Regarding the question, what values are truly unique to Judaism, in addition to the suggestions others have already made, I want to add the value of humility, which is not a particularly Western value, was in fact disdained by Plato, yet is front and center in the Torah’s description of our greatest prophet Moses.
I would also like to suggest that even those Jewish values which are also universal or Western have unique meanings and applications in the Jewish context because their origins stem from revelation and tradition as opposed to pure reason. These values cannot be completely separated from their context in Scripture, Halakhah, Midrash, and other sources. For example, many cultures value life, but Judaism values life because Scripture teaches us that Man is created in the image of God. Therefore, we consider every life infinite and we would not kill one person to save many, whereas in Western society this question is much debated.
I recommend reading the article by Rabbi Walter Wurzburger, “What is Unique about Jewish Ethics?†which can be found in the collection of his essays called “Covenental Imperativesâ€. It is about ethics and not values, but one can draw parallels.
Mark Smilowitz
Beit Shemesh
