Jewish ethical thought: mitzvot, virtues, and moral responsibility

Jewish ethical thought is rooted in the mitzvot, the commandments of the Torah as interpreted by the rabbinic tradition, and in a body of virtues and obligations toward others. It articulates central notions such as gemilut hasadim (acts of disinterested kindness), tsedakah (justice and charity), tikkun olam (repair of the world), and collective responsibility (areivut). The Musar movement, developed in the 19th century in Lithuania under the impetus of Rabbi Israel Salanter, made the cultivation of moral qualities a central axis of religious life. This ethical tradition permeates both halakhic literature and moral philosophy. In the contemporary era, it nourishes the reflection of thinkers such as Emmanuel Levinas, who extended certain of its intuitions into a philosophy of responsibility toward the other.

Sources & resources

• Encyclopaedia Judaica — 2e éd., Keter/Macmillan
• Sefaria ↗