In this episode of the 18Forty Podcast, we sit down with Rabbi Jeremy Wieder – rosh yeshiva, PhD, Bible professor, and passionate Orthodox moral voice – to discuss what the Torah has to say about social justice.

The Torah serves as a moral guidebook for many, with some citing the avos as exemplifying generosity, even towards those they didn’t know. One might therefore expect that those most engrossed in Torah learning would fight on the front lines for social justice issues, but many make the opposite association. It seems that there may be more to morality than studying Halakhah alone.

-What kind of morality does Halakhah espouse?
-Why is the Beit Midrash not typically associated with social justice if the Torah is our moral guidebook?
-Is Halakhah the only element to the picture the Torah paints of morality, or is there more?
-And as Halakhah is mostly immutable, to what degree, and in what fashion, can the Torah evolve in response to the times?

Tune in to hear Rabbi Jeremy Wieder share his ideas about the Torah’s view on social justice.

References:
Rabbi Jonathan Sacks interview with Tim Ferriss – https://tim.blog/2020/08/26/rabbi-lord-jonathan-sacks-2/
Rabbi Sacks interviews with David Bashevkin – https://ncsy.org/remembering-rabbi-sacks/
To Heal a Fractured World by Rabbi Sacks
Social Vision by Philip Wexler
There Shall Be No Needy by Rabbi Jill Jacobs

For more, visit https://18forty.org/socialjustice/#wieder.