Deuteronomy 15:7-8
“If there is with you a poor man, any of your brothers, within any of your gates in your land which Yahweh your God gives you, you shall not harden your heart, nor shut your hand from your poor brother; but you shall open your hand wide to him, and shall surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wants.”
This passage is part of Moses' address to the Israelites as they are about to enter the promised land, likely written in the 7th century BCE. It lays out laws for how they are to live as a community under God, including instructions on social justice and care for the vulnerable among them.
How might we understand 'opening our hand' not just to individuals we encounter, but to address the systemic needs of many whom we may never meet?