<p>"Distance yourself from an evil neighbor and do not be counted among their friends." So begins the proverb of the letter Resh (ר) in the Alphabet of Ben Sira. It sounds like a straightforward warning. Stay away from bad people.</p>
<p>But then comes the twist.</p>
<p>"At the same time, have mercy on your neighbors, even if they are evil. Share your food with them, because when you are standing to be judged, they will testify about you."</p>
<p>Wait. Share your food with the evil neighbor you're supposed to avoid? This is the kind of tension that makes the Alphabet of Ben Sira, written between 700 and 1000 CE, such an unusual text. It doesn't resolve contradictions -- it lets them sit there, uncomfortable and real.</p>
<p>The reasoning is brutally pragmatic. Your neighbors aren't just your neighbors. They're your witnesses. In the ancient world, a person's reputation depended on what the community said about them, and that community included the people next door. If you starve your evil neighbor, they'll testify against you when judgment comes -- whether that's a human court or the divine one. But if you feed them, even knowing they're wicked, they'll have to admit you were generous.</p>
<p>It's a morality built on game theory. Be kind to your enemies not because they deserve it, but because you can't afford not to be. The rabbis of the Talmud had a similar teaching: "Who is wise? One who foresees consequences" (Tamid 32a).</p>