Deportations and Closed Borders
Deportations
and Closed Borders: A Reflection on Sedom vs. the U.S.
The law in Sedom strictly prohibited immigrants from entering the country. This was the most severe law, rigorously enforced with harsh punishments for those who violated it. Not only were immigrants punished for entering Sedom, but those who aided or colluded with them also faced severe penalties. If immigrants managed to enter, the law mandated their mass deportation.
According to Midrashic sources, Sedom was notorious for its cruelty and its laws, which were specifically designed to prevent acts of charity or compassion. The story of a girl who performed kindness in Sedom serves as a poignant example of the city's harshness and moral depravity.
The young girl secretly defied these cruel laws by helping a poor person. She would covertly provide food to a needy individual, showing compassion in a society where such acts were forbidden. She would smuggle food hidden in a jug or bread hidden under her garments to ensure the survival of someone in dire need.
When the people of Sedom discovered her actions, they subjected her to a horrific punishment to deter others from acts of kindness. They executed her by smearing her with honey and placing her on a rooftop to be stung to death by bees. This brutal act exemplified the extent of Sedom’s inhumanity and intolerance for mercy.
The Torah tells us that a new appointee was designated as the border czar to enforce the law. His name was Lot. However, on his very first day in the role, Lot himself violated the very law he was appointed to uphold. When he saw newcomers, he invited them into his house, committing what was considered a grave crime.
Understanding the danger this posed to Lot, the guests initially suggested that they would sleep in the street, but Lot insisted on hosting them. Word of this act quickly spread, and masses of people—of all ages and from across the entire city—gathered to mob Lot's house and lynch the guests.
Hashem's reaction to Sedom was one of absolute justice and destruction due to the city's extreme wickedness and moral corruption. The Torah describes Sedom and its neighboring cities as places filled with selfishness, cruelty, and an utter lack of compassion for others. Their behavior violated fundamental ethical principles and demonstrated a complete rejection of Hashem’s values of justice and kindness.
The final decree of destruction came after Hashem sent angels to investigate the city's moral state, confirming its depravity. Despite Avraham Avinu's pleas to spare the city if righteous individuals could be found within it, not even ten righteous people were present. This sealed Sedom's fate.
Hashem destroyed Sedom and the surrounding cities with fire and brimstone, overturning the land as an eternal testament to the consequences of their behavior. The punishment reflected the severity of their sins, including their institutionalized cruelty, disregard for human dignity, and their corruption, which left no room for repentance or change.
Sedom’s
Values:
Upon reading this, a question arises: why is today’s America different from Sedom? The Republicans ran on a platform of closing the borders and carrying out mass deportations of illegal immigrants. A similar issue can be raised in Israel, which faces a significant challenge with Eritrean immigrants and has made efforts to deport them as well.
We can attempt to answer this by noting that America does welcome new immigrants, but they must enter legally. However, it still seems contradictory to what we have just read—deporting families and closing the door to asylum seekers appears to go against the values of compassion and hospitality that we expect from a just society.
Let’s try to answer by examining the essence of the values and ethics that Sedom represents and see if America shares these values. The Mishna in Pirkei Avot states (5, 10): "There are four types of character in people, and one of the four types is, 'Whoever says mine is mine and yours is yours'—this is the character of Sedom." This means that Sedom believed in the ethic of "live and let live," or "I won’t bother you, and you don’t bother me." According to this mindset, if you see someone suffering, you don’t offer help as long as they don’t ask you for assistance in their time of need.
Chazal explain this to mean that Sedom’s philosophy is: even if I won’t lose anything by helping the other, I still don’t need to help. According to the Torah, this attitude is highly negative, and our sages would actively discourage such behavior.
The Talmud (Baba Kama 20) discusses the idea that if one person benefits from something and the other person is not harmed, it may not constitute a halacha violation. A classic example is if someone uses a piece of land but there is no tangible damage or loss to the property or person who owns it.
For instance, if one person parks his car in a neighbor's driveway while the neighbor is away, and the neighbor does not suffer any loss, the principle of "zeh neheneh v'zeh lo chaser" applies. This is because the benefit to the person parking the car does not cause any financial detriment to the owner of the driveway.
America Ethics:
Accordingly, we learn that invaders who enter another land and bring with them the potential for crime and terrorism, take advantage of taxpayer money, and occupy the education and healthcare systems are definitely not in line with the negative idealism of Sedom. Therefore, America is absolutely correct to secure its borders and deport illegal immigrants. We can easily support this point by referencing the story of Yishmael. As soon as he began to influence Yitzchak negatively and demonstrate harmful behavior, Hashem Himself instructed Avraham to heed Sarah's request and send him away from their home.
Hashem also commands, at the time of conquering the land of Israel, that all inhabitants should be driven out. The reason given is that if they are not removed, they will cause the nation to learn from and adopt their sinful behavior.
Final words:
In conclusion, securing borders and addressing illegal immigration can be viewed as an effort to maintain the integrity and safety of the nation. The teachings from the Torah remind us that allowing harmful influences to take root can lead to a negative societal impact. Just as Avraham was instructed to send away Yishmael to protect his family, so too can a nation take steps to protect its future, ensuring that its values are preserved and that it remains strong in the face of challenges. However, when immigrants do not pose any potential danger and do not drain the country’s resources, then welcoming them in aligns with the values of compassion and hospitality, ensuring a balance between safeguarding national interests and extending kindness to those in need.
