Exclusion Entirely of Non-Jews in the Jewish Scheme of Things! R_0426
Dieter Tavische
http://www.shemayisrael.co.il/parsha/leff/archives/ach_kdsh.htm
(Link was effective 2/6/98)
Parshas Acharei Mos
Fences of Holiness
[ ... ]
Other times, rabbinic rules work indirectly by instilling attitudes
that reduce temptations to sin. The Rabbis, for instance, prohibited
drinking wine touched by a non-Jew or eating food cooked by a non-Jew
as a fence against intermarriage. On the surface, it seems ludicrous
that drinking wine in the confines of one's home that has been touched
by a non-Jew, or eating food cooked by a gentile and bought in a store
could in any way make it more likely that one would marry a gentile.
That response, however, fails to comprehend the purpose of the
rabbinic enactment, which is not designed to protect one against
intermarriage with any particular non-Jew, but rather to create an
all-pervasive attitude that is in itself a protective measure. The
prohibition against eating food cooked by non-Jews and from drinking
wine touched by non-Jews has effectively created an attitude of an
absolute chasm between Jew and non-Jew. The mere knowledge that the
food cooked by a non-Jew is forbidden engenders a feeling of
separateness that makes the thought of intermarriage even more remote.
Similarly, the rabbinic strictures regarding chametz on Pesach have
created a mind-set which makes it extremely unlikely that we will have
any contact with chametz, though it is not something from which we
naturally separate ourselves.
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Notice the statements: "The prohibition against eating food cooked by
non-Jews and from drinking wine touched by non-Jews has effectively
created an attitude of an absolute chasm between Jew and non-Jew.
The mere knowledge that the food cooked by a non-Jew is forbidden
engenders a feeling of separateness that makes the thought of
intermarriage even more remote."
Just imagine the uproar by the Jews if a white gentile wanted the same
thing and didn't want intermarriage among his kind. The white gentile
would be ruled a hatemongering racial bigot by the same people that
support this double standard! Simply put- Jews are Religious and
Racial bigots. Their own words condemn them time and time again!
Tavish
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More from the same web page (please notice that they exclude the rest
of humanity so this would make them racist bigot separatists as
well.):
Parshas Kedoshim
The Individual and the Group
The Gemara (Sotah 14a) instructs us in the mitzvah of imitating Hashem
in all His way!,. Just as He clothes the naked, visits the sick,
comforts mourners and buries the dead, so should you emulate His
example. Rambam (Hilchos Availus, Chapter 14:1) mentions all the above
mitzvos, but gives another source: the Torah commandment to "love your
friend as yourself."
[But who is the friend? Not a Gentile in this instance! Tavish]
Why the twofold source for the mitzvah of performing acts of kindness?
The Midrash (Bereishis Rabbah 24:7) relates:
R' Akiva said, "Love your neighbor as yourself - this is a great rule
in Torah." Ben Azzai said, "This is the book of the generations of man
... in the image of God was man fashioned" is a greater rule, for one
should not say, ',since I was shamed, so, too, should my friend be
shamed with me. Since I was cursed, so, too, let my friend be cursed
with me."
R' Akiva, as Hillel before him, saw in the commandment "Love your
friend as yourself" the foundation of the entire Torah. The purpose of
the entire Torah, Rambam says (Hilchos Chanukah 4:14), is to bring
peace and harmony to the world, and in order to achieve this, one must
conduct himself so that those things which are hateful and repulsive
to him are not done to his friend.
Ben Azzai, however, feared rooting a person's conduct towards others
in his own subjective feelings and making what is hateful to him the
standard for his conduct towards others. There is always a danger that
a person might become hardened or insensitive to being shamed or
cursed after repeated instances, and thus less sensitive to the need
not to humiliate or curse others. Therefore, said Ben Azzai, "in the
image of God was man fashioned," is a more all-encompassing source for
our duties to our fellow men.
Although both verses seem to apply exclusively to relationships
between man and his fellow, Rashi in Shabbos (31a) points out that
Hashem is also referred to as "your friend," and one must also relate
to Him in peace and harmony. In addition, the relationship between
one's soul and body must be harmonious. "Love your friend as yourself"
thus applies equally to all relationships: between man and God,
between man and man, and between man and himself. It thus encompasses
the entire Torah. see footnote 1.
There are two reasons for the derech eretz the Torah requires us to
show others. One is communal; the other focuses on the individual. The
first arises out of the desire to bring peace and harmony to the
world; the second because each human being intrinsically deserves the
respect and honor befitting one created in the Divine Image. On the
one hand, the Torah is concerned with the individual and the
development of the Divine Image within him; on the other hand the
Torah is concerned with the community, with the social interactions
between people.
At times, these two concerns are harmonious: what is good for the
individual is good for the klal and vice versa. But there are times
when these concerns are in conflict, and the individual's needs
conflict with those of the community. Sometimes the community must
yield to the individual, and sometimes the individual must sacrifice
for the community. This balance between individual and community is
crucial to a proper observance of the Torah and a development toward
perfection.
In Parashas Kedoshim, there are a series of mitzvos which highlight
the importance of the individual, while at the same time not losing
sight of the importance of the individual as a part of the klal. On
the one hand, the klal does not become the supreme value, robbing the
individual of his intrinsic importance. At the same time, the
individual must recognize that he does not exist in a vacuum, that he
is a member of society whose actions profoundly affect others.
The Torah exhorts us, "Do not spread gossip." Respect the privacy of
the individual. And likewise, "Do not stand by with respect to your
friend's blood" - be willing to exert efforts to save the life of a
fellow Jew, for every Jew is an entire world.
At the same time, do not lose sight of the equal importance for unity
and interaction. Thus, "Do not despise your brother and distance
yourself from him by harboring negative feelings in your heart,
thereby causing division in the common soul that binds all Jews.
Likewise, the Torah continues with a command to recognize our
responsibility to others by reproving them when necessary. Do not say:
I'll mind my own business; live and let live. Your fellow Jew is your
business.
The command, "Do not take revenge" also forces us to recognize the
communal nature of the Jewish people. The Yerushalmi compares taking
revenge on a fellow Jew to one who accidentally strikes his left hand
while hammering and then takes the hammer into his bruised left hand
and strikes his right hand.
Now, we can understand the necessity for two sources in the Torah for
deeds of loving kindness. On the one hand, one must do kindness out of
a recognition of the intrinsic value of his fellow Jew, who is a
reflection of the Divine Image. And, in addition, one must also
consider the ramifications of his actions on society, and do kindness
to promote peace and harmony on a communal level.
Both of these aspects are fundamental and crucial to the proper
service of Torah. The students of R' Akiva - despite learning from
their teacher that loving one another as themselves is the basis of
the entire Torah - failed to adequately honor the Divine Image in each
other or acknowledge one another as partners in developing society.
Our mourning over their deaths during this period reinforces our
recognition of respect for our fellow man as the basis of our
relationship with Hashem. We must appreciate our own individual worth
as human beings created in Cod's image, as well as the intrinsic worth
of all our fellow Jews. At the same time, we must also recognize the
equal importance of the Klal and our need to unite peacefully and
harmoniously into a cohesive community.
1. R' Akiva agreed with Ben Azzai that an appreciation of the
intrinsic worth of the individual is crucial, but felt it was implied
in the words "as yourself." A person must first have a proper
understanding of his own intrinsic self-worth in order to fulfill the
mitzvah to relate to his friend in a similar fashion.
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Absolutely no where is a Non-Jew hinted at being a neighbor or a
friend! Re-read the material. Click the link and verify- see for
youselves what Jewry is being taught! Don't get me wrong; I'm not
wanting to be a friend of Jewry. I have known for quite some time now
how much they really despise the majority of people on this planet.
Doc Tavish