Advocating for the Less is More Bill

The following remarks were presented at a meeting between the New York State Senate Democractic Caucus and leaders of the Less is More Coalition (the Katal Center, We Are Unchained, A More Just NYC, Columbia Justice Lab, the Robinhood Foundation, and RAC-NY).

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To the members of the New York State Senate Democratic Caucus -- thank you for taking the time to meet with us this morning. 

I’m Rabbi Daniel Reiser, and I’m a member of the clergy team at Westchester Reform Temple in Scarsdale. I’m here today on behalf of the Religious Action Center of New York, which is the social justice arm of the Reform Jewish Movement -- the largest Jewish denomination in the country, where in New York State alone there are 99 Reform Jewish congregations comprising 150,000 Reform Jews. 

Jewish tradition teaches that the very fabric of our universe is compassion. An ancient Jewish legend imagines that before creating this world, God had previously tried to construct a universe that was made purely of justice -- where every wrongdoing, big or small, malicious or benign, was swiftly and methodically punished. But God soon discovered that such a world was uninhabitable. And so, God set out to create the universe again: this time, building the world purely of compassion -- where even the most horrifying of behaviors were met by a warm embrace. But again, God soon discovered that such a world was uninhabitable. And so, God had to create the universe a third time -- at last, mixing one part justice with two parts compassion, to create the world in which we live today. 

A world in which compassion ever so slightly outweighs justice is a world that is designed for human flourishing. It is a world that affirms the human capacity for good -- that at once acknowledges our fallibility, and yet believes in our ability to learn and grow from our mistakes. 

Reform Jews in New York State believe that the Less is More Bill will help us to build our society in God’s image -- a society in which compassion ever so slightly outweighs justice. To do so, we rely not on God, but on one another -- and in particular, on you, our elected officials. Together, we can build a society that affirms the human capacity for growth. If we do so, then we will look upon our world and be worthy of speaking the words of our ancient myth -- words from the Book of Genesis, the words with which God finishes the act of creation: hinei tov me’od -- “behold, the world we have created, for it is very good.” Amen.