The Ethics Challenge: Where Do You Stand?
By Arthur Gross Schaefer (modified by red)
"Who am I?" and "what do I value?" are sophisticated interrelated questions
that deeply
affect the decisions we make. Like a mirror placed before us, our closely-held
beliefs and our
personal ethical values are revealed in the many judgments and actions we
take. Yet, we rarely take time to seriously consider the values that inform
and motivate our behaviors. We should gaze at our reflection in light of
our conduct and earnestly ask:
What ethical values do we use when making decisions? Are they consistent
with our obligations as Jews ? How can Jewish values guide us in making tough
decisions?
Take the Ethics Challenge and see how your values compare with important
Jewish considerations.
Certainly, the cases presented do not provide all the information you would
normally require when
making a hard decision. And yes, the choice selection is limited. However,
if you answer the
questions truthfully and then look at "The Answers", you will be able to
gauge your answers in relation to Jewish tradition. Finally, please be honest.
(Please circle the answer which most closely reflects what you might do in
the given situation.)
A.You are being introduced to someone who may become an important contact
for you. The person making the introduction describes how you planned a
particularly outstanding event. In fact, you were a minor member of the planning
committee and had little to do with the
project's success. Do you:
1.Remain silent
2.Act modestly and convey that others greatly assisted in making the project
work so well
3.Acknowledge that you were merely a member of the committee
4.Admit that you actually had little to do with the project's achievement
B.You are taking a youth group to an amusement park, and know that there
is a substantially reduced price for children under 12. While the members
of the youth group all look young, you are aware that some are over 12. Do
you:
1.Order reduced children's tickets for all the children
2.Request children's tickets for all those under 12 and adult tickets for
all those who are
12 and older
3.Tell the ticket person that you are from a temple youth group, and while
some of the children are over 12, you would certainly appreciate it if he/she
would let you buy the
reduced children's tickets for all the kids
4.Ask for a reduced children's ticket for most of the youth group except
for the two or three children who look older
C.You are selling your car. A prospective buyer offers you $4,500 and, while
you would like $5,500, you verbally accept the offer. A few minutes later,
before anything is put in writing,
another prospective buyer arrives and offers $5,500. Do you:
1.Sell the car to the first buyer
2.Ask the first buyer to match the new offer
3.Tell the first buyer that, while you are going to accept the higher offer,
you are going to split the extra money and give him/her $500
4.Accept the higher offer of $5,500
D.You have developed many deep friendships in your chavurah Planning Board..
While there has always been tension between some of the members and one of
your closest friends in the group, you have never taken sides and have remained
friendly to everyone. Now, however, the tension has increased. A Majority
of the members want your friend ejected from the chavurah Planning Board
for no particular reason. Do you:
1.Distance yourself from the friend and keep silent
2.Privately offer support to your friend
3.Publicly support your friend
4.Privately offer support and speak to some of the chavurah members to find
a peaceful
resolution
E.As you are walking down the street, you see a woman seated on a blanket
holding a sign which reads, "I need money for food." A basket with some loose
change is in front. Do you:
1.Decide that she's drug-free, then give her money
2.Put money into her basket without questioning her character or motives
3.Walk on but make sure to donate funds to the local food bank
4.Walk by without stopping
F.You sold your piano and agreed to be paid over time. After the first two
payments, the buyer
calls to tell you he was just fired from his job. Desperate, he asks if he
can return the piano at
his expense and receive a refund to pay his rent. You are financially well-off
and would have
no difficulty returning his money, but you know it will be a hassle to resell
the piano. Do you:
1.Take the piano back and refund his money, less the cost of reselling the
piano
2.Take back the piano and refund all the money
3.Refuse the request and demand that he continue to make timely payments
4.Tell him to resell the piano himself
G.At a party with a group of friends, someone tells a seemingly "harmless"
racial joke. Everyone
laughs. You are offended. Do you:
1.Laugh with everyone else
2.Say nothing and not laugh
3.Announce to the group you believe racial jokes to be offensive and immoral
4.Tell the joke-teller privately that racial jokes offend you.
H.You are a member of a temple board which is debating the need to renovate
the main temple
bathroom to accommodate people with disabilities. There is not enough money
in the temple's building fund to pay for the work and get the permit. Therefore,
most of the board members
want to proceed with the renovation without the permit. Do you:
1.Argue that it is against the law not to get a permit, but agree to go along
with the majority view
2.State that such an action is illegal and you will not be a party to an
illegal agreement
3.State that it is essential to have a permit and that you will help raise
the extra money necessary for it.
4.Agree to have the renovation done without a permit
I.You are making a structural part for an aircraft. Because production has
taken longer than expected, there is insufficient time to test the part and
meet the delivery date. The supervisor tells you that the part was properly
made and that he/she is taking all responsibility. You then communicate with
a vice president of the company, who assures you that your suspicions are
baseless and the tests are only perfunctory. Do you:
1.Do nothing more
2.Inform the buyer of the aircraft
3.Go over the vice president's head and disclose your apprehensions to higher
company
officials
4.Put a memo in the files listing your concerns
J.Your synagogue is in the midst of a major building campaign. A known slumlord
wishes to
contribute. At the temple board meeting, a debate ensues regarding whether
the money should be accepted. Do you:
1.Vote to reject the money
2.Vote to accept the money
3.Vote to accept the money only if the donor is listed as "anonymous"
4.Vote to accept the money if it can be earmarked for a tzedakah project
to benefit the
needy
K.You prefer to buy a very good product made in a foreign country. Compared
to American standards, however, the working conditions are poor and the
compensation is very low. Do you:
1. Decide not to buy the product
2.Decide not to buy the product and send a letter of protest to the company
3.Decide not to buy the product and enlist others in a boycott and letter-writing
campaign
4.Buy the product
THE
ANSWERS
The Ethics Challenge: Where Do You Stand?
By Arthur Gross Schaefer (modified by red)
The Answers, Please
There is often no one answer which everyone agrees is the most ethical thing
to do in a given
situation. Moreover, additional factors not fully provided in the questions
above may greatly affect
one's conclusion. However, each of the scenarios above is directly tied to
one of Eleven Core
Jewish values. The following brief description of those values will help
you determine an appropriate
answer.
Scenario A--Honesty
Allowing someone to have a false impression is a form of stealing. We are
commanded by our
tradition to be truthful and to correct misimpressions. "Thou shalt not steal."
(Exodus 20:13) We are also taught that one should speak out against all forms
of slander, defamation, and misrepresentation, whether of an individual,
a group, a people, a race, or a faith. "They that deal truly are God's delight."
(Proverbs 12:22)
Scenario B--Integrity
One is required to be consistent in words and actions. We often tell our
children that it is wrong to lie and then teach them to do so through our
actions. Integrity implies completeness, a consistency inword, action, and
conviction. "Mark the person of integrity, and behold the upright." (Psalms
37:37)
Scenario C--Brit
Keeping one's word is a sacred statement of one's spiritual commitment to
be in a covenantal
relationship with the Divine. This means mirroring God by fulfilling the
letter and the spirit of our
commitments to others.
Scenario D--Loyalty
Being in a trusting relationship means that one is willing to publicly take
uncomfortable stands to
support one's friends. We are expected to be loyal to God, to our parents
(Exodus 20:12), to our
tradition, and to those with whom we have developed a trusting relationship.
Scenario E--Tzedakah (Charity)
We are taught to give charity, to refrain from excessive judgments, to contribute
directly to the
needy, and to extend kind words. Tzedakah involves both justice and
righteousness. Isaiah 1:17 states: "Seek justice and relieve the oppressed."
Scenario F--Chesed (kindness and compassion)
One is to practice acts of mercy, acts of chesed (kindness and compassion),
even when it may not
be convenient. As God has dealt with us in mercy, so we should deal with
others. "Show mercy and
compassion, every one to your neighbor." (Zach. 7:9)
Scenario G--Respect for Human Dignity
Jokes are powerful teaching tools. One's silence in the face of racism can
be viewed as concurrence.
Our notion of the infinite worth of human life stems from the fact that all
people are created "in the
image of God." Therefore, each individual is deserving of respect as a unique
creation of the Divine.
Scenario H--Respect for Law
There have always been laws such as taxes and permits which we would like
to ignore. However,
Jewish tradition has always demanded good citizenship, which requires following
fair laws and
showing regard for the decision-making process of the community in which
we live. "The law of the
state is the law." (Talmud, Gitten 10b) However, this does not demand blind
obedience to the
community's laws where they are in conflict with other ethical values.
Scenario I--Accountability
One cannot point the finger at others and thereby avoid taking responsibility
for inaction. Our
tradition holds us answerable to God and to others for our inactions as well
as our actions. "Judaism
does not say, 'Thou shall believe' but 'Thou shall do.'" (Moses Mendelssohn)
"Thou shalt not stand
idly by the blood of thy neighbor." (Leviticus 19:16)
Scenario J--Taking Responsibility
We do our best teaching through our actions and our associations. The choices
we make for the
sake of money often speak more about our core values than anything else.
Ethical people accept
responsibility for their decisions and set an example for others. One is
responsible whether the act is intentional or inadvertent. (Mishnah Baba
Kamma 1:2)
Scenario K--Tikkun Olam
While we cannot solve all the world's ills, we are commanded to help those
who are less fortunate,
including those who labor under conditions of oppression and exploitation.
The concept of tikkun
olam, literally "repair of the world," has come to stand for our Jewish
commitment to make the
world more merciful. Within our communities there are many shattered spirits,
broken holy vessels.
Our mission is to help repair those spirits and to share whatever God has
given us with those less
fortunate.
Copyright © 1997, Union of American Hebrew Congregations