What Judaism teaches about Poverty

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What Judaism teaches about Poverty
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Learning Objectives, to

• reflect on Jewish beliefs about teachings on
  poverty
• investigate a Biblical story of Rich and Poor
• consider links between this incident and the
  world today

Success CriteriaI will be able to..

• comment on a key Jewish teaching about helping
  the poor
• set out the important elements in the exchange
  between King Ahab and Naboth
• identify at least three ways in which these
  passages can affect belief and practice today.

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Background Information

• The Jews (Israelites) were moving into a new land
  a great gift from God.
• They had lived as nomads, in tents, always
  travelling, never having their own homes.
• As they prepared to settle down in this land,
  they put together the laws they should follow.
• They believed that these Laws were from God, and
  would make sure that they were happy in their new
  home from God.
• The first five books of the Bible the holiest
  part for Jews record the writing down of these
  Laws.

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Carefully read the phrase below

• One of the Laws from God was
• If there are poor among you, in one of the towns
  of this new land that God is giving you, do not
  be selfish or greedy towards them. But give
  freely to them, and freely lend them whatever
  they need. (Deuteronomy
  15 8)
• In pairs rewrite this phrase as a slogan for a
  poster.
• Explain what you think it really means
• Should this be an important rule today? explain
  carefully .

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King Ahab gets Naboths Vineyard

• BACKGROUND INFORMATION
• 1 As we saw earlier, Israelites believed that
  the land they lived on was a very special gift
  from God.
• 2 As a result the house or small farm you grew
  up in had belonged to your parents, their
  parents, their parents parents for ever as far
  as you knew
• 3 But 500 years after the Laws were made, the
  country was much richer. Some of the richest
  people felt they could buy and sell whatever they
  wanted and King Ahab was the richest and most
  powerful he could do just as he liked.

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King Ahab gets Naboths Vineyard

• Narrator Ahab Naboth
  Jezebel
• Town leader Elijah the prophet
• Think about
• ?? what problems does Naboth face as a
  relatively poorer person?
• ?? who does wrong to Naboth (at least two!)
• ?? what messages about God does this passage
  teach (at least two!)

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King Ahab gets Naboths vineyard the story

• Narrator Ahab Naboth Jezebel Town leader
  Elijah
• Naboth owned a vineyard near the palace of King
  Ahab. One day Ahab went to Naboth and said,
• Give me your vineyard. It is near my palace, and
  I want to make it into a vegetable garden. I will
  give you a better vineyard in exchange, or, if
  you prefer, I will pay you for it.
• Naboth replied,
• May God keep me from ever giving
• my land to you. It belongs to my
• family from always and for ever.
• Ahab went back to his palace angry and upset

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King Ahab gets Naboths vineyard the story

• Narrator Ahab Naboth Jezebel Town
  leader Elijah
• Ahab sulked like a spoilt child. He went to bed
  and refused to eat. His wife Jezebel came and
  asked him what was wrong,
• Why are you so upset that you wont eat?
• Ahab said,
• I asked Naboth to give me his vineyard in
  exchange for another, or for money. But he
  refused saying that it was for his family for
  ever.
• Jezebel replied
• This is not the way to rule your kingdom. Get up
  and have something to eat. I will get Naboths
  vineyard for you.

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King Ahab gets Naboths vineyard the story

• Narrator Ahab Naboth Jezebel Town
  leader Elijah
• Queen Jezebel wrote a letter to the town leader
  and signed Ahabs name. She told them to arrange
  a big public ceremony and put Naboth in the place
  of honour. Next to him they were to put two
  troublemakers. In the middle of the ceremony the
  troublemakers were to shout out that Naboth had
  spoken bad words against God and the King. Naboth
  should then be taken out of the town and
• stoned to death. This was all done
• just as Jezebel asked. Afterwards
• The town leader sent a message
• Weve done what you asked
• Naboth is dead, the vineyard is yours.

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King Ahab gets Naboths vineyard the story

• Narrator Ahab Naboth Jezebel Town
  leader Elijah
• Jezebel went straight to King Ahab and said,
• Naboth is dead. Now you can just go and take the
  vineyard he would not sell you.
• Ahab went immediately to take the vineyard. As he
  arrived, so too did the prophet Elijah.
• You have done an evil thing. God says you will
  be heavily punished for this terrible act. All
  of your family will be killed. God will destroy
  you and all your family. Dogs will
  eat Jezebel for her
  evil ways.

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King Ahab gets Naboths vineyard the story

• Narrator Ahab Naboth Jezebel Town
  leader Elijah
• Ahab was truly sorry for what had happened. He
  tore his clothes the way people showed they
  were sorry. He stopped wearing his Kings robes
  and wore workmans clothes instead. He even slept
  in these rough clothes.
• God saw that Ahab was sorry and so Elijah visited
  with a new judgement
• Gods destruction will not come just yet, but
  when you die. This terrible murder of
  Naboth is just another of the ways
  your family breaks all of
  Gods Laws and the
  family must go from
  this kingdom.

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King Ahab gets Naboths Vineyard

• Questions to answer..
• ?? what problems does Naboth face as a
  relatively poorer person?
• ?? what was the point of the law that stopped
  Ahab being able to buy the vineyard ?
• ?? who does wrong to Naboth (at least two!)?
• ?? how is the wrong doing of each person
  different explain who you think is most at
  fault and who less so in causing the death of
  Naboth?
• ?? what messages about God does this passage
  teach (at least two!)?
• ?? what important rules about the poor could
  this teach for today, 2,500 years later?

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Homework(by the way, this is one you could talk
about with your parents)

• Who are the modern-day
• Naboths (poorer, less powerful, pushed around)
• Ahabs (rich, powerful, expect to get their own
  way and normally do)
• Elijahs (brave, speaking out for the poor and
  people who are pushed around)

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Learning Objectives, to
PLENARY - REVIEW

• reflect on Jewish beliefs about teachings on
  poverty
• investigate a Biblical story of Rich and Poor
• consider links between this incident and the
  world today

Success Criteria

• I will be able to comment on a key Jewish
  teaching about helping the poor
• I will be able to set out the important elements
  in the exchange between King Ahab and Naboth
• I will be able to identify at least three ways
  in which these passages can affect belief and
  practice today.