Jewish ethics and Ain't No Other Man: Difference between pages

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{{Infobox Single

| Name = Ain't No Other Man

| Cover = Anom single 1149215764.jpg

| Caption =

| Artist = [[Christina Aguilera]]

| from Album = [[Back to Basics (Christina Aguilera album)|Back to Basics]]

| A-side =

|UK]]) CD2 Maxi</small>

| Format = [[Digital download]], [[CD single]]

| Recorded =

| Genre = [[pop/r+b]]

| Length = 3:48

| Label = [[RCA Records|RCA]]

| Writer = Christina Aguilera, Charles Roane, Chris E. Martin, Harold Beatty, [[Kara DioGuardi]]

| Producer = [[DJ Premier]], Charles Roane

| Certification = Platinum <small>([[RIAA]])</small>

Platinum <small>([[CRIA]])</small>

Gold <small>([[Australian Recording Industry Association|ARIA]])</small>

| Chart position =

* #1 <small>([[Portugal]])

* #2 <small>([[United World Chart]], [[Norway]], [[United Kingdom|UK]])</small>

* #3 <small>([[Brazil]], [[Ireland]], [[Canada]])</small>

* #4 <small>([[Europe]] </small>

* #5 <small>([[Finland]], [[Germany]], [[New Zealand]], [[Switzerland]])</small>

* #6 <small>([[Australia]], [[United States]])</small>

* #7 <small>([[Austria]]) </small>

* #10 <small>([[Belgium]]) </small>

| Last single = "[[Tilt Ya Head Back]]" <br>(2004)

| This single = "Ain't No Other Man" <br>(2006)

| Next single = "[[Hurt (Christina Aguilera song)|Hurt]]" <br> (2006)

| Misc = {{Extra album cover 2

| Upper caption = Alternative cover

| Type = Single

| Cover = Single Cd Ain't No Other Man (Maxi).jpg

| Lower caption = Maxi cover

}}

{{Audiosample

| Upper caption = Audio sample

| Audio file= AintNoOtherManSample.ogg

}}

}}

"'''Ain't No Other Man'''" is lead single released by [[United States|American]] singer [[Christina Aguilera]] from her third studio album ''[[Back to Basics (Christina Aguilera album)|Back to Basics]]'' ([[2006]]). The single won a [[Grammy Award]] for the [[Best Female Pop Vocal Performance]] category in 2007.

==Song information==

{{TOC float right}}

Produced by [[DJ Premier]] and Charles Roane, the song contains [[sampling (music)|samples]] from The Moon People's ''Hippy, Skippy, Moon Strut'' (1969) and ''The Cissy's Thang'' (1969) by The Soul Seven. It was released as the first [[single (music)|single]] from ''Back to Basics'' in June 2006 (see [[2006 in music]]); originally meant to be available for purchase on [[June 13]], it was released early to [[iTunes Music Store]] on [[June 3]]. It debuted on UK radio on [[June 7]], and also on Brazilian radio stations on the same day. It is thought to be Aguilera's comeback single, due to its strong chart performance after Aguilera's four-year hiatus from her previous studio album ''[[Stripped (Christina Aguilera album)|Stripped]]'' (2002). This song, contrary to popular belief, does not have a live brass section. The brass interludes are samples from a 1970's Latin funk track called "Happy Soul", performed by Dave Cortez and the Moon People. Obviously the drum track has been largely edited, and made to sound a lot bassier, but the main structure of the repeated brass riff is still intact.

'''Jewish ethics''' stands at the intersection of [[Judaism]] and the Western philosophical tradition of [[ethics]]. Like other types of [[Ethics in religion|religious ethics]], the diverse literature of Jewish ethics primarily aims to answer a broad range of moral questions and, hence, may be classified as a normative ethics. For two millennia, Jewish thought has also grappled with the dynamic interplay between [[legal positivism|law and ethics]]. The rich tradition of [[rabbinic]] [[religious law]] (known as ''[[halakhah]]'') addresses numerous problems often associated with ethics, including its semi-permeable relation with duties that are usually not punished under law.

DJ Premier said about the track: "It's pretty much about how Aguilera's husband has stolen her from the beginning", and it began receiving airplay on American radio stations within the same day. [[SonyBMG|Sony-BMG]] issued a statement regarding the release of the song, claiming that a full investigation would be launched in order to find out how the song was leaked, as they did not intend for the song to be released until after it premiered at the [[MTV Movie Awards 2006|2006 MTV Movie Awards]] on [[June 3]]. Because of the leak, [[RCA]] Records officially released the single to all U.S. radio stations the day after it leaked.

Jewish ethics may be said to originate with the [[Tanakh|Hebrew Bible]], its broad legal injunctions, wisdom narratives and prophetic teachings. Most subsequent Jewish ethical claims may be traced back to the texts, themes and teachings of the written Torah.

[[Big Boi]] from [[OutKast]] was scheduled to contribute a rap verse on the remix of the single. It is rumored that his record label pressured him to remove himself from the song to prevent the "Ain't No Other Man" remix from competing with [[Outkast]]'s own single, "The Mighty O." RCA subsequently replaced [[Big Boi]] with [[Houston, Texas|Houston]] rapper, [[Chamillionaire]]. Nonetheless, Chamillionaire's additional rap verse on the song proved not to be popular amongst fans and hardly received any radio airplay.

In early rabbinic Judaism, the [[Oral law|oral Torah]] both interprets the Hebrew Bible and delves afresh into many other ethical topics. The best known rabbinic text associated with [[ethics]] is the non-legal [[Mishnah]] tractate of ''Avot'' (“forefathers”), popularly translated as “Ethics of Our Fathers”. Similar ethical teachings are interspersed throughout the more legally-oriented portions of the [[Mishnah]], [[Talmud]] and other rabbinic literature. Generally, ethics is a key aspect of non-legal rabbinic literature, known as [[aggadah]]. This early Rabbinic ethics shows signs of cross-fertilization and polemical exchange with both the Greek (Western philosophical) ethical tradition and early [[Christian ethics]].

The single was released over two weeks in the UK. CD1, featuring the Radio Edit and Instrumental is released on 24th July 2006. CD2, featuring the Album & A cappella versions, and two remixes of the track was released on [[July 31]] [[2006]]. The two weeks release of the single in the UK prevented it from going to #1 in the UK singles chart and peaked at #2 being blocked off by Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie". Had "Ain't No Other Man" had just one release it would have reached the top spot of the UK singles chart because it sales for that 1 week would have been enough to block of "Hips Don't Lie" off the top spot.

In the medieval period, direct Jewish responses to Greek ethics may be seen in major rabbinic writings. Notably, [[Maimonides]] offers a Jewish interpretation of [[Aristotle]] (e.g., [[Nicomachean Ethics]]), who enters into Jewish discourse through Islamic writings. Maimonides, in turn, influences [[Thomas Aquinas]], a dominant figure in [[Catholic ethics]] and the [[natural law]] tradition of moral theology. The relevance of natural law to medieval [[Jewish philosophy]] is a matter of dispute among scholars.

"Ain't No Other Man" garnered Aguilera another nomination and win at the [[49th Annual Grammy Awards]] in the category [[Best Female Pop Vocal Performance]]. This is her fourth time being nominated in this category, and second win.

Medieval and early modern rabbis also created a pietistic tradition of Jewish ethics (see references, below). This ethical tradition was given expression through the mussar literature. The Hebrew term ''mussar'', while literally derived from a word meaning "tradition," is usually translated as ethics or morals.

==Music video==

In the modern period, Jewish ethics sprouted many offshoots, partly due to developments in [[modern ethics]] and partly due to the formation of [[Jewish denominations]]. Trends in modern Jewish normative ethics include:

[[Image:Ain'tNoOtherManScreen.PNG|thumb|200px|left|Aguilera in the music video for "Ain't No Other Man" (2006).]]

The [[music video]], directed by [[Bryan Barber]], was shot from [[May 1]] to [[May 3]] in [[Los Angeles, California|Los Angeles]]. In an interview with [http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1539161/08222006/aguilera_christina.jhtml MTV], Aguilera stated, "it intrigued me that this man, Bryan Barber, had been very locked into and had surrounded himself with this whole world of the '20s and '30s era," in response to Barber's film project, [[Idlewild (film)|Idlewild]]. It was released exclusively to iTunes on [[June 20]] and went to number-one the following day on the iTunes video chart. It then premiered on [[MTV]]'s ''[[Making the Video]]'' on [[June 21]].

The music video is supposed to be set back in the 1920s to 1930s Era, where Christina Aguilera plays the role of her [[alter ego]], Baby Jane (a [[Peggy Lee]]/[[Judy Garland]]-ish nightclub singer). The name is shown on the car's plate and on her dressing room door. The video takes place mostly at a club, with Christina getting ready in the backstage area, and then coming up the stage performing along with the song. In between scenes, there were short vignettes that showed Aguilera in gold and silver dresses, singing to a mic, while photographers are taking pictures. She appeared in several looks; in one of the scenes, Christina appeared using rhinestone studded headphones, showed a bit of a modern day portrayal.

*The pietistic ''mussar'' tradition was revived by the Jewish ethics education movement that developed in the 19th century Orthodox Jewish European ([[Ashkenazi]]) community. There is a separate article on the [[Mussar Movement]].

In the beginning and in the end of the music video there are clips from another song from ''[[Back to Basics (Christina Aguilera album)|Back to Basics]]'', entitled "I Got Trouble."

*Modern Jewish philosophers have pursued a range of ethical approaches, with varying degrees of reliance upon traditional Jewish sources. Notably, [[Hermann Cohen]] authored ''Religion of Reason'' in the tradition of [[Kantian ethics]]. [[Martin Buber]] wrote on various ethical and social topics, including the dialogical ethics of his ''I and Thou''. [[Hans Jonas]], a student of [[Martin Heidegger]], draws upon [[phenomenology]] in his writings on bioethics, technology and responsibility. [[Emmanuel Levinas]] sought to distinguish his philosophical and Jewish writings; nevertheless, some scholars are constructing Jewish ethics around his innovative and deeply-Jewish approach. Inspired by both Maimonides and the success of [[Catholic social ethics]], [[David Novak]] has promoted a [[natural law]] approach to Jewish social ethics. While Jewish feminists are not prominent in ethics per se, the principles of [[feminist ethics]] arguably play a pivotal role in the ebb and flow of Jewish denominational politics and identity-formation.

The song played as if it were on the radio with minor white noise.

The music video has been well received by audiences. On MTV's ''[[Total Request Live]]'', it has achieved the number one video spot on the countdown twenty two times, and was retired at number one, making it Christina's most successful video and the most successful video of 2006 of TRL. "Ain't No Other Man" is third only to [[Behind These Hazel Eyes]] by [[Kelly Clarkson]] and [[Me Against the Music]] by [[Britney Spears]] as the most successful female video on TRL of all time. It has also been in the top 5 videos on [[VH1]]'s Top 20 Countdown and number one in [[TMF]]'s top ten countdown in [[Europe]]. It was nominated at the [[2006 MTV Video Music Awards]] for [[MTV Video Music Award for Video of the Year|Video of the Year]], [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Female Video|Best Female Video]], [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Pop Video|Best Pop Video]], and [[MTV Video Music Award for Best Choreography|Best Choreography]]

*In the [[liberal tradition]], the 19th Century [[Reform movement]] promoted the idea of Judaism as “ethical monotheism”. The liberal movements (especially Reform and [[Reconstructionist Judaism|Reconstructionist]]) have fostered novel approaches to Jewish ethics. (For example, [[Eugene Borowitz]]).

==Chart performance==

*In 20th Century, [[Orthodox]] and [[Conservative Judaism|Conservative]] Judaism, Jewish writers typically tackle contemporary ethical, social and political issues by interpreting rabbinic law ([[Halakha]]) in [[responsa]] (formal opinions). The Reform movement also employs a rabbinic law approach in its [[responsa]]. The dominant topic for such [[applied ethics]] has been medical ethics and bioethics (see references, below). (See also Jewish [[business ethics]].)

On [[June 15]], [[2006]], "Ain't No Other Man" debuted at number nineteen on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] as a result of strong [[digital download|download]]s. The song became Aguilera's highest debut on the Hot 100, a title that was previously held by "[[I Turn to You (Christina Aguilera song)|I Turn to You]]" (2000).<ref>''[[Billboard magazine|Billboard]]''. Bronson, Fred. [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/chart_beat/bonus.jsp "Aguilera bounds into the Hot 100 with her highest debut yet"]. [[June 15]] [[2006]]. Retrieved [[June 21]] [[2006]].</ref> The song soared into the top ten before quickly peaking at number six. However, the song has proven to have longevity as it has spent nineteen consecutive weeks within the top forty. It has sold over 1,000,000 digital downloads in the United States making it [[Music recording sales certification|Platinum]]. "Ain't No Other Man" has been proven very successful, as it is Aguilera's first top ten hit on the Hot 100 since "Beautiful" back in late [[2002 in music|2002]]. The song has proven to be a big dance hit as well, where it reached number one on Billboard's [[Hot Dance Airplay]] and [[Hot Dance Club Play]] chart.

In the [[United Kingdom|UK]] "Ain't No Other Man" reached number two due in part to RCAs ridiculous release of spreading out the single to be released in 2 different weeks. This cost the song the #1 spot of the UK singles chart where it was blocked off by hips don't lie. The song debuted on the Canadian [[Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems|BDS]] Airplay Chart the same week it did in the U.S. (at number thirty-eight) and peaked at number three on [[August 19]] [[2006]]. It also reached number three on the Canadian Dance Chart. However, despite commercial success on these formats, it did not chart highly on the [[Canadian Singles Chart]] (number fourteen) perhaps because of the release of ''Back to Basics'' (that same week). "Ain't No Other Man" became Aguilera's most commercially successful single in Canada (10.000 units sold; Platinum) since "[[Fighter (song)|Fighter]]" (2003).

In terms of descriptive ethics, the study of Jewish moral practices and theory is situated more in the disciplines of history and the social sciences than in ''ethics'' proper, with some exceptions (e.g., Newman 1998).

"Ain't No Other Man" became Aguilera's tenth top ten hit on [[Top 40 Mainstream|Top 40 Radio]], where it peaked at number seven. The song's performance on pop radio is similar to those of many of her past hits like "Fighter", "[[Can't Hold Us Down]]", and "[[Come on over Baby (All I Want Is You)|Come on Over Baby]]". It was also her first top ten hit on Top 40 Radio in over three years, with the last one being "Can't Hold Us Down" in [[2003 in music|mid-2003]].

== Medieval and early modern ethical literature ==

The song has gone on to have unusual longevity on the radio charts. However, "Ain't No Other Man" has only peaked at number six. This song is now considered a successful comeback single due to its slow paced decline. On the Billboard 2006 Hot 100 Year-End chart, "Ain't No Other Man" was ranked thirty-second.<ref>''[[Billboard magazine|Billboard]]''. Bronson, Fred. [http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/yearend/2006/charts/hot100_2.jsp "2006 Hot 100 Year-End Chart"]. [[December 21]] [[2006]]. Retrieved [[December 26]] [[2006]].</ref>

Rabbinic Jewish works of ethics and moral instruction include:

==Track listings==

* ''[[Chovot ha-Levavot]]'' ('Duties of the Heart'), by [[Bahya ibn Paquda]] (11th century). This work discusses ten moral virtues, each the subject of its own chapter.

;American CD maxi single

* ''Ma'alot ha-Middot'', Yehiel ben Yekutiel Anav of Rome. This work discusses 24 moral virtues,

# "Ain't No Other Man" (radio edit) – 3:49

* ''Orhot Zaddikim'' ([[The Ways of the Righteous]]) by an anonymous author. The book was probably written in the late 14th century. Original Title: ''Sefer ha-Middot'' (The Book of Character Traits).

# "Ain't No Other Man" (instrumental) – 3:57

* ''Kad ha-Kemah'', Bahya ben Asher, a Spanish kabbalist.

# "Ain't No Other Man" (call out hook) – 0:10

* ''[[Mesillat Yesharim]]'', [[Moshe Chaim Luzzatto]]

;European basic CD maxi single

== Jewish family ethics ==

# "Ain't No Other Man" (album version) – 3:47

# "Ain't No Other Man" (instrumental) – 3:47

;European premium CD maxi single

Great stress is laid on reverence for parents. Central to society is the nuclear family. Its head is the father; yet the mother as his equal is with him entitled to honor and respect at the hands of sons and daughters.

# "Ain't No Other Man" (album version) – 3:47

# "Ain't No Other Man" (Jake Ridley remix) – 6:01

# "Ain't No Other Man" (Ospina & Sullivan remix) – 3:45

# "Ain't No Other Man" (a cappella) – 3:30

==Remixes==

Monogamy is the ideal (Gen. ii. 24). Marriage within certain degrees of consanguinity or in relations arising from previous conjugal unions is forbidden; chastity is regarded as of highest moment (Ex. xx. 14; Lev. xviii. 18-20); and abominations to which the Canaanites were addicted are especially loathed.

;Official Remixes

* "Ain't No Other Man" [Ospina & Sullivan Radio Mix] 3:44

* "Ain't No Other Man" [Ospina & Sullivan Radio Mix - Vox Up] 3:44 - This is the version released on the main CD single.

* "Ain't No Other Man" [Ospina & Sullivan Mixshow] 5:16

* "Ain't No Other Man" [Ospina & Sullivan Club Mix] 7:11

* "Ain't No Other Man" [Ospina & Sullivan Dub] 5:38

* "Ain't No Other Man" [Junior Vasquez Mix] 5:56

* "Ain't No Other Man" [Junior Vasquez Radio Edit] 3:57

* "Ain't No Other Man" [Jake Ridley Remix] 6:00

* "Ain't No Other Man" [Shapeshifters Mixshow Mix] 5:24

* "Ain't No Other Man" [feat. [[Chamillionaire]]] 4:15

== Charts ==

Virtue is believed to flow from the recognition of God, therefore idolatry is the progenitor of vice and oppression.

{| width="0%"

|- valign="top"

| width="50%" |

{| class="wikitable"

!align="center"|Chart (2006)

!align="center"|Peak<br>Position

|-

|align="left"|[[United World Chart]]

|align="center"|2

|-

|align="left"|[[ARIA Charts|Australian ARIA Singles Chart]]

|align="center"|6

|-

|align="left"|Austrian Singles Chart

|align="center"|7

|-

|align="left"|Belgian Singles Chart

|align="center"|10

|-

|align="left"|Brazilian Singles Chart

|align="center"|3

|-

|align="left"|[[Canadian Hot 100]]

|align="center"|4

|-

|align="left"|Canadian [[Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems|BDS]] Airplay Chart

|align="center"|3

|-

|align="left"|Czech IFPI Chart <ref>http://www.ifpicr.cz/hitparada/index.php?a=titul&hitparada=2&titul=143774&sec=1fcdaf9d133ede1f81aa62254bc0d68f</ref>

|align="center"|15

|-

|align="left"|Dutch Singles Chart

|align="center"|12

|-

|align="left"|[[Eurochart Hot 100 Singles|European Singles Chart]]

|align="center"|4

|-

|align="left"|Finnish Singles Chart

|align="center"|5

|-

|align="left"|French Singles Chart

|align="center"|26

|-

|align="left"|German Singles Chart

|align="center"|5

|-

|align="left"|[[Irish Singles Chart]]

|align="center"|3

|-

|align="left"|[[Recording Industry Association of New Zealand|New Zealand RIANZ Singles Chart]]

|align="center"|5

|-

|align="left"|Malaysian Singles Chart

|align="center"|2

|-

|align="left"|Norwegian Singles Chart

|align="center"|2

|-

|align="left"|Russian Airplay Chart

|align="center"|32

|-

|align="left"|Swedish Singles Chart

|align="center"|15

|–

|align="left"|Swiss Singles Chart

|align="center"|5

|-

|align="left"|[[UK Singles Chart]]

|align="center"|2

|-

|align="left"|U.S. [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]

|align="center"|6

|-

|align="left"|U.S. ''Billboard'' [[Pop 100]]

|align="center"|4

|-

|}

==Notes==

The non-Israelite is within the covenant of ethical considerations (Ex. xxii. 20; Lev. xix. 33). "You shall love him as yourself," a law the phraseology of which proves that in the preceding "thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself" (Lev. xix. 18) "neighbor" does not connote an Israelite exclusively. There was to be one law for the native and the stranger (Lev. xix. 34; comp. Ex. xii. 49). Non-Israelites were not forced to follow the Israelite faith.

<references/>

{{Christina Aguilera}}

== Altruistic virtues ==

[[Category:2006 singles]]

Honesty and truthfulness are absolutely prerequisite. Stealing, flattery, falsehood, perjury and false swearing, oppression, even if only in holding back overnight the hired man's earnings, are forbidden.

[[Category:Christina Aguilera songs]]

[[Category:Billboard Hot Dance Club Play number-one singles]]

[[da:Ain't No Other Man]]

The reputation of a fellow man is sacred (Ex. 21:1). Tale-bearing and unkind insinuations are proscribed, as is hatred of one's brother in one's heart (Lev. 19:17). A revengeful, relentless disposition is unethical; reverence for old age is inculcated; justice shall be done; right weight and just measure are demanded; poverty and riches shall not be regarded by the judge (Lev. 19:15, 18, 32, 36; Ex. 23:3).

[[es:Ain't No Other Man]]

[[he:Ain't No Other Man]]

Even animals have a right to be treated well, (Ex. 23:4), even one that might belong to one's enemy.

[[it:Ain't No Other Man]]

[[nl:Ain't No Other Man]]

== Prophetic ethics ==

[[pt:Ain't No Other Man]]

[[sv:Ain't No Other Man]]

The Biblical [[prophet]]s exhort all people to lead a righteous life. The ritual elements and sacerdotal institutions incidental to Israel's appointment are regarded as secondary by the preexilic prophets, while the intensely human side is emphasized (Isa. 1:11).

The prophets preached that the people of Israel were [[Chosen people|chosen by God]], not on account of any merit, but as having been "alone singled out" by God; in this view, choseness means that its conduct is under more rigid scrutiny (Amos 3:1-2). Israel is seen as the "wife" (Hosea), or the "bride" (Jer. 2:2-3) of God; in this view, the laws of Judaism are a covenant of love (Hosea 6:7). This leads to the corellary that idolatry is an adulterous abandoning of God. From this infidelity proceed all manner of vice, oppression, untruthfulness. Fidelity, on the other hand, leads to "doing justly and loving mercy" (Micah 6:8).

Kindness to the needy, benevolence, justice, pity to the suffering, a peace-loving disposition, a truly humble and contrite spirit, are the virtues which the Prophets hold up for emulation. Civic loyalty, even to a foreign ruler, is urged as a duty (Jer. 29:7). "Learn to do good" is the key-note of the prophetic appeal (Isa. 1:17); thus the end-time will be one of peace and righteousness; war will be no more (Isa. 2:2 et seq.)

== Ethics in [[rabbinic literature]] ==

[[Hillel]] the elder formulated the [[Golden rule]] of Jewish ethics "What is painful to you, do not do unto others". (Talmud, tracate Shabbat 31a; Midrash Avot de Rabbi Natan.) His contemporary, [[Akiva]] states "Whatever you hate to have done unto you, do not do to your neighbor; wherefore do not hurt him; do not speak ill of him; do not reveal his secrets to others; let his honor and his property be as dear to thee as thine own" (Midrash ''Avot deRabbi Natan''.)

Ben Azzai says: "The Torah, by beginning with the book of the generations of man, laid down the great rule for the application of the Law: Love thy neighbor as thyself" (Lev. 19:18; Midrash Genesis Rabbah 24)

Rabbi Simlai taught "Six hundred and thirteen commandments were given to Moses; then David came and reduced them to eleven in Psalm 15.; Isaiah (33:15), to six; Micah (6:8), to three; Isaiah again (56:1), to two; and Habakkuk (2:4), to one: 'The just lives by his faithfulness'."

Jewish ethics denies self-abasement. "He who subjects himself to needless self-castigations and fasting, or even denies himself the enjoyment of wine, is a sinner" (Taanit 11a, 22b). A person has to give account for every lawful enjoyment he refuses (Talmud Yer. Ḳid. iv. 66d).

Man is in duty bound to preserve his life (Berachot 32b) and his health. Foods dangerous to health are more to be guarded against than those ritually forbidden.

A person should show self-respect in regard to both his body, "honoring it as the image of God" (Hillel: Midrash Leviticus Rabbah 34), and his garments (Talmud Shabbat 113b; Ned. 81a).

One must remove every cause for suspicion in order to appear blameless before men as well as before God (Yoma 38a).

Man is enjoined to take a wife and obtain posterity (Yeb. 63b; Mek., Yitro, 8). "He who lives without a wife lives without joy and blessing, without protection and peace"; he is "not a complete man" (Yeb. 62a, 63a), and for it he has to give reckoning at the great Judgment Day (Shab. 31a).

== Justice ==

Social ethics is defined by Rabbi Simeon ben Gamaliel's words: "The world rests on three things: justice, truth, and peace" (Avot 1:18). Justice ("din," corresponding to the Biblical "mishpat") being God's must be vindicated, whether the object be of great or small value (Sanh. 8a). "Let justice pierce the mountain" is the characteristic maxim attributed to [[Moses]] (Sanh. 6b). They that ridicule Talmudic Judaism for its hair-splitting minutiae overlook the important ethical principles underlying its judicial code.

The Talmud denounces as fraud every mode of taking advantage of a man's ignorance, whether he be Jew or Gentile; every fraudulent dealing, every gain obtained by betting or gambling or by raising the price of breadstuffs through speculation, is theft (B. B. 90b; Sanh. 25b). The Talmud denounces advantages derived from loans of money or of victuals as usury; every breach of promise in commerce is a sin provoking God's punishment; every act of carelessness which exposes men or things to danger and damage is a culpable transgression.

The Talmud extends far beyond Biblical statutes responsibility for every object given into custody of a person or found by him. A rabbi in the Talmud opines that putting one's fellow man to shame, in the same category as murder (B. M. 58b), and brands as calumny the spreading of evil reports, even when true. Also forbidden is listening to slanderous gossip, or the causing of suspicion, or the provoking of unfavorable remarks about a neighbor.

== Truth and Peace ==

"The first question asked at the Last Judgment is whether one has dealt justly with his neighbor" (Talmud, tractate Shabbat 31a).

"A good deed brought about by an evil deed is an evil deed" (Suk. 30a).

== Charity ==

The Jewish idea of righteousness ("tzedakah") includes benevolence and charity. The owner of property has no right to withhold from the poor their share.

The Rabbis decreed ''against'' Essene practise, and against advice given in the New Testament, that one give away much, most or all of their possessions. Since they did not expect a supernatural saviour to come and take of the poor, they held that one must not make themselves poor. Given that nearly all Jews of their day were poor or middle-class (even the rich of that time were only rich relative to the poor), they ruled that one should not give away more than a fifth of his income to charity, while yet being obligated to give away no less than 10% of his income to charity (Ket. 50a; 'Ar. 28a). Many folios of the Talmud are devoted to encouragement in giving charity (see, for example, B.B. 9b-11a; A.Z. 17b; Pes. 8a; Rosh. 4a), and this topic is the focus of many religious books and rabbinic responsa.

== Peace and hatred ==

Peace is everywhere recommended, and urged as the highest boon of man (Midrash Numbers Rabbah xi.; Talmud Pesachim i. 1.) Hatred, quarreling and anger are condemned as unethical, and potentially leading to murder.

From the thought of a holy God emanated four virtues:

(a) Chastity ("tzeniut" = "modesty"), which shuts the eye against unseemly sights and the heart against impure thoughts. Hence R. Meïr's maxim (Ber. 17a): "Keep your mouth from sin, your body from wrong, and I {God} will be with thee."

(b) Humility. The presence of God rests only upon the humble (Mek., Yitro, 9; Ned. 38), whereas the proud is like one who worships another god and drives God away (Soṭah 4b).

(c) Truthfulness. "Liars, mockers, hypocrites, and slanderers can not appear before God's face" (Sotah 42a).

(d) Reverence for God. "[[Fear of God]] leads to fear of [[sin]]" (Ber. 28b), and includes reverence for parents and teachers.

== Sanctification of God's name ==

The idea of God's holiness became in rabbinical ethics one of the most powerful incentives to pure and noble conduct. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God" (Deut. vi. 5) is explained (Sifre, Deut. 32; Yoma 86a) to mean "Act in such a manner that God will be beloved by all His creatures." Consequently a Jew is not only obliged to give his life as witness or martyr for the maintenance of the true faith, but so to conduct himself in every way as to prevent the name of God from being dishonored by non-Israelites.

The greatest sin of fraud, therefore, is that committed against a non-Israelite, because it leads to the reviling of God's name. The desire to sanctify the name of God leads one to treat adherents of other creeds with the utmost fairness and equity.

Respect for one's fellow creatures is of such importance that Biblical prohibitions may be transgressed on its account (Ber. 19b). Especially do unclaimed dead require respectful burial (see Burial in Jew. Encyc. iii. 432b: "met miẓwah"). Gentiles are to have a share in all the benevolent work of a township which appeals to human sympathy and on which the maintenance of peace among men depends, such as supporting the poor, burying the dead, comforting the mourners, and even visiting the sick (Tosef., Giṭ. v. 4-5; Giṭ. 64a).

Friendship is highly prized in the Talmud; the very word for "associate" is "friend" ("chaver"). "Get thyself a companion" (Abot i. 6). "Companionship or death" (Ta'an. 23a).

== Animals and the environment ==

The Biblical commands regarding the treatment of the brute (Ex. xx. 10; Lev. xxii. 28; Deut. xxv. 4; Prov. xii. 10) are amplified in rabbinical ethics, and a special term is coined for Cruelty to Animals ("tza'ar ba'ale hayyim"). Not to sit down to the table before the domestic animals have been fed is a lesson derived from Deut. xi. 15. Compassion for the brute is declared to have been the merit of Moses which made him the shepherd of his people (Ex. R. ii.), while Judah ha-Nasi saw in his own ailment the punishment for having once failed to show compassion for a frightened calf.

Trees and other things of value also come within the scope of rabbinical ethics, as their destruction is prohibited, according to Deut. xx. 19 (Talmud, tracate Shabbat 105b, 129a, 140b, et al.)

== Bioethics ==

Bioethics is a field of study which concerns the relationship between [[biology]], [[science]], [[medicine]] and [[ethics]], [[philosophy]] and [[theology]]. Jewish bioethicists are usually rabbis who have been trained in medical science and philosophy, but may also be Jewish laypeople experts in medicine and ethics who have received training in Jewish texts. The goal of Jewish bioethics is to use [[halakha|Jewish law and tradition]] and Jewish ethical literature to determine which medical treatments or technological innovations are moral, when treatments may or may not be used, etc.

== References ==

* Bleich, J. D. ''Contemporary Halakhic Problems.'' 4 vols, New York: Ktav Publishing House Inc. Yeshiva University Press, 1977

*''Contemporary Jewish Ethics: a Bibliographical Survey'', S. D. Breslauer (1985)

* ''Modern Jewish Morality: a Bibliographical Survey'', S. D. Breslauer (1986)

* ''Hebrew Ethical Wills'', 2 vols., I. Abrahams (ed.) (1948)

*''Contemporary Jewish Ethics and Morality: A Reader'', Ed. [[Elliot N. Dorff]] and Louis E. Newman. Oxford University Press, 1995

*''The Business Bible: 10 New Commandments for Bringing Spirituality & ethical values into the workplace'', Wayne Dosick, Jewish Lights Publishing

*''Past imperatives: studies in the history and theory of Jewish ethics'' by Louis E. Newman. Albany : State University of New York Press, c1998.

*''The Challenge of Wealth: A Jewish Perspective on Earning and Spending Money'', Meir Tamari, Jason Aronson Inc., 1995

*''The Book of Jewish Values'', Joseph Telushkin, Bell Tower, 2000.

* Werblowsky, in: ''Annual of Jewish Studies'', 1 (1964), 95-139;

=== Bioethics ===

*Bleich, J. David. 1981. Judaism and Healing. New York: Ktav

*Dorff, Elliot N. 1998. Matters of Life and Death: A Jewish Approach to Modern Medical Ethics. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication Society

*Feldman DM. Marital relations, birth control, and abortion in Jewish law. New York: Schocken Books; 1974

*Freedman B. Duty and healing: foundations of a Jewish bioethic. New York: Routledge; 1999

*[[Immanuel Jakobovits|Jakobovits I]]. Jewish medical ethics. New York: Bloch Publishing; 1959

*''Life & Death Responsibilities in Jewish Biomedical Ethics'', Ed. Aaron L. Mackler, JTS, 2000

* Maibaum M. A "progressive" Jewish medical ethics: notes for an agenda. Journal of Reform Judaism 1986;33(3):27-33.

* Rosner, Fred ''Modern medicine and Jewish ethics'' New York: Yeshiva University Press; 1986

* ''Conservative Judaism'' Vol. 54(3), Spring 2002 (Contains a set of six articles on bioethics)

*Zohar, Noam J. 1997. Alternatives in Jewish Bioethics. Albany: State University of New York Press

== See also ==

*[[Mussar movement]]

*[[Virtue]]

== External links ==

*[http://www.aecom-shul.com/medlinks.html Jewish bioethics on the web]

*[http://www.uj.edu/Content/ContentUnit.asp?CID=186&u=674&t=0 Bioethics program at the University of Judaism, Los Angelos, California]

*[http://www.darchenoam.org/ethics/bioethics/index.htm Jewish Bioethics, from Jerusalem's Darche Noam Educational Institute]

*[http://www.cmaj.ca/cgi/content/full/164/2/219 Bioethics for clinicians: Jewish bioethics - Canadian Medical Association Journal article]

[[Category:Judaism]]

[[de:Jüdische Ethik]]