Leap of Faith
Bullying on social media is equivalent to the ‘shedding of blood’
While within each of us is the capacity to be unkind, bullying – which I define as a word or deed or indeed conduct against another person who cannot effectively respond – is against the very essence of Jewish teaching. The Torah repeatedly demands that Jews treat others as they would wish to be treated, because the Jewish people have experienced an extreme example of bullying – slavery.
Leviticus 19:34 requires: “Love the stranger as yourself for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” The obligation to care for the vulnerable is brought closer to home in Exodus 22:22-24, which urges: “You shall not mistreat any widow or orphan,” and Psalm 82:3 ,which enjoins: “Judge {generously} the wretched and the orphan, vindicate the lowly and the poor, rescue the wretched and the needy; save them from the hand of the wicked.” In terms of bullying, the psalmist hints at a further requirement. Leviticus 19:16’s “Do not stand by the blood of another” is extended in rabbinic tradition to involve an obligation to intervene when one witnesses wrongdoing and prevent it where possible.
Bullies rely, of course, on the notion that an imbalance of power or relationship will prevent the bullied defending themselves. Judaism is quite clear that in the event of being bullied one may respond with all reasonable means, including appropriate physical resistance or reporting to an authority.
In today’s world, bullying via social media – from that of school children to celebrities – has become pervasive and, in some cases, tragic. Its prevalence, coupled with its frequent anonymity, have surely led to the fulfilment of the Talmudic warning (Baba Metzia 58b): “The shaming of another in public is akin to the shedding of (the shamed one’s) blood.”
Whilst it is only in a small number of cases that bullying on social media has contributed to the deaths of its victims, even one case is too many. It is also fair to conclude that social media bullying can lead to social isolation, mental instability, and physical symptoms including fear of leaving one’s home.
The Babylonian Talmud (Eruvin 65b) teaches that a person’s character can be assessed by three things: their cos (cup), cees (wallet) and ca’as (anger). The bully is usually a person who is quick to be affronted, uses whatever is at their disposal to pick upon a vulnerable person, and is controlled – not necessarily by alcohol as the Talmud infers – by an inability or lack of concern about how their behaviour impacts on others. With a calm, practical and thoughtful attitude, bullying on social media or elsewhere can – and should be resisted in accord with Jewish teaching.
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