A Rebuke To Israel's Racist Rabbis And Politicians

"Since the rabbis [of old] were speaking of a situation like today, when the majority of Israel’s residents are Jews, this discussion refers to a minority group of non-Jewish residents. We may allow them residence here as long as they keep the fundamental laws of ethics and morality which protect the inviolability of every human being and certainly of the Jewish majority among whom they are living."

Rabbi Shlomo Riskin

In what can be understood as a direct rebuke to racist rabbis like Sefat's Shmuel Eliyahu and the racist anti-African-refugee movement led by right wing Israeli politicians, Rabbi Shlomo Riskin of the West Bank settlement town Efrat comments on Leviticus 25:35, “If your brother becomes impoverished and his support is faltering when he is with you, you must strengthen him, the stranger and resident [ger vetoshav], so that his life may be preserved with you":

Now that after 2,000 years of exile, we have returned to our homeland and become a nation-state, we are faced with new challenges for which we must find solutions. These solutions must accord with the compassionate righteousness and moral justice which it is Israel’s mission to teach to the world, without compromising our security. One of these new challenges is our relationship to the Arab minority that lives in our midst.…

There are many places in the Bible where the term ger, usually translated either as “stranger” or “convert,” appears. The key to the most proper translation of this word is the directive that emerged directly from the Exodus: “You shall love the ger [stranger], because you were gerim [strangers] in the land of Egypt.” (Leviticus 19:34)…

[But there are also places in the Torah where ger means “convert,” along with other cases where ger mean “stranger,” and Riskin goes on to acknowledge this. – FailedMessiah]

In the context cited above, the verse enjoins us to help the “ger vetoshav,” the stranger who is also a resident, thereby creating a new category, the resident-alien. Maimonides defines this category in his great Jewish law compendium Mishneh Torah as follows: “Who is a ger toshav? He is an idolater who accepts upon himself no longer to serve idols and to keep the other commandments which were commanded to the Noahides [not to kill, not to steal, not to commit adultery, not to eat the blood or limb of a living animal, not to blaspheme God and to establish law courts].…And why is he called a resident ger? Because he is permitted to live among us in the Land of Israel.” (Laws of Forbidden Relationships 14:7-8)

Since the rabbis were speaking of a situation like today, when the majority of Israel’s residents are Jews, this discussion refers to a minority group of non-Jewish residents. We may allow them residence here as long as they keep the fundamental laws of ethics and morality which protect the inviolability of every human being and certainly of the Jewish majority among whom they are living.

It is interesting to note that Maimonides grants them permission to live “among us.” This is based on the verses (Deuteronomy 23:16-17): “You may not return a runaway slave [clearly a gentile] to his master if he has sought refuge with you. He must dwell with you, in your midst, in the place of his choice, in any of your gates which is good for him; you shall not oppress him.”…

The Ramban (Nahmanides), in his comments on Maimonides’s Book of Commandments, writes the following: “We are commanded to preserve the life of a resident alien, and to save him from evil. If he is drowning in a river or a heap of stones has fallen on him, we must labor with all our strength in order to save him, and if he is sick, we must engage in his healing... and this is considered to be for them [the resident aliens] a matter of preserving a life, which pushes aside Shabbat restrictions. And this is what the Bible teaches: ‘If your brother becomes impoverished and his support is faltering when he is with you, you must strengthen him, the stranger and resident (ger vetoshav), so that his life may be preserved with you.’” (Positive Commandment 16)…

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Comments

[NeverFrum]

While that is a very nice rebuke of an obviously racist position, it also highlighted the irrelevance of the Torah and its teachings to modern times (at least how its interpreted). His arguments presumes that a non-jew would not ordinarily understand the importance of certain laws related to morality and ethics and that it is a presumed that a jew will. This is a ridiculous presumption not based on any reality. It ignores the fact that people are people - human nature is the same for everyone. In fact, I would argue that one's strict adherance to any brand of religion to the point where they are isolated from the general population hinders one's ability to fully appreciate moral and ethical behavioural laws and adhere to them in the way the Torah probably intended.

[Pard]

Fantastic Comment, NeverFrum.
Spot On.

[Abu Jihad Schneerson]

" It ignores the fact that people are people - human nature is the same for everyone." by: NeverFrum
This is what normal,decent people like you think.But try saying this for example to a member of that racist,idolatrous cult called Chabad and wait for their reaction.

[Lubavitchers are Christians]

What happens if those black refugees rape girls in Tel Aviv? Are we still supposed to show compasion to the rapists?

[Nigritude Ultramarine]

"What happens if those black refugees rape girls in Tel Aviv? Are we still supposed to show compasion (sic) to the rapists?"

Because all the black men are raping our women.

Did you take someone else's medication today?

[Crayon Shin-chan]

What happens if those black refugees rape girls in Tel Aviv? Are we still supposed to show compasion to the rapists?
------------------------------
Very easy answer:

When they rape the Filipinas and rub they Thai we should let them of the hook but when they tape Jewish girl and rub Jewish elderly we should response in full force.

Some of them are refugees most of them are not.

[ger tzedek]

Posted by: Lubavitchers are Christians | May 03, 2013 at 03:26 PM

I regret to inform you that _Birth of a Nation_ is no longer considered a reliable source on race relations.

[Bartley Kulp]

How many of thyese refugees are they planning to settle in Efrat?

[Batsheva]

The cry of the left is always 'racism.' A person can sell or rent their property to whoever they like. As for the African Refugee problem, it's not racist to say we can't absorb thousands of people and provide schools, hospitals, housing etc for them when the whole Israeli economy is struggling. They are from a third world country and are an underclass of criminals who have made the central bus station a no go area at night.

[Jeff]

"The cry of the left is always 'racism.' "

Oh, please. You were crying "Racism!" all over that other thread, when you thought one of your precious Sephardi authority figures was being threatened. You're a knee-jerk Sephardi apologist - and although I don't ordinarily speak to women this way, you're also an idiot.

[Jeff]

And one more thing:

"A person can sell or rent their property to whoever they like."

The Rambam - one of your guys - would disagree with you. It's quoted for you, right there, in the blog post: "We are commanded to preserve the life of a resident alien, and to save him from evil." It doesn't say, "But you don't have to rent him an apartment."

Although I suppose that Riskin, as an Ashkenazi rabbi, can't be trusted to quote the Rambam accurately.