character of God.  What kind of gain might that be?

Well, what about the gains that come through deceptive advertising?  What about the gain from shaving corners on quality?  What about the gain from leveraged compulsion?  What about the gain from legislated advantage, lobbying or nepotism?  What about gains from misrepresented expenses or manipulated financials?  What about misreported income, inflated stock prices or marketing hype?  What about gains derived from deliberate emotional appeals, playing to the buyer’s fears or using disguised tactics for manipulation?  Are all of these common practices belo mishpat?  Yes.  Are they part of your world?

Once again we are reminded of Abraham Heschel’s damning insight.  “The most urgent task is to destroy the myth that accumulation of wealth and the achievement of comfort are the chief vocations of man.”[1] The biggest hurdle is that most people in our culture act on the principle of “the end justifies the means.”  Our political system is rampant with this justification from hell.  When we participate in the rewards from a system whose very existence depends on belo mishpat, we stand in opposition to God.  My friend Micah once remarked that he didn’t think he could continue to live in America.  Surprised, I asked why.  He replied, “Just being here means that I participate in a culture based in the acceptance of unrighteousness.  I might object, but I still participate.  I pay into this system.  I work for this system.  I am part of it.  It makes me feel like I need a bath.”

Topical Index: belo mishpat, injustice, righteousness, Proverbs 16:8


[1] Abraham Heschel, Moral Grandeur and Spiritual Audacity, p. 31.

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Mary

Capitalists may beg to differ. Isn’t this what made this nation great and is causing formerly “depressed/oppressed” nations to “prosper” in spite of the topsy turvy world economy? Hasn’t this become one of the major doctrines of modern Christianity today…your best life now…health, wealth and prosperity American style? This is the mantra we chanted with amazing results until….well, reality strikes with amazing accuracy, and the untamed thoughts and intents of men are revealed!
“I pledge allegiance to the …with liberty and justice for all” May we fill in the blanks.

Good post, Skip.

Ian Hodge

Torah demands honesty in weights and measures, among other things. The biggest problem our world faces is dishonesty in weights and measures when it comes to money. The value of our money is manipulated. At one time this was called inflation, and everyone new what caused prices to rise. Today inflation means something else, our money is devalued through fractional reserve banking and credit expansion . . . and the people don’t know what’s going on, and longer term planning is more difficult, if not impossible.

While this dishonesty is going on, led by our political leaders and ignored by our spiritual leaders, the items you suggest are insignificant drops in the bucket. That doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be changed. But the underlying assumptions of our economy need to be challenged constantly with Torah.

Thanks for the reminder.

Michael

“the items you suggest are insignificant drops in the bucket.”

Hi Ian,

I think you make a good point about the money, but your “drops in the bucket” metaphor doesn’t make sense.

Skip’s point seems to be that if the ends justify the means, then the “system” becomes corrupt.

That is to say all the water in the tub is dirty and there is no place to take a bath.

At this point in the USA, listening to the talking heads, they all seem to agree on one thing.

The American Dream means that we are free to make as much money as we want.

In my view the problem with this approach is that the .0000001% of the folks with the 200 pt IQs.

They go to MIT, get a PhD in economics, head off to Wall Street, and then play Monopoly.

On the other end of the spectrum we have the Tea Party (Think Mad Hatter).

It is pretty scary, because this is real life, not just a movie.

Ian Hodge

The central banks don’t devalue the currency. They provide the control of what percent the banks must hold in reserve. Then the banks wait for the borrowers to arrive at the lender’s desk so they can lend up to their permitted fractional allowance. If people refuse to borrow, then credit expansion cannot occur. Individuals can have an impact on devaluation of the currency: people can stop it in its tracks. But they won’t do this while the Torah’s view on usury, in addition to just weights and measures, does not guide them.

Take care “down under”. The natives, though, are friendly.

Michael

“stop operating on credit. Stop borrowing.”

Seems to me that Obama is failing to articulate this message.

He is afraid that the American people “can’t handle the truth!”

Judi Baldwin

Hi Skip… hope your friend Micah doesn’t jump ship. I’m guessing he’ll be hard pressed to find a corner of the earth that doesn’t participate in the acceptance of unrighteousness (in one form or another.) AND, we need all the soldiers in God’s army that we can gather, to put on their armor and fight the good fight!

Mary

The American Dream means that we are free to make as much money as we want.

Yes we ARE free to make as much money as we want. That within itself does not appear to be the problem. The heart of man leans toward being seduced by greed and that monster within is never satisfied. Stockpiling money in the form of bank accounts, things and status are the outward signs but the power of manipulating others lives is at the core. We want others to be attracted to us or at least who they think we are, or what we have, or what has been accomplished-that should make them look up to us as an American Idol. Without surrendering the entitlement that comes with the deed to the American Dream, we end up serving the idol of self. The saddest part, the Christian nation identified as America has exported this religion globally and will not repent. We say our society was founded on Judeo-Christian principles. I find that statement almost comical in light of the secularization of both Christianity and government. If that were true, we would NOT be in the shape we are in spiritually or societally. Where is the power of the gospel?

Drew

Indeed brother Skip and true!

I recently debated the very nature of our constitution and declaration of independence from the perspective that it really does not reflect the Jewish way … as you depict!

Sadly … our version of pursuing life, liberty and happiness does not align with the Master of all creation … does it? Our version which empowers “people” … the “individual” … is thoroughly Greek … not Hebrew and certainly not the vision of YHVH as revealed in The WORD!

Seriously folks … take a long hard look at our core political doctrine and supporting artifacts … you might be surprised when you stack these declarations up against Torah!

Ian Hodge

“Thoroughly Greek”? The Reformation Catechisms quoted a lot of Torah in their explanation of how we should live. Maybe they should have quoted more. But “thoroughly Greek” seems an overstatement.

Ian Hodge

Skip, your comment above is stating what we should not do, which is correct. Torah, on the other hand, tells us what we are supposed to do. Just weights and measures. No Usury. Money by weight (commodity) and not paper or computer blips. Sabbath year release of debt by lender. Radical ideas, aren’t they, in comparison to our culture?

Godwin Ude

Pursuit of life, liberty and happiness mean something different today than what the founding fathers of America intended. We are now victims of a diabolic social re-engineering that promote unrighteous and injustice wholesale, as the so-called American Dream. May be it is time to redefine what this so called Dream is all about.

Michael

“Pursuit of life, liberty and happiness mean something different today than what the founding fathers of America intended. We are now victims of a diabolic social re-engineering”

Hi Godwin,

I don’t have any answers for how to improve things, but in general one could argue that we have the same meanings of life, liberty, and happiness today.

And I don’t think we have undergone much social re-engineering, because that term implies a rational approach to improving the system.

On the contrary, it seems to me that things are coming apart; that the USA is becoming more or less “Balkanized,” and that we are moving toward the Tower of Babel.

Over the weekend, I listened to Colin Powell and Bill Clinton on Meet the Press and they both seemed so much more rational, in control of the facts, and somewhat reassuring, when compared to the current representatives of both parties.

And I don’t think we have to redefine what the so called Dream is all about, as long as liberty does not mean every man for himself..

With the caveat above, One nation under God, with liberty and iustice for all, would be just fine with me 🙂

Patrick (Skip's Tech Geek)

“The most urgent task is to destroy the myth that accumulation of wealth and the achievement of comfort are the chief vocations of man.”

Powerful.

I have to repent…

This line made me realize that I’ve recently been operating in a “skills gathering” mode. Why? Truly, I can say that it’s not with intentions to “build up a storehouse.” I’ve shed that goal from my MO two years ago after several conversations with Skip (while we taking pictures in Guatemala) about how all this “stuff” boils down to either trying to create predictable outcome for yourself, or trusting God each day.

Well, it just hit me that “skills gathering” has been my “storehouse” for awhile because I’ve been doing it with the wrong motivation: I was doing it just in case I can’t trust God some day… and maybe I have to stand in a bread line, or collect an unemployment check, or ask for a handout… or…

How easy it is to commit idolatry. I turn away. Starting right now, I am learning with an entirely new motivation. 😀

Thank you heavenly Father, once again, for your hesed.

Michael

“The most urgent task is to destroy the myth that accumulation of wealth…. ”
““skills gathering”… with the wrong motivation”
“trying to create predictable outcome for yourself, or trusting God each day.”

Hi Patrick,

You make some very good points and I’m happy to see that you are focused on them!

Just to share my own experience with your points, I don’t think I ever believed that “the accumulation of wealth and the achievement of comfort were the chief vocations of man.”

But I have gone through a number of phases in which my focus was on “skills gathering” and I think this process is becoming more necessary just to survive and especially to raise a family in our post modern world of globalization.

At the same time, I agree that trying to create a predictable outcome for yourself is not as important as trusting God each day.

In my experience, I have found it impossible to create a predictable outcome for myself, so I wouldn’t recocommend worrying about it in the first place 🙂

It has taken me all my life to have the clarity that you have now, so at least in comparison to me you are off to a great start!

carl roberts

With each passing day (and each passing moment) we are given a choice. These words were written “long ago and far away, but are they not applicable and “fresh” as if they were said to us this very moment: “But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24.15)
Sometime today, go back and review Deuteronomy chapter 11. G-d (who is in
capable of a lie), is making a promise to His people. Yes, it is “if/then,” but it is also “Amen.”
Why don’t we try something radical such as “listening to and obeying YHWH?” This, my dear family is wisdom. This is the pathway that leads into life, liberty,love and laughter. Listen once again to the mother of Yeshua: -His mother said to the servants, (that’s us!) -“Do whatever he tells you.” (John 2.5) One (very familiar) word: “Shema.” Listen and obey.
I cannot obey for you, or for that matter even for my own children. But, this I know- the best thing I could possibly do for my children,wife,neighbors,co-workers,community, is to obey G-d.
To obey G-d is to walk by faith. “Faith” is our right-response to what G-d says. And that “right-response is obedience. “By faith Abraham, when he was called, obeyed..” (Hebrews 11:8)