Rabbi Norman Lamm of New York told a Senate subcommittee hearing on privacy that Jewish religious law considers non-physical intrusion “the equivalent of physical trespass” and that “the spirit of Jewish Law rejects the idea of a national data bank.”
Rabbi Lamm, a member of the Jewish Law Commission of the Rabbinical Council of America, testified before the Senate subcommittee headed by Sen. Edward Long of Missouri which is conducting hearings on threats to the privacy of Americans.
He also told the Senators that Jewish Law does not consider the right to privacy as absolute, holding that some rights would be automatically suspended in situations of grave threats to national security. However, he added, privacy in Jewish Law “is more than a legal right; there is also a moral duty for man to protect his own privacy.”
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
