RBG: How Jewish Was She?
Ruth Bader Ginsburg (RGB), the phenomenal Justice of the US Supreme Court, passed away Friday evening, September 18, 2020, on the eve of the Jewish new year, Rosh Hashanah.
Many tributes and zoom meetings were recalling her life. Melanie Phillips wrote RBG: An American Jewish justice warrior highlighting Ginsburg’s Jewish identity and how intertwined that was with her life. Melanie points out that while few commented on her Jewish background, the Guardian newspaper did mention her Jewish identity but unfortunately. Unfortunately, the paper got it all wrong.
The Guardian wrote:
“Ruth was brought up in a Conservative Jewish tradition and learned Hebrew as a child, but abandoned her religion because she was not allowed to join a minyan (a group of men) to mourn her mother’s death when she was 17…and In 1993, President Bill] Clinton was anxious to make the Supreme Court more diverse, so Ginsburg’s Jewish religion, which she had given up 46 years earlier, may have counted for more than a lifetime of commitment. (emphasis mine)
These comments astonished people who knew that Ginsburg’s Jewish identity was never abandoned; instead, it was threaded throughout her life and work.
After complaints, the Guardian changed the text to read, “Ginsburg moved away from strict religious observance after she was not allowed to join a minyan (a group of men) to mourn her mother’s death when she was 17. But, indignant at that exclusion, she remained deeply committed to her Jewish identity.”
What quintessential Jewish characteristic would any learned Jewish person have recognized in RBG?
Ruth Bader Ginsburg embodied that unique Jewish characteristic that began with Abraham, who sparred, even with G-d, when justice was involved.
“Shall the G-d of all the world not practice justice!” (Genesis 18:25) This was Abraham’s remark to God when he was pleading against the destruction of Sodom if there were even ten innocent people.
This central awareness of seeking justice for all characterized Justice Ginsburg’s life from the beginning of her career to the end: Even if she lost her cases, her dissenting opinions often reverberated for years, finding an outlet in later issues.
According to the US constitution, the United States Supreme Court is the final arbiter of American justice. However, the idea of a supreme court with human judges who refuse bribes and judge strictly on the merits of morality is sourced from the Torah, the Jewish Bible.
In the Hebrew Bible:
“Moses and the Israelites were commanded by God to establish courts of judges who received full authority over the people of Israel, who were commanded by God through Moses to obey the judgments made by the courts.” (Exodus 18:21–22, Numbers 11:16–17, 11:24–25; Deuteronomy 1:15–18, 17:9–12)
The Talmud’s Tractate Sanhedrin identifies two classes of rabbinical courts called Sanhedrin, a Great Sanhedrin (בית דין הגדול) and a Lesser Sanhedrin (בית דין הקטן). Each city could have its lesser Sanhedrin consisting of 23 judges. However, there was only one Great Sanhedrin comprised of 71 judges. Among its other roles, it acted as the Supreme Court, taking appeals from cases decided by lesser courts. The uneven number of judges eliminated the possibility of a tie. The last to cast his vote was the head of the court.
The Torah also mandated the courts’ impartiality and severely prohibited taking bribes.
“You must not distort justice; you must not show partiality; and you must not accept bribes, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of those who are in the right.” (Deuteronomy 16:19)
Modern workplaces and societies are no less susceptible to bribery, corruption, and bias than ancient Israel was. According to the United Nations, the most significant impediment to economic growth in less developed countries are lapses in the rule of law: In places where corruption is endemic, the consequences are severe: It may be impossible to make a living, travel across town, or live peacefully. (1) The UN statute recognizes that those who have the power to demand bribery are more at fault than those who pay them, for the prohibition is against accepting bribes, not against paying them. (2)
In this sense, Ruth Bader Ginsburg followed Abraham and Moses’s footsteps.
Ginsburg’s Jewish values were equally evident in her private life. RGB was devoted to her parents, especially her mother, who had been ill for years and passed away a day before Ruth graduated from High School. Ruth used to do her homework at the hospital on her mother’s side.
She was also totally committed to her husband, who fell ill shortly after marriage. She cared for his medical needs and kept up with his classes and her own throughout his illness while caring for their infant daughter.
RGB was also devoted to keeping her word and following through on her personal and professional commitments.
Jeffrey Rosen (3) and Dahlia Lithwick (4), who knew her professionally and personally over many years, recorded an interview for the Jewish Book Council shortly after her passing; throughout the interview, they reminisced about her life, teasing out these extraordinary aspects of her character, her intense capacity to care about others, to remain focused on her goal, to not give in to useless anger and to treat everyone, even her opponents, with respect and courtesy.
Rosen and Lithwick speculate to what extent RBD’s Jewishness and outsider immigrant status may have contributed to her remarkable vision. They also note her efforts in sharing her ideas with the next generation and how generous she was with her time and energy.
It is perhaps a divine irony that Justice Ginsburg passed away on the eve of Rosh Hashanah when according to Jewish thought, all the world – every individual and every community – is judged by the Supreme Judge – the Divine One. Dying on a Jewish Holiday is also regarded as passing by the Kiss of the Almighty, a death reserved for the righteous – the “tzadik” that she certainly was.
Footnote:
- United Nations Development Programme, Issue Brief: Rule of Law and Development (New York: United Nations, 2013)
- Bribery and Corruption (Deuteronomy 16:18-20) Bible Commentary, Produced by TOW Project
- Jeffrey Rosen recently published his book Conversations with RBG: Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Life, Love, Liberty, and Law, providing a unique glimpse of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s life and career.
- Dahlia Lithwick writes about the courts and the law for Slate and hosts the podcast Amicus.