Justice and Human Rights

Rabbi Jill Jacobs has written a very interesting and informative article.

"At first glance, the language of rights and the language of obligations seem to be at odds with one another. One asks, “What does each person deserve?” and the other asks, “What must each person give?” I choose instead to see rights and obligations as necessary complements to one another. Having a right does us little good if no individual, community, or government bears responsibility for ensuring our access to that right. On the flip side, there would be little incentive to take on obligations toward another person if we did not fundamentally believe in that person’s right to a certain standard of living."

Read complete article at -- http://www.shma.com/2011/11/justice-and-human-rights/

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