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Ezra and Nehemiah: Lessons in Moral and

Spiritual Leadership

Article in SSRN Electronic Journal · February 2014

DOI: 10.2139/ssrn.2390230

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 Ezra and Nehemiah: Lessons in Moral and Spiritual Leadership

Toby H. Birnbaum, J.D.

Assistant Professor of Business and Law
Department of Finance and Business Management
School of Business
Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
E-mail: tbirnbaum@brooklyn.cuny.edu

Hershey H. Friedman, Ph.D.

Professor of Business
Department of Finance and Business Management
School of Business
Brooklyn College of the City University of New York
E-mail: x.friedman@att.net

Abstract

This paper examines the Book of Ezra to derive important lessons dealing with moral and
spiritual leadership. Ezra and Nehemiah had different leadership styles but understood the
importance of ethical leadership. Corporate and governmental organizations would benefit from
incorporating spiritual, moral, and social justice into their core values rather than a pursuing a
purely profit seeking model.

Key words: leadership, ethical leadership, biblical leaders, Ezra, Great Assembly, Bible.

The authors wish to thank Ms. Miriam Gloger for her invaluable insights and comments.

Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2390230

 Introduction

Many lessons about leadership can be derived from the Bible. In fact, the concept of servant

leadership has its roots in the Bible as does covenantal leadership (Pava, 2003). Robert K.

Greenleaf (1991) first introduced the concept of servant leadership in 1970 (information may be

found at the Greenleaf Center for Servant-Leadership website: http://www.greenleaf.org). Lynch

and Friedman (2013) use the Bible to demonstrate that adding a spiritual component –

encouraging personal growth and incorporating social justice themes into the work environment

− to the concept of servant leadership completes the paradigm and makes it more valuable as a

leadership theory.

Several scholars have examined the lives of Biblical figures such as Abraham, Joseph, and

Moses in order to derive important leadership lessons (e.g., Birnbaum and Friedman, 2013a;

Birnbaum and Friedman, 2013b; Friedman and Birnbaum, 2012; Friedman and Friedman, 2012;

Feiler, 2010; Laufer, 2006; Morris, 2006; Friedman, Friedman, and Fireworker, 2006; Feiler,

2004; Friedman and Friedman, 2004; Maxwell, 2002; Friedman and Langbert, 2000; Woolfe,

2002; Baron and Padwa, 1999; Herskovitz and Klein, 1999; Wildavsky, 1984). Moses, arguably

the greatest of Biblical leaders, was praised as being a “servant of God” (Deuteronomy 34: 5).

Moses can be considered the exemplar for servant leadership, but Ezra and Nehemiah are also

paradigms of moral/spiritual leadership.

The Book of Ezra begins with Ezra, a descendant of Aaron, a scribe and priest, emigrating from

Babylonia to Israel in 458 B.C.E. He brought a letter from King Artaxerxes authorizing himself

Electronic copy available at: http://ssrn.com/abstract=2390230

and the Israelite exiles residing in the Babylonian kingdom, to travel to Jerusalem. Ezra is

described as a “priest who has mastered the Book of the Law of the God of heaven (i.e., the

Torah)” (Ezra 7: 12). Ezra is given authority by the king to “execute, uproot, fine, or torture”

anyone who does not fulfill the law of God (Ezra 7:26). Ezra appoints 12 other priests to take

care of the Temple’s treasures (Ezra 8: 24-30), even though he a priest himself. Angel (2009)

states that what characterizes Ezra’s leadership style is delegating to others.

In the beginning of the Second Commonwealth, that is the Second Temple Era (538 BCE-70

CE), there were three important leaders, Zerubbabel, Nehemiah, and Ezra. Zerubbabel’s main

task was building the Second Temple (Ezra 3:8); Nehemiah was concerned with rebuilding the

walls of Jerusalem; and Ezra’s task was reviving the spiritual and moral lives of the people. This

last task was the most important as having a Temple and holy city without establishing justice

would be pointless. Indeed, both the First Temple and Jerusalem were destroyed because they

became centers of injustice and oppression of the poor. King Nebuchadnezzar, who destroyed

the First Temple is actually referred to as God’s servant (Jeremiah 27:6; 43:10). Jeremiah warned

the people that God would allow the destruction of His own Temple by King Nebuchadnezzar of

Babylonia if the people did not repent of their transgressions.

There is some controversy as to the date Ezra actually arrived in Jerusalem. The verse states that

he arrived during the seventh year of King Artashast of Persia (Ezra 7:7). Artashast is usually

translated as Artaxerxes, but some believe that he arrived during the reign of Artaxerxes II.

Wright (2005) discusses the problems with dating Ezra’s arrival and concludes that Ezra came to

Jerusalem in 458 B.C.E. and Nehemiah arrived 13 years later in 445 B.C.E. Angel (2009) also

2
accepts those as the date when Ezra and Nehemiah arrived in Jerusalem. Nevertheless, the

accomplishments of these leaders is of greater consequence that the particularities of the historic

record.

Destruction of the First Temple

The story of Ezra and Nehemiah takes place after the destruction of the First Temple by the

Babylonians under King Nebuchadnezzar. The prophet Jeremiah had prophesied that the exile

would last 70 years (Jeremiah 29:10). Numerous prophets had warned the Israelites that the

Temple would be destroyed and that they would go into exile for their sins. The major sins of

the people dealt with idolatry and lack of social justice. There is a very strong correlation

between paganism and social injustice. Hertz (1959: 265) declares: “The belief in the unity of

the human race is the natural corollary of the unity of God, since One God must be the God of

the whole of humanity…Through Hebrew monotheism alone was it possible to teach the

Brotherhood of Man.” Rabbi Joseph Soloveitchik, one of the great rabbinical leaders of the

twentieth century, makes the point that human dignity and social justice “are implicit in the

biblical concept that man was created in God’s image” (Besdin, 1979: 190). It was important for

the Jewish leadership to eradicate paganism so that ethical monotheism, the foundation of the

Abrahamic religions, would transform the world.

This is just a small but representative sample of what the prophets complained about prior to the

exile.

Isaiah’s criticism:

Woe to those who make unjust laws and who issue oppressive

3
 documents, to deprive the destitute of their rights and to rob of
their rights the needy of My people, making widows their prey and
orphans their booty. What will you do on the day of reckoning,
when the calamity comes from afar? To whom will you flee for
help? Where will you leave your wealth? [There will be nothing to
do] except cringe among the captives or fall among the slain.
(Isaiah 10: 1-4)

Jeremiah’s criticism:

Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness and his upper
stories by injustice; who works his fellow without payment, not
paying them for their labor…If one defends the cause of the poor
and needy, then it is good; is this not what it means to know Me?
— declares the Lord. (Jeremiah 22: 13-16).

Amos’s criticism:

Listen to this, you who devour the needy, annihilating the poor of
the land, saying when will the month pass, so that we can sell
grain; the Sabbatical year, so that we can open the stores of grain;
using an ephah that is too small and a shekel that is too large, and
distorting dishonest scales. That we may purchase the poor for
silver and the destitute for shoes and selling the refuse of grain as
grain. The Lord swears that He will never forget their deeds
(Amos 8: 5-7).

Micah’s criticism:

Listen to my message, you leaders of the House of Jacob, you

chiefs of the House of Israel, who abhor justice and who twist all
that is straight, who build Zion with blood and Jerusalem with
iniquity. Her leaders judge for bribes and her priests give rulings
for a fee, and her prophets divine for pay… Therefore, because of
you, Zion shall be plowed over as a field; Jerusalem shall become
a heap of rubble and the Temple Mount will become like a stone
heap in the forest (Micah 3: 9-12)

Clearly, the return of the Israelites from exile would be of little value if the people would return

to their old ways. It was crucial to rebuild Jerusalem on a foundation of social justice and ethical

4
monotheism.

Problem of Intermarriage

Both Ezra and Nehemiah had to deal with the issue of intermarriage between the Israelites and

indigenous peoples. One of the most dramatic and intense episodes in the Book of Ezra is the

crisis over intermarriage (Ezra 9:2). Apparently, many of the Israelite leaders had married pagan

women. After Nebuchadnezzar conquered Israel, he brought in many foreigners to populate the

land. Moreover, not all of the Jews were driven into exile; many were allowed to remain in

Israel. Intermarriage was not a small issue since the women marrying Israelites did not give up

their pagan beliefs for mosaic monotheism. Ezra was a man of vision and understood that these

women therefore posed a threat to the future of the Second Commonwealth. Ezra knew that the

people were given a “brief moment” or a temporary reprieve by God (Ezra 9: 8) and that there

was no guarantee that the “surviving remnant” would be allowed to stay in the Holy Land if they

continued their wicked ways. This may explain his reaction upon hearing that it was not only the

people who had intermarried, the priests, Levites, and the officers were also guilty. Moreover,

they were doing the same “abominations” as the Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Jebusites,

Ammonites, Moabites, Egyptians, and Amorites (Ezra 9: 1-2).

Although Ezra was given the authority to execute or torture anyone who did not obey the law by

the Persian king , he took a different approach. Scripture (Ezra 9: 2) states: “And when I heard

this, I rent my garment and robe, tore out the hair of my head and beard, and sat forlorn and

bewildered.” Ezra began to weep and referred to “our iniquities” and that “we have forsaken

Your commandments” (Ezra 9: 6-10). It appears that by taking responsibility and including

5
himself when he had done nothing wrong, he was able to get all the people to weep. Shechaniah,

son of Yechiel of the descendants of Elam says to Ezra:

We have been unfaithful to our God by marrying foreign women

from the peoples around us. But in spite of this, there is still hope
for Israel. Now let us make a covenant before our God to send away
all these women and their children, in accordance with the counsel
of my lord and of those who fear the commands of our God. Let it
be done according to the Law (Ezra 10:2).

The Book of Ezra ends with the people agreeing to banish the foreign wives. In total, 113 men

had actually intermarried: 17 priests and 96 Levites and Israelites.

The medieval French-Jewish commentator Gersonides (also known as the Ralbag), posited that

Ezra did not want to have an ugly confrontation with the people over the issue of intermarriage.

This would have been a battle that would have negative outcomes for all sides. It was quite

likely that the people would not have listened to Ezra had he publicly berated them over this

issue. His approach, of using an emotional appeal, was much more effective. Ezra was trying to

build a new country built on morality and spirituality. Fighting with the people over this might

have resulted in resistance. This was a sensitive issue: it is not easy banishing a beloved wife

even if she wanted to continue to worship idols. Ezra’s approach, which involved including

himself in the “iniquities” and showing the people how painful this was to him—to the point

where he was tearing out his own hair and beard, was a better way. A good leader knows when

it is better to use moral suasion than threats. By demonstrating that he was part of the people and

not using his authority, he accomplished his goals.

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Several years later, the problem of intermarriage reappeared. It seems that despite everything

Ezra had accomplished, people again gave in to temptation and started marrying the foreign

women (see Gersonides commentary on Ezra). Nehemiah is now the Governor of Israel and

takes a different approach to the problem. He also wants to rebuild on a foundation of morality.

Also in those days, I saw men of Judah who had married women
from Ashdod, Ammon and Moab. Half of their children spoke the
language of Ashdod or the language of one of the other peoples,
and did not know how to speak the language of Judah. I quarreled
with them, and I cursed them, and I beat some of the men, and I
pulled out their hair. I made them take an oath in God's name and
said: "You are not to give your daughters in marriage to their sons,
nor are you to take their daughters in marriage for your sons or for
yourselves. Was it not because of marriages like these that
Solomon king of Israel sinned? Among the many nations there was
no king like him. He was beloved by God, and God made him king
over all Israel, but even he was led into sin by foreign women.
(Nehemiah 13: 23-26).

It is not an accident that the verse stresses that he “pulled out their hair.” This reaction is

diametrically opposite to that of Ezra. Why did Ezra pull out his own hair and Nehemiah pluck

out the hair of the wrongdoers? Some commentators try to attribute this to a difference in

leadership styles (Angel, 2009).

A simpler explanation is that Ezra had to deal with a new problem. He solved it in a way that did

not cause any strife and the problem was solved for a number of years. However, Nehemiah had

to deal with the problem a second time. Apparently, Ezra’s solution did not work for everyone

and some succumbed to the temptation of marrying pagan women. Despite the earlier agreement

made to banish the foreign wives, some people decided to start up again with the pagan women

living in the land.

7
When a problem reappears after a compassionate, benevolent approach is used, a leader has to

use a much tougher solution. Nehemiah took a hard approach when the comingling with pagan

women resurfaced as a problem. The people who committed this transgression knew that this

problem was solved by Ezra using a more empathetic approach in the past. They purposely chose

to assimilate and neglected to teach their children the language of their own heritage in favor of

the indigenous people. The only solution that would work on them would be tough; involving

beatings, cursing, and plucking out their hair. Nehemiah was the man for the job.

Rebuilding the Wall of Jerusalem

One of the first tasks Nehemiah had to deal with was rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. This was

not an easy task given that the Jews had many enemies such as Sanballat the Choronite, Tobiah

the Ammonite slave, and Geshem the Arab who tried all kinds of ruses to prevent this

(Nehemiah 2:19). They conspired together and were planning to attack the Jewish workers

(Nehemiah 4) during construction. Nehemiah had to station guards to protect the workers and

“those building the wall and the carriers burdened by the loads did the work with one hand while

the other held a weapon” (Nehemiah 4:11). Amazingly, the wall was built in 52 days (Nehemiah

6: 15). It appears that the foreigners were so impressed with how fast the wall was built that they

attributed it to Divine Providence (Nehemiah 6:16).

Complaint of the Destitute

Nehemiah had to deal with another serious problem: the exploitation of the poor Jews by the

wealthy in the Jewish country he was desperately trying to rebuild.

8
 And there was a great cry of the people and of their wives against
their brothers the Jews. For there were those that said: ‘We, our
sons, and our daughters, are many: therefore we must buy grain for
them, that we may eat, and live.’ And there were those that said:
‘We have mortgaged our fields, vineyards, and houses, that we
might buy grain, because of the famine.’ And there were those that
said: ‘We have borrowed money for the king's taxes, and that on
our fields and vineyards’. Now, our flesh is as worthy as the flesh
of our brothers, our children as worthy as their children: yet, see,
we bring into bondage our sons and our daughters to be servants!
Some of our daughters are brought to servitude already: neither is
it in our power to redeem them; for other men have our fields and
vineyards (Nehemiah 5: 1-5).

Nehemiah understood that without social justice, Israel would have no future. He succeeded in

convincing the nobility to remit the debts and restore the forfeited fields of the poor. This type

of financial and agrarian reform was probably unheard of in its time, and very likely represents

one of the earliest examples of progressive land reform. Nehemiah did not place heavy tax

burdens on the people as did his predecessors (Nehemiah 5:15). He was known to host a huge

number of people at his table daily (Nehemiah 5:17). Nehemiah was another leadership role

model; albeit different from Ezra but it was obvious that he served God and also wanted to

establish the country on a moral foundation.

Public Reading of the Torah on Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year)

After the wall was built and Nehemiah solved the problem of the debtors, the people asked for

Ezra to bring the Torah and read it for them (Nehemiah 8). This was on the first day of the

seventh month, i.e., Rosh Hashanah. Ezra read the Torah from a wooden platform so that

everyone could hear him. The people were weeping when they heard the words of the Torah

(Nehemiah 8:9). Apparently, they began to realize that they were not obeying its laws.

Nehemiah, Ezra, and the Levites told the Jews not to mourn or weep for this is a joyous day.

9
The people were told to go home and eat a sumptuous meal with sweet drinks but not to forget

the poor. They were told to make sure to send food to those who had nothing prepared

(Nehemiah 8: 10). A holiday is not meaningful unless the poor are also taken care of. On the

second day, the Jews learned the law of Sukkot (Tabernacles) which requires that Jews eat in

thatched huts. The people repented on the 24th day of the month. They bound themselves with a

curse and oath to follow the Torah of God that was given through Moses the servant of God

(Nehemiah 10:30). Thus, Ezra and Nehemiah were successful in renewing the celebration of the

Jewish holidays as well as getting the people to commit themselves to living a life based on the

Torah. Ezra and Nehemiah caused a spiritual awakening and religious revival that when

examined in comparison to the less successful exhortations and activities of the great prophets,

like Isaiah and Jeremiah, is truly remarkable.

Nehemiah also had to deal with the issue of the desecration of the Sabbath. Apparently, the

people were “treading on winepresses,” “loading their donkeys,” and selling produce on the

Sabbath (Nehemiah 13: 15). Nehemiah quarreled with the “dignitaries of Judea” over the

desecration of the Sabbath (Nehemiah 13: 17). He stationed his youth over the gates to ensure

that no one could enter the city on the Sabbath to conduct business. When he saw that merchants

were congregating outside the walls of Jerusalem to conduct business, he warned them that he

would send his army against them (Nehemiah 13: 21). Nehemiah succeeded and the Sabbath was

no longer desecrated.

Differences in Leadership Styles Between Ezra and Nehemiah

It is interesting to note the differences between Ezra and Nehemiah. Ezra was extremely humble

10
and did not use coercion. He never took credit for what he had done and always tried to include

others (Angel, 2009). At the public reading of the Torah, Ezra includes numerous people whose

names are mentioned in the verse – Mattithiah, Shema, Anaiah, Uriah, Chilkiah, Maaseiah,

Pedaiah, Mishael, Malkiah, Chashum, Chashbadanah, Zechariah, and Meshullam (Nehemiah

8:4). Clearly, he wanted others to participate and rather than claim all the credit for himself.

Indeed, it is not Ezra who asks for the public reading; the people demand it (Nehemiah 8:1). Ezra

arrives without a military escort; Nehemiah arrives with “officers of the army and horsemen”

(Nehemiah 2: 9). A striking difference between the two narratives is the list of people who

arrive with Ezra. The text lists the people who came with Ezra from the exile (Ezra 2). Ezra did

not mind sharing the spotlight with a large number of returning exiles. The total number is listed:

“The entire congregation together was 42, 360” (Ezra 2: 64). This is a surprisingly small number

and it is obvious that the majority of the Jews living in the Persian Empire preferred to stay in the

diaspora rather than go on a dangerous journey to rebuild a distant homeland in economic

distress and precariously surrounded by hostile entities

In stark contrast, Nehemiah proactively took credit for the good he had done. Throughout his

story he constantly makes remarks about himself such as “Remember me, my God, concerning

this, and do not erase my kindnesses that I did…” (Nehemiah 13: 14; Nehemiah 13: 22); In fact,

Nehemiah’s narrative ends with the words: “Remember me, O my God, favorably (Nehemiah

13: 31). He mentions that for 12 years that he and his associates did not eat the food allowance

that was due him as governor (Nehemiah 5:14). He was not as humble as Ezra and it seems

almost as if that the people who accompanied him were not of any concern. Nehemiah comes to

the Holy Land without mentioning the names of people who had accompanied him.

11
It is obvious that Nehemiah did not have the humility of Ezra. However, in his defense, he had a

very different background; he had been the butler to the Persian king (Nehemiah 1:11). Maxwell

(2002: 79-94) is one of the few scholars who recognizes the greatness of Nehemiah as a leader.

The Talmud is critical of Nehemiah and gives two reasons that the Book of Nehemiah was part

of the Book of Ezra. Apparently, in ancient times the two books were combined into one and

referred to as the Book of Ezra. Later on, they were split into two. The reasons given by the

Talmud are as follows (Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 93b):

Why does the book of Nehemiah son of Chachaliah not bear his
name? Rabbi Yirmiah b. Abba says: Because he took personal
credit for his righteous deeds, as it is written (Nehemiah 5:19):
“Remember me with favor, my God, for all I have done for these
people” …Rabbi Yosef says: Because he spoke disparagingly
about his predecessors, as it is written (Nehemiah 5:15): “But the
earlier governors--those preceding me-- placed a heavy burden on
the people and took forty shekels of silver from them in addition to
food and wine. Their assistants also oppressed the people. But I did
not do so out of fear for God.” (Nehemiah 5:15).

The Talmud appears to also be very critical of Nehemiah’s lack of modesty. In the Talmudic

discussion about Nehemiah, there is an opinion that Daniel was one of his predecessors and that

Nehemiah should not have criticized all former governors of Israel without specifically

excluding Daniel (Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 93b). The Talmudic sages did, however,

admire Ezra and compared him to Moses. The Talmud states (Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin

21b): “Had Moses not preceded him, Ezra was worthy for the Torah to have been given to Israel

through him.” Both were moral and spiritual leaders and ensured that the Second

Commonwealth would be established on a strong foundation.

12
In fact, both Ezra and Nehemiah were members of the legendary Great Assembly (Anshei

Knesses HaGedolah, literally, Men of the Great Assembly) that established many of the customs

we have today. It served as an unofficial legal body and consisted of 120 virtuous people. Some

of the accomplishments of the Great Assembly included (Wein, 1995: 13-15; Wein, 2012):

• Sealing the Biblical Canon – 24 books that make up the Hebrew Bible
• Composing the words that make up the key prayer recited three times daily, the
Amidah (the Shemoneh Esrei, 18 blessings) as well as surrounding prayers. This
prayer is still used today.
• Developing a permanent calendar so that Jews all over the world know when to
celebrate holidays.
• Changed the Hebrew alphabet.
• Establishing a system of education in Israel and a Sanhedrin that could act as a
Supreme Court for all of Jewry.

Most importantly, the Great Assembly “served as the main conduit for the transmission of the

Oral Law and the traditions of Sinai to the renascent nation” (Wein, 1995: 14). The Mishnah in

Avot (1:1) cites the following maxim from them: “Be deliberate in judgment; raise up many

disciples, and make a fence round the Torah.” Note the importance of having many disciples so

that the Torah would available to all people, not just the elite. Simon the Just, who was one of

the last survivors of the Great Assembly states (Avot 1:2): “On three things the world stands: on

the Torah, on Divine service, and on deeds of loving-kindness.”

The Great Assembly wanted to make Jerusalem the spiritual center of Judaism despite the fact

that the overwhelming majority of Jews lived in the diaspora. The number of returnees was quite

small given that the overall world population of Jews was probably about 500,000. Moreover,

the stature of the Jews that left for Israel was rather mediocre. The foremost scholars and Levites

were quite affluent and did not want to leave the Persian Empire (Wein, 2012).

13
 Conclusion

There is much that can be learned from the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah. True, there were

differences in leadership style and Nehemiah and did not have the humility of Ezra It must be

taken into consideration that Nehemiah had a very comfortable position as butler of the king and

could have stayed in Persia. Having been a member of the elite, his life was constantly in danger

once he arrived in Judea. Scripture states that “he wept, mourned, fasted, and prayed when he

heard how badly things were going for the remnant of Jews that were in Jerusalem. The

breached wall was just one of many problems that needed a leader (Nehemiah 1: 2-5).

The accomplishments of Ezra and Nehemiah were remarkable. They put into place a system that

would last for more than 400 years until the Second Temple was destroyed by the Roman

Empire. Even after the Second Temple was destroyed, the policies established by Ezra and

Nehemiah ensured the survival of the Jewish people in many different social and political

climates throughout the diaspora . When Ezra and Nehemiah started their reforms, any small

mistake could have derailed their efforts. Wein (2012) observes:

They not only closed the breaches in the physical walls of

Jerusalem, built the Second Temple and set the foundation for the
Second Commonwealth (the Second Temple era), but set the
spiritual foundation and built the spiritual walls of the nation for
the foreseeable future lasting to this day.

Leaders of today have much to learn from these two extraordinary leaders. In many cases,

leadership is ultimately about building an organization, or a country, on a spiritual foundation.

Fogel (2000), a 1993 Nobel laureate in economics, stresses the importance of spirituality in the

new economy. He identifies 15 vital spiritual resources that include such concepts as “a sense of

purpose, a sense of opportunity, a sense of community, a strong family ethic, a strong work ethic,

14
and high self-esteem.” The implication of his belief is that capitalism should take spiritual

values into account in order to survive and thrive. Fogel uses the term “spirituality” in a way

that is not connected to any particular religion or group. Similarly, Rhodes (2006) maintains:

“A spiritual workplace provides resources to help people uncover their creative potential and to

practice creativity within the organization.” Spirituality is about values and making life,

including work, meaningful. Other terms used to describe organizations that behave in a socially

responsible manner include: the virtuous firm, organizations with values, capitalism with a soul,

and the spiritual workplace.

Ezra and Nehemiah did not use their positions to enrich themselves. They saw themselves as

individuals who had an important job which included rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem but more

importantly to build a country on a foundation of social justice. Political leaders who do not

understand the importance of social justice ensure that their countries will not have much of

future. Sadly, many leaders today have shown indifference to the plight of the working poor.

Susan Fiske, Professor at Princeton, studies the attitudes of Americans to the poor and it appears

that Americans have extremely negative attitudes to the poor. Fiske claims that “Americans

react to the poor with disgust” and also: "We're losing part of our humanity" by dehumanizing

the impoverished and "These were the seeds to the Holocaust: That some lives matter more than

others" (Lubrano, 2013). Ezra and Nehemiah would certainly agree with Fiske that Washington

D.C. has become a “town without pity” (Blow, 2013).

When rebuilding the physical Jerusalem, and revitalizing the people, Ezra and Nehemiah relied

on the blueprint provided by the earlier prophets. When Isaiah (1: 27) stated that “Zion will be

15
redeemed through justice and her penitent ones through tzedakah,” he meant much more than

simple charity-giving. The Hebrew word tzedakah (translated as either charity, righteousness, or

justice) actually means both charity and justice and connotes “distributive justice, equity.” Sacks

asserts:

There’s a biblical word, Tzedakah, charity-as-justice, for which

there’s no real English equivalent because we think of these as two
quite different things. If someone gives you a hundred pounds
because he owes it to you, that’s justice. If he does so out of
generosity, that’s charity. An act can be one or the other but not
both. But tzedakah means both: charity and justice, because we
believe that giving isn’t an option but an obligation (Sacks, 2009).

Isaiah was talking about a new beginning with Jerusalem referred to as a “Faithful City” and

“City of Righteousness” (Isaiah 1: 26), not a “town without pity.”

16
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