Privacy Protection- A Fundamental Jewish Value

Beyond legal requirements, protecting personal information reflects a deeply rooted Jewish value: honoring human dignity, safeguarding confidentiality, respecting boundaries, and understanding that not everything should be exposed.

Sources from the Torah and the Sages

“מַה־טֹּבוּ אֹהָלֶיךָ יַעֲקֹב” (במדבר כ״ד:ה׳)

“How good are your tents, O Jacob.”

Rashi explains that this blessing was given because the entrances of the tents did not face each other, ensuring that no one could see into another person’s private life. In other words, privacy itself was the reason for this special praise.

If the physical layout of tents had to protect personal space, then all the more so must personal information be safeguarded today.

“היזק ראייה” - בבא בתרא נ״ט ע״ב

The concept of “harm caused by seeing.”

The Talmud teaches that one may not place a window opposite another window, because even the possibility of observing someone’s private life is considered a harm. Chazal recognized that privacy is a fundamental part of human dignity.

“הוֹלֵךְ רָכִיל מְגַלֶּה סוֹד” (משלי י״א:י״ג)

“One who goes about gossiping reveals secrets.”

Revealing information to someone who has no need to know it is described as a moral failing. Personal information is shared in trust, and that trust must be honored and protected.

What This Means for Organizations Today

If the Torah praised Israel for not looking into each other’s tents, and if the sages prohibited “hechzek re’iyah,” then safeguarding personal information is not only a legal duty , it is a continuation of an ancient value of integrity, modesty, and respect.

An organization committed to privacy:

• Upholds a timeless ethical principle

• Protects its employees, clients, and community

• Acts with honesty and proper conduct

• And also meets modern legal expectations