Friday, February 2, 2024

Social Invisibilty

 This is an idea proposed in the book the Invisible Man. People who are different are treated as being invisible. socially.

This is experienced by Jews in a population of non-Jews, the elderly in a young population, widows and unmarried in a population of married couples even children of divorced parents become sopcially invisible.. It also applies to people with cancer or other debilitating conditions/ It strongly exacerbates the difficulties the person has by being excluded from personal interactions - even as simply as being not greeted with a simple "good morning" because they are invisible to the typical members of the group. This is described by our Sages as a form of theft - you rob the person of their dignity by not acknowledging their existence.

Simple solution you need to at least acknowledge the existence of everyone you encounter during the day. Including the elderly, the widow, the janitor and sanitation workers. A simple good morning greeting eliminates social invisibility

https://outorah.org/p/7157/

Berachos (6b)And Rabbi Ḥelbo said that Rav Huna said: One who is aware that another person is accustomed to greet him is not only obligated to return his greeting, but he must greet him first, as it is stated: “Seek peace and pursue it” (Psalms 34:15). If the other person extended his greeting to him and he did not respond, he is called a robber, as it is stated: “It is you who have eaten up the vineyard, the spoils of the poor is in your houses” (Isaiah 3:14). The only way to steal from a pauper who owns nothing is to rob him of his dignity by refusing to return his greeting.

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