Today's daf TB Beitzah 32 quotes Rabbi Natan bar Abba. Not much is known about him. He was a second-generation Babylonian amora and was a student of Rav (Baba Metzia 41a) he also sat before Shmuel (TY Avodah Zara at the end of chapter 2). He didn't have a good opinion of the wealthy Jews of Babylonia because they failed what I would call the Abraham challenge.
"§ After citing one teaching in the name of Rav Natan bar Abba, the Gemara quotes a few more statements attributed to the same scholar. Since he is not mentioned often, Rav Natan’s teachings are arranged together, so that they can be remembered more easily. Rav Natan bar Abba said that Rav said: The wealthy Jews of Babylonia will descend to Gehenna because they do not have compassion on others. This is illustrated by incidents such as this: Shabbetai bar Marinus happened to come to Babylonia. He requested their participation in a business venture, to lend him money and receive half the profits in return, and they did not give it to him. Furthermore, when he asked them to sustain him with food, they likewise refused to sustain him.
“He said: These wealthy people are not descendants of our forefathers, but they came from the mixed multitude, as it is written: “And show you compassion, and have compassion upon you, and multiply you, as He has sworn to your fathers” (Deuteronomy 13:18), from which it is derived: Anyone who has compassion for God’s creatures, it is known that he is of the descendants of Abraham, our father, and anyone who does not have compassion for God’s creatures, it is known that he is not of the descendants of Abraham, our father. Since these wealthy Babylonians do not have compassion on people, clearly they are not descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” (Sefaria.org translation)
We pride ourselves as being compassionate people the descendants of compassionate people. Rashi comments that God endows every person's heart with compassion so that he/she will show compassion to others. He adds so that the Holy One Blessed be He doesn't give a person something completely brand-new, but adds to was what already there. The descendants of the founding Fathers and Mothers of Israel already have an inheritance-the quality of compassion and God increases it. Tosefot quoting Midrash Eikha Rabbah writes that he whom God gives compassion in his heart for others is a sign that God has compassion for him.
In this morning's Torah reading Cain kills his brother Abel in a fit of jealous rage. God confronts him and asks where is his brother. Cain answers, "Am I my brother's keeper?" The unstated answer is yes you are your brothers keeper.
We are faced with a multitude of challenges like poverty, hunger, asylum-seekers and other immigrants. We need to step up to this Abraham challenge and say yes I am my brother's keeper and will do whatever I possibly can to ameliorate the problem.
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