Benny Sela
Photo: Avi Cohen
Benny Sela and the weekly portion
God protects us by reminding us that justice is never a game with rules that can be bent
Midrash Bereshit Rabbah (87:10) records a dialogue between Potiphar's wife and Joseph whom she has had thrown in prison that reminded me of the alleged police treatment of Benny Sela this past week.
How far did she go? Said R. Huna in Rabbi Acha's name: She went as far as to place an iron fork under his neck so that he should have to lift up his eyes and look at her.
"See how I have already made you suffer, she says, I will also persecute you in other ways too!" And Joseph responds, '(God) executes justice for the persecuted' (Ps. 147:7).
She says: "I will have your food rations cut down" and Joseph replies: "God gives bread to the hungry." "I will have you put in chains - "God loosens the chains on those who are bound." (ib.) "I will make you bent and bowed" - "God raises up those that are bowed down." (ib.8) "I will blind you - God opens the eyes of the blind." (ib.)
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The unfair treatment of Joseph in prison seems to mirror the allegations of police mistreatment of accused rapist Benny Sela. The Justice Ministry's Police Investigations Department is considering opening a criminal investigation on three points:
Forcing Sela to raise his head and be photographed against his will thereby violating his right to privacy.
Beating him after he was captured.
Failing to inform the Public Defender's Office of Sela's request to meet his lawyers.
Judaism teaches us something different
My personal feelings tell me that Sela deserves anything they give him - any abuse - for what he did to destroy the lives of so many women. Our tradition, however, teaches us something different.
Few of the lessons that the talmud brings about human dignity include: A person may not be degraded in public even though he may be suspected of having sinned (BT Menahot 99b, BT Baba Metzia 58b). You cannot strip the clothes off someone in a public place (BT Menahot 37b). You cannot prevent a person from attending to his bodily needs (BT Eruvin 41b).
Rambam, In Hilkhot Sanhedrin 24:10, connects the pursuit of justice with the glory of God: "Whatever (the judge) does should be for the sake of Heaven, and human dignity should not be taken lightly, in his eyes... This applies with even greater force to the honor of the children of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, who adhere to the true Law. He should be careful not to do anything to injure their dignity. His sole concern should be to enhance the glory of God..."
In this week's Haftarah, the prophet Amos admonishes the Jewish people for their insensitivity towards injustice. He begins by informing us of the limits of God's tolerance. God says, "I can be patient over the three offenses of the Jewish people but the fourth is inexcusable." (2:6, 7) He complains about the judges who would bend the law for nominal sums and exchange justice for an inexpensive pair of shoes.
If the allegations of police abuse are true, can we, in Israel be patient or understanding with their three alleged offenses - violating rules of privacy, beating a prisoner, and refusing him counsel?
If you are tempted to be forgiving of alleged police abuse - due to the heinous nature of Benny Sela's crimes - remember that if they are guilty of these three violations, then there is a fourth "sin" of the police which is inexcusable. They weren't just violating and degrading a man before his day in court - they were debasing the image of God in a man.
God protected Joseph when he was thrown in prison on trumped up charges. But God also protects us by reminding us that justice is never a game with rules that can be bent. We are taught, “tzedek, tzedek tirdoff”- we must pursue justice, justly.
We are not free to abuse the dignity of any human being in any circumstance - for therein lies the glory of God - and protection for us all.
Rabbi Paul Arberman is the rabbi of Kehillat Yedid Nefesh, Modiin
