A fine example of Liberal and Jewish values overlapping

Elana Kagen has cast her first vote as a member of the United Stated Supreme Court. Though the cynical side of me says she was merely registering knee-jerk opposition to the death penalty, I can't help noting that in practice her opinion is textbook vahavta lrayacha kamocha as per BT Sanhedrin.

So, of course, mighty-moralist GOPJews hate it and are mocking her for it.

Typical.

Background after the jump

The decision:  The court heard an appeal from someone about to be executed, and voted 5-4 to kill him. Kagan dissented on the grounds that the poison the state planned to use was from a new, foreign, manufacturer; because this new vendor's product had never been tested there was a concern it might not be fully effective.

The mockery: "That stupid, clueless, liberal. The point of the drug is to kill him!  He's supposed to die! Who cares if its safe? God, liberals are morons"

The Torah value: R. Nahman answered in the name of Rabbah b. Abbuha: The verse saith, But thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself,  [which implies:] choose an easy death for him. [BT Sanhedrin 52a]

Several rules are deduced from this teaching, all of them intended to make death by execution as quick, and as painless as possible. Kagen's vote, is then a wonderful example of how Torah and liberal values can coincide. The mystery is why the GOP Jews, who claim to be all about Torah values, fail to see it.

Posts about how the Torah matches up with RW and LW political values to whatever extent it might:

• http://dovbear.blogspot.com/2007/01/my-new-stupid-project.html
• http://dovbear.blogspot.com/2007/01/positive-commandments.html
• http://dovbear.blogspot.com/2007/01/negative-commandments.html

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Search for more information about Justice Kagan at 4torah.com.