Rabbi Daniel Siegel

What’s the Difference?

For Judaism, only in seeing a difference can we make a difference.

It is popularly believed that the phrase “From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs” originated with Karl Marx, who came from a long line of rabbis on both sides of his family.

While this slogan was first used by the socialist Louis Blanc, it is believed that Moses Hess, one of the founding fathers of socialist Zionism, earlier dubbed the “Red Rabbi” for his Marxist views, espoused this formula in a less concise form.

This maxim, however, can be found quite a bit earlier- in this week’s parashah, Re’eh.

Speaking of the disparity of means and the needy within one’s community, Re’eh says: “You must open your hand, providing the needy according to his needs.” Our parashah closes with the reminder that “each must give according to his capacity/ability, as blessed by God”.

Distributive justice requires that we not be indifferent to difference. We must recognise differing capacities/abilities even as we are to be sensitive to differing needs/deficiencies.

It is said that Moses Hess was the inspirer of the kibbutz movement. Upon the founding of the State of Israel, his remains were transferred from Cologne (Germany) and re-interred in the cemetery of the first Kibbutz, Kevutsat Kinneret.

According to our parashah, a kibbutz which was to live the imperative “from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs”, would be the most caring of collectives.

Just distribution in such a society fosters equity rather than equality.

And, that’s the difference!