Conference paper
BROTHERHOOD IN HUMANITY FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF GLOBAL MENTAL HEALTH: THE JEWISH VIEW
Kotel Dadon
orcid.org/0000-0002-3542-3754
; University of Zagreb, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Chair of Judaic studies, Zagreb, Croatia The Bet Israel Jewish Community of Croatia, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
This paper explores and discusses the Jewish view on brotherhood in humanity and its bond with global mental health. Human
brotherhood is one of the foundations of the Jewish religion and is widely found in the ethics of the Jewish prophets and in the
tradition of Israel. The halakhic sources oblige a person to do good to others by every possible means - his money, body, soul and
mind. The concept of brotherhood in its deepest meaning contains a social responsibility that requires more than transferring a
financial contribution to a particular account. In brotherhood, we adopt values that inspire us and put soul in all our actions. The
adoption and assimilation of social values into society's policy concerns the very existence of the entire world. The legacy of the
grace and brotherhood of our ancestor Abraham is the legacy of human love and universal human brotherhood.
In this paper, we bring many Jewish sources from the rabbinic literature on human brotherhood from the Talmudic period to our
time. We will show the great importance of human brotherhood in Judaism, and how great the reward is for acts of brotherhood and
lovingkindness. We will try to show the scope and range of brotherhood in humanity. As well, we will explore the concept of
brotherhood in humanity as "Tikkun Olam"-"repairing the world " to bring about a societal change, and finally, social justice. In
the final part of this work, we would like to show that human brotherhood is possible even in the most inhuman conditions, by
bringing one short story from the Holocaust.
Keywords
Gemilut chasadim; human brotherhood; Torah; Talmud; rabbis
Hrčak ID:
272481
URI
Publication date:
19.10.2021.
Visits: 295 *