96 Richard S. Rheins
guiding principle of lifenim mi-shurat ha-din, going beyond the letter of the law in order to follow the paths of the good and righteous. Jewish tradition calls upon us to consider the plight of the working poor and find creative solutions. Accordingly, Progressive Halakhah and Reform Judaism can continue the natural development of halakhic tradition by extending the protections that the Torah and rabbis granted to farm laborers to all manual laborers and the working poor. This, of course, means going beyond simply advocating specific policies like raising the minimum wage. While wage hikes might be appropriate in certain cases, there may also be situations where wellintentioned but ill-planned government mandated hikes might undermine companies and lead to higher unemployment. Beyond wage hikes, Progressive Judaism should express an awareness of the essential role of psychological and emotional support. There will always be the poor(Deut. 15:11). But once someone has fallen in the mire of poverty, we can advocate programs like job training, early
start education, and support for business to better retain and advance its employees.
In The Working Poor, David Shipler reviewed the case of The Landmark Plastic Company in Akron , Ohio , which faced a turnover rate of more than 100% a year.* The managers of this factory of 200 employees decided to ask people in exit interviews why they were leaving. The factory made throwaway plastic pots and trays for plants at nurseries. Employees had to shout to be heard over the thundering manufacturing machines. One observer described the very air inside the factory as a“gray hue.” Nevertheless, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration ruled that the factory’s conditions were acceptably in accordance with the government's minimum legal standards(albeit, surely not“beyond the letter of the law”). Still, it was not the mind-numbing routine, the noise, or the plastic dust that departing workers complained about. It wasn’t even the low starting wage of$7 an hour that caused such a high percentage to leave each