Love and Brotherhood

• Kindness to others is an important commandment
• Jewish Law spells out how to be kind to others
• Kindness applies to people and animals, to Jews and gentiles

Many people think of Judaism as the religion of cold, harsh laws, to be contrasted with Christianity, the religion of love and brotherhood. This is an unfair characterization of both Judaism and Jewish law. Love and kindness has been a part of Judaism from the very beginning. Pirkei Avot, a book of the Mishnah, teaches that the world is based on three things: on Torah (law), on service to G-d, and on g'milut chasadim (usually translated as "acts of lovingkindness"), perhaps drawing from Psalm 89:3, "the world is built on kindness" (more commonly translated as "forever is mercy built"). The Talmud says that g'milut chasadim is greater than tzedakah (charity), because unlike tzedakah, g'milut chasadim can be done for both poor and rich, both the living and the dead, and can be done with money or with acts. (Talmud Sukkah 49b). The Mishnah describes g'milut chasadim as one of the few things that one can enjoy the fruits in this world and the principal remains intact in the world to come.

A large part of Jewish law is about the relationship between man and his neighbors. The same body of Jewish law that commands us to eat only kosher food, not to turn on lights on Shabbat, and not to wear wool woven with linen, also commands us to love both Jews and strangers, to give tzedakah (charity) to the poor and needy, and not to wrong anyone in speech or in business. In fact, acts of lovingkindness are so much a part of Jewish law that the word "mitzvah" (literally, "commandment") is informally used to mean any good deed.

The Talmud tells a story of Rabbi Hillel, who lived around the time of Jesus. A pagan came to him saying that he would convert to Judaism if Hillel could teach him the whole of the Torah in the time he could stand on one foot. Rabbi Hillel replied, "What is hateful to yourself, do not do to your fellow man. That is the whole Torah; the rest is just commentary. Go and study it." Sounds a lot like Jesus' "Golden Rule"? But this idea was a fundamental part of Judaism long before Hillel or Jesus. It is a common-sense application of the Torah commandment to love your neighbor as yourself (Lev. 19:18), which Rabbi Akiba described as the essence of the Torah.

The true difference between Judaism and Christianity lies in Hillel's last comment: Go and study it. Judaism is not content to leave love and brotherhood as a general ideal, to be fulfilled as each individual sees fit. Judaism spells out, in intricate detail, how we are meant to show that love.

Jewish law includes within it a blueprint for a just and ethical society, where no one takes from another or harms another or takes advantage of another, but everyone gives to one another and helps one another and protects one another. Again, these are not merely high ideals; the means for fulfilling these ideals are spelled out in the 613 commandments.

Everyone knows that the Ten Commandments command us not to murder. The full scope of Jewish law goes much farther in requiring us to protect our fellow man. We are commanded not to leave a condition that may cause harm, to construct our homes in ways that will prevent people from being harmed, and to help a person whose life is in danger, so long as it does not put our own lives in danger. These commandments regarding the preservation of life are so important in Judaism that they override all of the ritual observances that people think are the most important part of Judaism.

We are commanded to help those in need, both in physical need and financial need. The Torah commands us to help a neighbor with his burden, and help load or unload his beast. See Treatment of Animals. We are required to give money to the poor and needy, and not to turn them away empty handed. See Tzedakah: Charity.

Jewish law forbids us from cheating another or taking advantage of another. Jewish law regarding business ethics and practices is extensive. It regulates conduct between a businessman and his customer (for example, not to use false weights and measures, not to do wrong in buying and selling, not to charge interest) and between a business man and his employee (to pay wages promptly, to allow a worker in the field to eat the produce he is harvesting, and not to take produce other than what you can eat from the employer while harvesting).

Entire books have been written on the subject of Jewish laws against wronging another person in speech. We are commanded not to tell lies about a person, nor even uncomplimentary things that are true. We are commanded to speak the truth, to fulfill our promises, and not to deceive others. See Speech and Lashon Ha-Ra.

Contrary to what many people think, most of these laws regarding treatment of others apply not only to our treatment of our fellow Jews, but also to our treatment of gentiles, and in many cases even to our treatment of animals. In fact, some of the laws instituted by the sages even extend kind treatment to inanimate objects. The bread on the Shabbat table is covered during the blessing over the wine, so that it's "feelings" are not hurt by having the wine take precedence over it. Of course, we do not believe that bread actually has feelings, but this practice helps to instill an enormous sensitivity to others. If we can show concern for a loaf of bread, how can we fail to show concern for our fellow man?





Judaism 101

Jewish Attitudes Toward Non-Jews

• You don't have to be Jewish to find favor in G-d's eyes
• G-d gave only seven basic commandments to gentiles
• Yiddish words for gentiles are goy, shiksa and shkutz
• Judaism does not approve of interfaith marriage, but it is very common
• Jews do not proselytize, but it is possible to convert to Judaism

Judaism maintains that the righteous of all nations have a place in the world to come. This has been the majority rule since the days of the Talmud. Judaism generally recognizes that Christians and Moslems worship the same G-d that we do and those who follow the tenets of their religions can be considered righteous in the eyes of G-d.

Contrary to popular belief, Judaism does not maintain that Jews are better than other people. Although we refer to ourselves as G-d's chosen people, we do not believe that G-d chose the Jews because of any inherent superiority. According to the Talmud (Avodah Zarah 2b), G-d offered the Torah to all the nations of the earth, and the Jews were the only ones who accepted it. The story goes on to say that the Jews were offered the Torah last, and accepted it only because G-d held a mountain over their heads! (In Ex. 19:17, the words generally translated as "at the foot of the mountain" literally mean "underneath the mountain"!) Another traditional story suggests that G-d chose the Jewish nation because they were the lowliest of nations, and their success would be attributed to G-d's might rather than their own ability. Clearly, these are not the ideas of a people who think they are better than other nations.

Because of our acceptance of Torah, Jews have a special status in the eyes of G-d, but we lose that special status when we abandon Torah. Furthermore, the blessings that we received from G-d by accepting the Torah come with a high price: Jews have a greater responsibility than non-Jews. While non-Jews are only obligated to obey the seven commandments given to Noah, Jews are responsible for fulfilling the 613 mitzvot in the Torah, thus G-d will punish Jews for doing things that would not be a sin for non-Jews.

The Seven Laws of Noah
According to traditional Judaism, G-d gave Noah and his family seven commandments to observe when he saved them from the flood. These commandments, referred to as the Noahic or Noahide commandments, are inferred from Genesis Ch. 9, and are as follows: 1) to establish courts of justice; 2) not to commit blasphemy; 3) not to commit idolatry; 4) not to commit incest and adultery; 5) not to commit bloodshed; 6) not to commit robbery; and 7) not to eat flesh cut from a living animal. These commandments are fairly simple and straightforward, and most of them are recognized by most of the world as sound moral principles. Any non-Jew who follows these laws has a place in the world to come.

The Noahic commandments are binding on all people, because all people are descended from Noah and his family. The 613 mitzvot of the Torah, on the other hand, are only binding on the descendants of those who accepted the commandments at Sinai and upon those who take on the yoke of the commandments voluntarily (by conversion). In addition, the Noahic commandments are applied more leniently to non-Jews than the corresponding commandments are to Jews, because non-Jews do not have the benefit of Oral Torah to guide them in interpreting the laws. For example, worshipping G-d in the form of a man would constitute idolatry for a Jew; however, according to some sources, the Christian worship of Jesus does not constitute idolatry for non-Jews.

There is a growing movement of non-Jews who have consciously accepted these seven laws of Noah and chosen to live their lives in accordance with these laws. This movement is referred to as B'nei Noach (Children of Noah). For more information about the B'nei Noach movement and the Noahic commandments, see Chavurath B'nei Noach of Fort Worth, Texas.

Goyim, Shiksas and Shkutzim
The most commonly used word for a non-Jew is goy. The word "goy" means "nation," and refers to the fact that goyim are members of other nations, that is, nations other than the Children of Israel.

There is nothing inherently insulting about the word "goy." In fact, the Torah occasionally refers to the Jewish people using the term "goy." Most notably, in Exodus 19:6, G-d says that the Children of Israel will be "a kingdom of priests and a holy nation," that is, a goy kadosh. Because Jews have had so many bad experiences with anti-Semitic non-Jews over the centuries, the term "goy" has taken on some negative connotations, but in general the term is no more insulting than the word "gentile."

The more insulting terms for non-Jews are shiksa (feminine) and shkutz (masculine). I gather that these words are derived from the Hebrew root Shin-Qof-Tzadei, meaning loathsome or abomination. The word shiksa is most commonly used to refer to a non-Jewish woman who is dating or married to a Jewish man, which should give some indication of how strongly Jews are opposed to the idea of intermarriage. The term shkutz is most commonly used to refer to an anti-Semitic man. Both terms can be used in a less serious, more joking way, but in general they should be used with caution.

If you are offended to hear that Jewish culture has a negative term for non-Jews, I would recommend that you stop and think about the many negative terms and stereotypes that your culture has for Jews.

Interfaith Marriages
I once received a message from a man who told me that many Jews do not like gentiles. He knew this because his (Jewish) girlfriend's friends and parents disapproved of him. I explained that these people did not disapprove of him because he was Christian; they disapproved of him because he was a Christian dating a Jew, which is another issue altogether.

Traditional Judaism does not permit interfaith marriages. The Torah states that the children of such marriages would be lost to Judaism (Deut. 7:3-4), and experience has shown the truth of this passage all too well. The 2000 National Jewish Population Survey found that only a third of interfaith couples raise their children Jewish, despite increasing efforts in the Reform and Conservative communities to welcome interfaith couples.

This may reflect the fact that Jews who intermarry are not deeply committed to their religion in the first place: if they were, why would they marry someone who did not share it? Certainly, the statistics show that intermarried Jews are overwhelmingly less likely to be involved in Jewish activities: 85% of Jewish couples have or attend a Pesach seder, while only 41% of intermarried Jews do; 66% of Jewish couples fast on Yom Kippur while only 26% of intermarried Jews do; 59% of Jewish couples belong to a synagogue while only 15% of intermarried Jews do. These statistics and more are sufficiently alarming to be a matter of great concern to the Jewish community. And the rate of intermarriage has grown dramatically in recent years: according to the Jewish Databank, the rate of intermarriage has risen from 13% in 1970 to 47% since 1996, though the rate of intermarriage seems to have stopped increasing. One Orthodox Jew I know went so far as to state that intermarriage is accomplishing what Hitler could not: the destruction of the Jewish people. That is an extreme view, but it vividly illustrates how seriously many Jews take the issue of intermarriage.

The more liberal branches of Judaism have tried to embrace intermarried couples, hoping to slow the hemorrhaging from our community, but it is questionable how effective this has been in stemming the tide, given the statistics that intermarried couples are unlikely to have any Jewish involvement or to raise their children Jewish.

Dennis Prager and Joseph Telushkin provide an excellent discussion of the issues involved in intermarriage in their book The Nine Questions People Ask About Judaism (Simon & Schuster, 1981). They note that if the non-Jewish spouse truly shares the same values as the Jewish spouse, then the non-Jew is welcome to convert to Judaism, and if the non-Jew does not share the same values, then the couple should not be marrying in the first place.

If you are considering interfaith dating or marriage, consider this:
Many people who are considering interfaith marriage or dating casually dismiss any objections as prejudice, but there are some practical matters you should consider. And before you casually dismiss this as ivory tower advice from a Jewish ghetto, let me point out that both my father and my brother are intermarried, as well as several of my cousins.

The Stereotypes
Why are you not seeking out a Jewish partner? If you ask many Jews why they don't want to date other Jews, you will hear the ugliest list of antisemitic stereotypes this side of Nazi propaganda. They will tell you that Jewish men are cheap, neurotic mamma's boys, not handsome and macho like gentile men. They will tell you that Jewish women are frigid, materialistic and plain, not fun and sexy like gentile women. Interestingly, the stereotypes you hear from gentiles seeking Jews are quite different: that Jewish men are good providers, that they treat women well, that they don't abuse women or get drunk, and they don't sleep around; that Jewish women are smart, level-headed and loyal, not bubble-headed bimbos. In fact, there are quite a lot of gentiles who have registered for JDate, a Jewish dating network, because they specifically want to date and marry a Jew. If you think the negative stereotypes don't fit you, what makes you think they fit Jews of the opposite sex?

The Marriage
Where will you get married, who will perform the ceremony and where and how will it be performed? Most movements of Judaism don't allow interfaith marriages to be performed in their synagogues, nor do they allow their rabbis to perform interfaith marriages, and before you casually dismiss this as bigotry, let's remember that you are asking them to put a religious stamp of approval on an act that has nothing to do with their religion. You might as well ask the rabbi to say "amen" to a blessing over a ham and cheese sandwich. But now that you know you may have to be married in a church: how do you feel about being married under a cross or crucifix? How will your relatives feel when they are told, "in Jesus' name, let us say 'Amen'," as happened at an interfaith marriage in my family?

The Holidays
What will you do when Christmas and Chanukkah overlap? When Easter and Pesach overlap? Whose holiday will you celebrate? Will your gentile husband veto the annual Chanukkah visit to your parents because Christmas is more important, as happened to an intermarried friend of mine? Will your wife be willing to cook and/or eat the cardboard meals of Pesach? Will your gentile spouse be willing to sit through the lengthy seder ritual at your parents' house, or the lengthy High Holiday services?

The Children
How will the children be raised? The Jewish grandparents want a bris, and the gentile grandparents insist on baptism. The Catholic grandparents want the child to learn catechism while the Jewish grandparents are looking forward to the bar mitzvah. Many interfaith couples think they are being oh-so-enlightened by raising the children with both faiths and letting them choose. This makes about as much sense as asking your child to choose which parent's surname he wants to keep: ultimately, you're requiring the child to pick favorites with his parents. Aside from that, the message you are giving your children is that none of it is real, that none of it matters, that religion is a Chinese menu and you can pick one from Column A and one from Column B. You are certainly welcome to believe that, but don't expect your local church or synagogue to agree with you. Even the more liberal movements of Judaism don't approve of bar mitzvah training for a child who is simultaneously receiving religious training in another faith, because it causes too much confusion for the child.
These are just a few of the more important considerations in interfaith relationships that people tend to gloss over in the heat of passion or in the desire to be politically fashionable.

Conversion
In general, Jews do not try to convert non-Jews to Judaism. In fact, according to halakhah (Jewish Law), rabbis are supposed to make three vigorous attempts to dissuade a person who wants to convert to Judaism.

As the discussion above explained, Jews have a lot of responsibilities that non-Jews do not have. To be considered a good and righteous person in the eyes of G-d, a non-Jew need only follow the seven Noahic commandments, whereas a Jew has to follow all 613 commandments given in the Torah. If the potential convert is not going to follow those extra rules, it's better for him or her to stay a gentile, and since we as Jews are all responsible for each other, it's better for us too if that person stayed a gentile. The rabbinically mandated attempt to dissuade a convert is intended to make sure that the prospective convert is serious and willing to take on all this extra responsibility.

Once a person has decided to convert, the proselyte must begin to learn Jewish religion, law and customs and begin to observe them. This teaching process generally takes at least one year, because the prospective convert must experience each of the Jewish holidays; however, the actual amount of study required will vary from person to person (a convert who was raised as a Jew might not need any further education, for example, while another person might need several years).

After the teaching is complete, the proselyte is brought before a Beit Din (rabbinical court) which examines the proselyte and determines whether he or she is ready to become a Jew. If the proselyte passes this oral examination, the rituals of conversion are performed. If the convert is male, he is circumcised (or, if he was already circumcised, a pinprick of blood is drawn for a symbolic circumcision). Both male and female converts are immersed in the mikvah (a ritual bath used for spiritual purification). The convert is given a Jewish name and is then introduced into the Jewish community.

In theory, once the conversion procedure is complete, the convert is as much a Jew as anyone who is born to the religion. In practice, the convert is sometimes treated with caution, because we have had some of bad experiences with converts who later return to their former faith in whole or in part. However, it is important to remember that Abraham himself was a convert, as were all of the matriarchs of Judaism, as was Ruth, an ancestor of King David.

For more information about conversion to Judaism, see The Conversion to Judaism Home Page. The information provided by Professor Epstein at that site is written from a Conservative perspective, but is valuable to anyone considering conversion to any movement of Judaism.




Judaism 101

Talmud and More

Introduction

This page provides a very brief introduction to Jews, Judaism, the Jewish people, religion, and the Jewish "Holy Books" or more properly, the law books. It is in the form of an FAQ with links to other sources where appropriate. It is intended mainly to counter racist slanders that seem to be everywhere on the Web. If you have read or heard strange things about the Talmud, Hesronot Shas and other Jewish "holy books" (more properly called law books) and beliefs, read on.

Jew & Jewish - Definitions

Who is a Jew?
A Jew is a member of the Jewish religion, ethnic group or people. Different Jews define themselves differently and "Jew" has been defined differently by non-Jews as well. Jews are descendants of the original inhabitants of the land of Israel or Palestine, and of people who converted to Judaism and became part of the Jewish people. Not all Jews are religious. Some are atheists or agnostics. Israel has one of the highest percentages of atheists in the world. Some people defined as Jews by Israeli law are members of the Christian faith according to religious law.

What are the Oral Tradition and the Talmud?
The Talmud is a compendium of arguments and pleadings regarding religious rulings, comprising the Mishna and the Gemara. There were two such compendia, one produced in Roman Palestine and called the Jerusalem Talmud and the other written in Mesopotamia and called the Babylonian Talmud. The Babylonian Talmud is the more extensive and authoritative one. The Jerusalem Talmud was closed in the fifth century and the Babylonian Talmud was closed to further additions about 500. They reflect the knowledge and circumstances of the times.

The Talmudic discussions and rulings are based on the Mishna, which was the codification of Jewish oral law. Orthodox Jews believe that Moses wrote the first five books of the Old Testament (the "Torah") and at the same time handed down a tradition of oral teachings which amplified and explained the law. The Torah itself may not be changed. The oral teachings were needed to apply the law to different cases and to adapt it to changing circumstances without changing the intent, just as the US Supreme Court interprets the constitution. For example, when the Jewish people were exiled and the temple was destroyed, all the laws pertaining to worship at the temple and sacrifices were modified to suit the new circumstances. Both Jews and Christians believe that some laws of the Old Testament were not intended to be interpreted literally. The final authority on the law was the Great Sanhedrin, an assembly of rabbinical sages which was the recognized authority. Since the Sanhedrin was dissolved about 500, there has been no single accepted Jewish religious authority. However, the law was modified and interpreted according to various rabbis which most Jews recognized, including for example, Rabbi Gershom, who made a ruling prohibiting polygamy, and Maimonides (Rabbi Moses ben Maimon). These rulings are called "Halachic Law" or Halacha.

Do Christians and Jews interpret the law differently because of the Talmud?
Anti-Semitic authors and Web sites charge that Jews follow the Talmud while Christians follow the Old Testament. In fact, Jewish and Christian practice both depart from the literal words of the Old Testament. They reflect the Jewish oral tradition and customary law. For example, most Jews and Christians do not advocate stoning people to death if they violate the Sabbath or curse God, or taking out someone's eye as punishment according to "an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth." The interpretations and modifications of the literal Old Testament law are based in part on the tradition of oral law, which were already known in Jesus's day, and were later codified in the Talmud.

Does the Talmud contain slanders against Jesus and Christians?
There are several references to Yeshu (Jesus) in the Talmud and to Maryam (sometimes thought to be Mary). However, these were common names, and in each case it can be shown that the persons in question lived before the time of Jesus and that the incidents described probably had nothing to do with Jesus. Mary's name was possibly not "Miriam" or "Maryam," after the sister of Moses, but rather "Meri," meaning "rebellion." The Mishna and Talmud were for the most part compiled at a time when Christianity didn't exist or was a tiny and unimportant sect. The major "rivals" of the Jews at that time were pagans. The notion that the Talmud slanders Jesus and the Christians was an invention of medieval Christians and Jewish apostates attempting to find favor with their new Christian fellows.

Do Jews or the Jewish Religion have a different law for Gentiles and for Jews?
Anti=Semites claim that Jewish law treats gentiles differently than Jews and considers gentiles to be "animals." Under Jewish law, gentiles do not have ritual and religious obligations that are incumbent on orthodox Jews. This gave rise to some rulings in which gentiles and Jews are treated differently. However, the law was generally intended to be equitable and to treat everyone equally in non-religious matters. According to Leviticus, 24:22, Ye shall have one manner of law, as well for the stranger, as for one of your own country: for I am the Lord your God.

The tractate "Avodah Zarah" deals with gentiles, but the reference is to pagans, rather than Christians. It specifically mentions as their holidays pagan Roman celebrations such as Kalends and Saturnalia. Pagans were referred to as "Akum" - which is an acronym for worshipers of stars and astrological signs. Jewish law books have some very unkind things to say about these "heathens," but so do Muslim and Christian holy books.

There are some bigoted references to non-Jews and people of other races in Jewish writings, just as such references exist in Christianity and Islam, but there is no foundation for the charge that the Jewish religion is racist, made on numerous Web sites. Ethiopian Jews are black Africans and according to tradition, the wife of Moses was black.

The Talmud has been interpreted in various ways by different scholars. A remarkably liberal and somewhat controversial interpretation was given in the book "Nine talmudic readings" by the French Jewish humanistic philosopher, Emmanuel Levinas. He presents the issues in the spirit of responsibility to the other and to the one who is a stranger to us. It is edited and translated to English with an introduction by Annette Aronowicz and has published in several languages.

Regrettably, some Jews, like the late Rabbi Kahana and his followers, are bigots or racists, just as some Christians and Muslims (including those who publish the anti-Semitic material on the Web) are bigots or racists. The holy books and teachings of each religion were created a long time ago, and in part reflect the prejudices and errors that were popular at the time they were written. Many bigots find "proofs" of their beliefs in over-literal or incorrect or fake interpretations of the holy books and teachings of each religion.

You can read more about treatment of non-Jews in the Jewish religion here.

What is the Hesronot (Chesronot) Shas?
In Christian countries, the Talmud and other Jewish law books were censored by Christian authorities, who believed that certain passages of those books contained insults to Christianity or Gentiles. The passages to be censored were compiled into a manuscript or manuscripts that also found their way as underground literature to Jews, known as Hesronot Shas (or Chesronot Shas). When it became possible to circulate unmutilated versions of the books, corrected editions were published. However, the older versions continue to exist and are reprinted. Therefore, the Hesronot Shas was published as a separate book to be used in conjunction with the censored versions of the books.

Examples of censored materials that appear in Hesronot Shas include:

A rabbinical observation that Jews cannot achieve full sanctity in the Diaspora because of their sufferings there was censored as insulting to gentiles, though obviously Jews did suffer in the Diaspora.

A curse on Nebuchadnezzar, king of the Babylonians was censored because the censors insisted it was a secret allusion to Christians, even though specific cities in Babylon were mentioned and the context was obvious.

If a person drinks something poisonous and could die, there is a ruling that he must spit out the poison, though it is rude, even in the presence of a king. The censor removed the word "king."

This is the sort of material in Hesronot Shas, which is described at racist Web sites as a secret and diabolical book containing plots of Jews against Christianity. It is not secret. Anyone can buy it, and its contents are harmless. Most Jews, who are not Talmudic scholars, don't even know of its existence. I didn't know what it was until I found it mentioned at anti-Semitic Web sites, and a rabbi and PhD in the United States did not know what it is.

Do all Jews believe in and follow the Talmud and other Law Books?
Some Jews are atheists or agnostics and do not believe in any of the "holy books" except as cultural legacies, others don't know what is in these books even in a general way. Noam Chomsky is Jewish and he certainly doesn't follow the laws of the Talmud, and neither does Israeli PM Ariel Sharon. Within the Jewish religion, there are several different branches. Orthodox Jews follow the Talmud and later rulings by different accepted rabbinical authorities on the Halacha. Different orthodox Jewish sects follow different rabbis and have slightly different laws. Most orthodox Jews do not accept several important rulings of the chief Rabbinate of Israel, for example. Conservative Jews follow a slightly different Halacha, and Reform and Reconstructionist Jews and the Jewish Renewal movement are even more liberal in their interpretation of the law.

Do orthodox Jews believe everything in the law books?
The law books include both Halachic law and incidental opinions that entered into discussion when deciding the law. For example, in deciding what things people were allowed to carry on the Sabbath, the Talmudic sages took up the question of whether or not they could carry amulets against sickness and described some of these amulets and remedies. However, the different remedies that are described as a by-product of these discussions are not considered to be Halacha and neither are incidental opinions about natural law, race and other matters that may appear in the Talmud or other books. Moreover, there is no "Jewish Pope." There is no central authority that is respected in the way that Christian denominations abide universally by the decisions of their leading bodies. For example, Ashkenazi Jews (those from Europe) and Sephardic Jews (from Arabic countries, and originally from Spain and Portugal have different Halachot regarding what foods are kosher for Passover. Different orthodox sects have different rules for kosher slaughter of animals, and sometimes insist that the food prepared under the Kashrut supervision of other sects is not kosher.

Is the Talmud the basis of Zionism?
This claim, that Zionism originated in the Talmud, is made at some anti-Zionist Web sites and is patently false. Many of the founders of Zionism, including Theodore Herzl, were not religious Jews and did not follow the Talmud. There are several non-Zionist and anti-Zionist Jewish sects, such as the Neturei Karta and the followers of the Satmar rabbi (originating in the Transylvanian town of Satu Mare). All of them follow Talmudic law, and include many Talmudic scholars. None of them are Zionists. The same Web sites that claim that the Talmud is the basis of Zionism often proudly link to Neturei Karteh and Jews against Zionism Web sites, which explain why, in their view, the Talmud forbids Zionism!

Is the Talmud kept secret from Gentiles?
The Talmud and other Jewish books are not kept secret from anyone. The Talmud was written in Aramaic and recorded in a sort of telegraphic style that requires extensive exegesis and study for good understanding. Regardless of religion, people who do not have this background will find it very difficult to understand, even if they understand Hebrew, which is somewhat similar to Aramaic. However, there are English translations, and large parts of the Talmud in translation have been placed on the Web.

What is the origin of slanders about the Talmud that appear on anti-Semitic Web sites?
In times past, Christians and apostate Jews published manuscripts and books of incorrect information about the Talmud. Some of these were used in public "debates." When Jews lost the debates, entire communities were sometimes forced into exile or forced to convert. A fairly recent compendium of such fake quotes was made by a Catholic priest, Father August Rohling of Prague, who published his pamphlet "The Talmud Jew", Der Talmudjude. It was a vicious anti-Semitic attack widely circulated among Catholics. Rohling later lost a libel suit, vindicating the claim that his book was false, but the material remains in circulation. Another source of such slanders is the recent work of Israel Shahak, a Jew who bent the facts a bit in his crusade against fundamentalist Jews. Shahak is another example of a Jew who does not follow Talmudic law. Most of these Web sites provide the same false or distorted quotes.

Many of the anti-Semitic Web Sites quote a "Libbre David," though there is apparently no such book.

The International Jew: Protocols of the Elders of Zion
The Protocols of the Elders of Zion is a document that was forged by the Czarist Okhrana secret police in the nineteenth century. Its true origin has nothing to do with Judaism or Jews. It claims that the Jews plan to take over the world in conjunction with the Freemasons. The fabrication was apparently concocted by plagiarizing from an 1864 non-anti-Semitic satire by Maurice Joly and from an 1868 anti-Semitic novel by one Hermann Goedche written in 1868. In 1921, the New York Times exposed the protocols as a hoax, relying on a book by Lucien Wolfe published in London, on research by Alan Dulles and information supplied by an anti-Semitic Russian emigre. The Protocols are sometimes entitled "The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion."

A version of the document and elaborations on the theme of the "International Jew" were published by Henry Ford's Dearborn Independent newspaper in a series of articles in the 1920s. Ford had printed 500,000 copies of the Protocols, but he later retracted and apologized. Nonetheless, numerous racists cite Ford as an "authority" for the authenticity of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. The Protocols of the Elders of Zion have been translated into many languages including Arabic and regrettably enjoy a wide readership in Arab countries. The Hamas Charter assumes that they are factual.

Some references for Protocols of the Elders of Zion
Wikipedia - Protocols of the Elders of Zion Christian Action: The Protocols of the Elders of Zion (quotes Ford's repudiation) The Protocols of the Elders of Zion and Anti-Semitic Conspiracism The Protocols of the Elders of Zion among Palestinians. Some Web sites that give the texts of protocols are biblebelievers.org.au/przion1.htm which calls it the "Zionist" plan for conquest. This site - biblebelievers.org.au/intern_jew.htm publicizes the "International Jew" articles of Henry Ford. This page documents Egyptian publicity for a television series based on the: Protocols of the Elders of Zion. This article by an Egyptian comments on the TV Series: "Knight without a Horse" that dramatized the Protocols of the Elders of Zion.

Are Jews descended from the Khazars?
The late Arthur Koestler speculated that European (Ashkenazy) Jews are all descended from a central Asian tribe, the Khazars, that converted to Judaism en-masse. Antisemites and anti-Zionists have used this theory to claim that Ashkenazy Jews have no right to the State of Israel. Subsequent research has shown that the claim that Ashkenazy Jews descended from Khazars is very doubtful. At different times, many tribes did convert to Judaism, including Arabian tribes the kingdom of Yemen and the Khazars, and some may have intermarried with "original" Jews.

Similarly, many Jews converted voluntarily or by coercion to Christianity or Islam. The best evidence indicates that Jews dispersed throughout Europe from Rome. There were Jewish communities in France in the dark ages evidently. Other Ashkenazy Jews are descended from Spanish (Sephardic) Jews who were force to leave Spain in 1492. Genetic evidence indicates that European Jews are probably closer to Palestinian and Syrian Arabs than to central Asians who are partly descended from the Khazars; see articles here and here for example. In any case, the claims of a people to nationhood are almost never based on genetics or "race." Nobody claims that all the French are descended from ancient Gauls, or that all the British are descended from the Celts and Picts. When Americans talk about "'our' forefathers," the 'our' doesn't usually exclude the generations of immigrants who came after the Mayflower settlers. Today's Arab Palestinians are not descended from ancient Canaanites and Philistines.

Some are converted Jews. Some are descended from Arab families who arrived with various conquerors. Whatever the merits the genetic arguments, claims that anyone has no right to a country because they are not racially "pure" are racist claims, and identify the people making those claims as racists.




You Might Also like to Read:
List of Talmudic Books
What is Talmud?
The Truth About the Talmud
Talmud - Myths and Misquotes
Talmud - Killing Gentiles
Talmud - Tricking Gentiles
Talmud - The Term of Goy
Talmud - Theft From Gentiles
Talmud - In The Image of God
Talmud - The Real Story of Rabbi Elazar
Talmud - Sex With Three Years Old
Talmud - Refuting Various Claims About The Talmud
Talmud - Are Jews Commanded to Lie About The Talmud?
Talmud - Where Do Gentiles Fit Into The Jewish World?
The Talmud Does Not Consider Gentiles to be Animals
The Talmud Prohibits Jews From Withholding a Gentile's Wages
More Lies About the Talmud
A Pregnant Non-Jew is no Better Than a Pregnant Animal
Questions and Challenges to the Talmud



MidEastWeb

Talmud - A Pregnant Non-Jew is no Better Than a Pregnant Animal

by Bernie

Being an anti-Semite a few hundred years ago was not easy. Here's the problem: because his own life was miserable and poverty-ridden he needed to blame someone other than himself. This is an ancient and primitive excuse for one's own failures. You didn't plant the right crop this year? Sacrifice a goat to placate the Gods; hence the scapegoat.

But who to blame?
Who was rich, talented, and smart in his city and country? Who held lofty positions of power and glory? Obviously it was the hated Jew.

If it weren't for Jews like Benjamin Disraeli, Mayer Rothschild, Marcel Proust, and Heinrich Heine, who didn't deserve their fame, he could have been Prime Minister, a rich banker, a famous writer, a great poet.

But how does one denigrate a people who are successful, skillful, and educated? Well, the only recourse is to lie, to fabricate evil deeds and intentions. So began blood libels, false accusations that Jews murder children to use their blood in their religious rituals and holidays.

In order to convince other non-Jews that claims such as these are indeed true, the anti-Semites fabricated books and other literature, purported to be written by Jews of plots against non-Jews.

So was created the well-known fabrication The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion, an antisemitic tract purporting to describe a plan to achieve global domination by the Jewish people.

Despite the fact that this lie was discredited as long ago as 1921, the Nazis used it to prove that Jews were a threat to Germany. In the present era, Muslims have taken up the lie to turn non-Jews against Jews and the State of Israel.

But it is getting harder and harder to fool non-Jews with this egregious nonsense because of sites like Snopes and Wikipedia which have debunked most of these fantasies, and so, we see more esoteric and convoluted fabrications being created, the kind not easily found on the Web.

Anti-Semites (including many Muslims) leave links to mostly antisemitic blogs and websites where distortions, fabrications, and deceptions are listed as proof of Jewish perfidy and hatred of non-Jews. One antisemitic site links to another and that to another in a mutual circle-jerk each providing "proof" of this or that lie against Jews.

Many of these lies are spread through emails with subject lines such, "Non-Jews as seen in the Jewish Talmud" or "Jewish Racism towards Non-Jews as expressed in the Talmud."

For example, Eman, an anti-Semite visitor left this comment in response to my article My Atheist Heaven: "A pregnant non-Jew is no better than a pregnant ANIMAL. Talmud: Coschen Hamischpat 405." as "proof" that Jews hate and despise non-Jews.

Let's pretend that it came from the Talmud, a compendium of Jewish Oral Law. Such a statement contradicts a basic tenet of Jewish Law: Genesis 1:26-27; "Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over...all the creatures...So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them." Genesis does not say, 'Let us make Jews in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over...all the creatures..." There is nothing in all of Judaism where a human being, Jew or not, pregnant or not, is equal to an animal.

But let us actually examine "Talmud: Coschen Hamischpat 405."

First off, it is spelled Choshen Mishpat and it is not part of the Talmud. The spelling this visitor used, "Coschen Hamischpat," is the same as used in the "Der Sturmer"- the official magazine of the Nazi party and lifted from there. Anti-Semites hope that the casual reader will not know these details and actually believe that Jews despise non-Jews.

The Choshen Mishpat has nothing to do with Jewish opinion of non-Jews. It is a compilation of Jewish law pertinent to finance, torts, legal procedure and loans and interest and put together more than a thousand years after the Talmud.

Let's forget about the Nazi spelling - what does Choshen Mishpat 405 really say?:

Jeff Rense Program, Quotes 'With Attitude' From The Jewish Talmud CLAIM "A pregnant non-Jew is no better than a pregnant animal." Coschen hamischpat 405 RESPONSE The above quote is a wrong inference from a fiscal law in Shulchan Oruch, Choshen Mishpat 405.3, that relates to times when slavery was a standard and accepted practice across the world. It states that if an ox gored a pregnant woman, and this resulted in the loss of the fetus, the owner does not have to pay for the loss of the fetus (medical expenses and other damages are discussed elsewhere). If an ox gored a pregnant non-Jewish slave-woman, the owner of the ox has to pay for the loss of the fetus to the owner of the slave-woman (because the owner would have had another slave to work for him had the woman given birth). The same applies if the ox gored a pregnant cow, or a sheep, because had the animal given birth, the owner would have had an extra one. The law is clearly hinged on the rights of the owner, and does not compare non-Jews and animals in any way. It is purely legal, and does not have any philosophical or social implications.

So Eman, the phrase "A pregnant non-Jew is no better than a pregnant ANIMAL" does not appear in the text of either the Talmud or Choshen Mishpat 405, the actual law discussed has nothing to do with Jewish opinions of non-Jews, and it is a lie repeated on Muslim and neo-Nazi websites who themselves lifted it from a Nazi antisemitic magazine.

Anyone who reads the Torah knows that we are all Bnei Adam, sons of Adam, which is the Hebrew for human beings. Gentiles are unquestionably human, created in God's image, and Jewish law recognizes this as do the rabbis of the Talmud. While there are rituals that apply only to those who are part of the organic Jewish nation, with regard to rights such as the purchase of land or to spiritual status, gentiles are included. It is a major Jewish sin to hate anyone, Jew or non-Jew.



You Might Also like to Read:
List of Talmudic Books
What is Talmud?
The Truth About the Talmud
Talmud - Myths and Misquotes
Talmud - Killing Gentiles
Talmud - Tricking Gentiles
Talmud - The Term of Goy
Talmud - Theft From Gentiles
Talmud - In The Image of God
Talmud - The Real Story of Rabbi Elazar
Talmud - Sex With Three Years Old
Talmud - Refuting Various Claims About The Talmud
Talmud - Are Jews Commanded to Lie About The Talmud?
Talmud - Where Do Gentiles Fit Into The Jewish World?
The Talmud Does Not Consider Gentiles to be Animals
The Talmud Prohibits Jews From Withholding a Gentile's Wages
More Lies About the Talmud
Talmud and More
Questions and Challenges to the Talmud




PlancksConstant

List of Talmudic Books

There are six main parts of the Talmud:

I. ZERAIM: concerning seeds. It treats of seeds, fruits, herbs, trees; of the public and domestic use of fruits, of different seeds, etc.
II. MOED: concerning festivals. It treats of the time when the Sabbath and other festivals are to begin, ended and celebrated.
III. NASCHIM: concerning women. It treats of marrying and repudiating wives, their duties, relations, sicknesses, etc.
IV. NEZIKIN: concerning damages. It treats of damages suffered by men and animals, penalties and compensations.
V. KODASCHIM: concerning holiness. It treats of sacrifices and various sacred rites.
VI. TOHOROTH: concerning purifications. It treats of the soiling and purifying of vessels, bedclothes and other things.

Each of these six parts, which the Jews call Schishah Sedarim—six orders or ordinances—is divided into books or tracts, called Massiktoth, and the books into chapters, or Perakim.

From Seder, Order; Massekheth, Tract; Perek, Head.

I. ZERAIM > Contains eleven books or Masechtoth.

1. BERAKHOTH—Benedictions and prayers. Treats of liturgical rules.
2. PEAH—Corner of a field. Treats of the corners and gleanings of the field . . . the olives and grapes to be left to the poor.
3. DEMAI—Doubtful things. Whether or not tithes must be paid on such.
4. KILAIM—Mixtures. Treats of various mixings of seeds.
5. SCHEBIITH—the Seventh. Treats of the Sabbatical Year.
6. TERUMOTH—Offerings and Oblations. The Heave offerings for the priests.
7. MAASEROTH—the Tithes, to be given to the Levites.
8. MAASER SCHENI—the Second Tithe.
9. CHALLAH—the Dough, the portion to be given thereof to the Priests.
10. ORLAH—the Uncircumcised. Treats about the fruits of a tree during the first three years after its plantings.
11. BIKKURIM—the First Fruits to be brought to the Temple.

II. MOED > Contains twelve Books or Masechtoth.

1. SCHABBATH—the Sabbath. Treats of kinds of work prohibited on that day.
2. ERUBHIN—Combinations. Contains precepts about food for the Sabbath eve.
3. PESACHIM—Passover. Treats of the laws relating to the Feast of Passover and the Paschal Lamb.
4. SCHEKALIM—Shekel. Treats of the size and weight of the shekel.
5. IOMA—the Day of Atonement. Treats of prescriptions for that Day.
6. SUKKAH—the Tabernacle. Treats of the laws concerning the feast of Tabernacles.
7. BETSAH—the Egg of the Day of Feast. Treats of the kind of work prohibited and permitted on the festivals.
8. ROSCH HASCHANAH—New Year. Treats of the Feast of New Year.
9. TAANITH—Fasts. Treats of public fasts.
10. MEGILLAH—the Scroll. Treats of the reading of the Book of Esther. Contains the description of the Feast of Purim.
11. MOED KATON—Minor Feast. Treats of laws relating to the days intervening between the first and last days of Pesach and Succoth.
12. CHAGIGAH—Comparison of rites on on the three feasts of Pesach, Sukkoth and Tabernacles.

III. NASCHIM > Contains seven Books or Masechtoth.

1. JEBBAMOTH—Sisters in Law. Treats of Levirate marriage.
2. KETHUBOTH—Marriage Deeds. Treats of dower and marriage settlements.
3. KIDDUSCHIN—Betrothals.
4. GITTIN—booklet on Divorces.
5. NEDARIM—Vows. Treats of vows and their annulment.
6. NAZIR—the Nazarite. Treats of the laws concerning the Nazarites and those who separate themselves from the world and consecrate themselves to God.
7. SOTAH—the Woman suspected of adultery.

IV. NEZIKIN > Contains ten Books or Masechtoth.

1. BABA KAMA—First Gate. Treats of Damages and Injuries and their remedies.
2. BABA METSIA—Middle Gate. Treats of laws concerning found property, concerning trust, concerning buying and selling, lending, hiring and renting.
3. BABA BATHRA—Last Gate. Treats of laws concerning real estate and commerce, mostly based on the traditional law. Also concerning hereditary succession.
4. SANHEDRIN—Courts. Treats of the courts and their proceedings, and the punishment of capital crimes.
5. MAKKOTH—Stripes. The 40 stripes (minus one) inflicted on criminals.
6. SCHEBUOTH—Oaths. Treats different kinds of oaths.
7. EDAIOTH—Testimonies. Contains a collection of traditional laws and decisions gathers from the testimonies of the distinguished teachers.
8. HORAIOTH—Decisions. Treats of the sentences of Judges and the punishment of transgressors.
9. ABHODAH ZARAH—Idolatry.
10. ABHOTH—Fathers. Treats of laws of the fathers. It is called also PIRKE ABHOTH.

V. KODASCHIM > Contains eleven Books or Masechtoth.

1. ZEBBACHIM—Sacrifices. Treats of animal sacrifices and the mode of their offering.
2. CHULIN—Profane Things. Treats of the traditional manner of slaughtering animals for ordinary use.
3. MENACHOTH—Meat-offerings. Treats of meat-and-drink offerings.
4. BEKHOROTH—the First Born. Treats of the laws concerning the first born of man and animals.
5. ERAKHIN—Estimations. Treats of the mode in which persons dedicated to the Lord by a vow are legally appraised in order to be redeemed.
6. TEMURAH—Exchange. Treats of the laws concerning sanctified things having been exchanged.
7. MEILAH—Trespass, Sacrilege. Treats of the sins of violating or profaning sacred things.
8. KERITHUTH—Excisions. Treats of the sins subject to the punishment of excision, and their expiation by sacrifices.
9. TAMID—the Daily Sacrifice. Describes the Temple services connected with the daily morning and evening offerings.
10. MIDDOTH—Measurements. Describes the measurements and description of the Temple.
11. KINNIM—the Birds' Nests. Treats of the sacrifices consisting of fowls, the offerings of the poor, etc.

VI. TOHOROTH > Contains twelve Books or Masechtoth.

1. KELIM—Vessels. Treats of the conditions under which domestic utensils, garments, etc., receive ritual cleanness.
2. OHOLOTH—Tents. Treats of tents and houses, and how polluted and purified.
3. NEGAIM—Plagues. Treats of the laws relating to Leprosy.
4. PARAH—the Heifer. Treats of the laws concerning the red heifer and the use of its ashes for the purification of the unclean.
5. TOHOROTH—Purifications. Treats of some lesser degrees of uncleanness lasting only until sunset.
6. MIKVAOTH—Wells. Treats of the conditions under which wells and reservoirs are fit to be used for ritual purifications.
7. NIDDAH—Menstruation. Treats of the legal uncleanness arising from certain conditions in women.
8. MAKSCHIRIN—Preparations. Treats of liquids that prepare and dispose seeds and fruits to receive ritual uncleanness.
9. ZABHIM—Concerning nightly pollution and gonorrhea. Treats on the uncleanness arising from such secretions.
10 TEBHUL IOM—Daily washing.
11. IADAIM—Hands. Treats of the ritual uncleanness of hands, according to the traditional law, and of their purification.
12. OKETSIN—Stalks of fruit. Treats of stalks and shells of fruit as conveying ritual uncleanness.

The complete Talmud contains 63 books in 524 chapters.

Added to these are four other shorts tracts, which have not been included in the regular Talmud. They have been added by later writers and exponents.

These four are:

MASSEKHETH SOPHERIM > the Tract of Scribes > Treats of the mode of writing the books of the law. Has 21 chapters.
EBHEL RABBETI—a large treatise on Mourning. Has 14 chapters.
KALLAH—the Bride. On the acquisition of the bride, on her ornaments and other things pertaining to the bride. Has one chapter.
MASSEKHETH DEREKH ERETS—the Conduct of Life. Divided into RABBAH—major parts, and ZUTA—the minor parts. Has 16 chapters. At the end is added a special chapter—PEREK SCHALOM—on Peace.

Since the Talmud was such a voluminous and disordered work, there was a need of a compendium which would facilitate its study. To supply this need, therefore, Rabbi Isaac ben Jacob Alphassi, in 1032, published a Shorter Talmud, which he called Halakhoth—Constitutions. He omitted all lengthy discussions and preserved only those parts which had to do with the practical things of life. Since this work, however, had no order to it, it was not considered of great worth.

The first to issue a well ordered work on Jewish Law was Maimonides, styled the "Eagle of the Synagogue." In 1180 he produced his celebrated work Mischhah Torah—Repetition of the Law, also called Iad Chazakah—the Strong Hand. It contains four parts or volumes and 14 books and includes the whole Talmud. Maimonides also included much philosophical discussion in this work and attempted to establish many laws of his own. Because of this he was excommunicated by his people and condemned to death. He fled to Egypt where he died in the year 1205.

In spite of this, the value of his work increased in time, and for a while an expurgated version was held in the highest esteem by the Jews. A drawback to this work is that it contains many laws which were of no value after the destruction of the Temple.

An edition of the work of Maimonides, expurgated of all his philosophical innovations and of all the old, useless laws, was edited in 1340, in strict accord with the ideas of the Rabbis, by Jacob ben Ascher, to which he gave the name Arbaa Turim—The Four Orders, which are:

I. ORACH CHAIIM: The seeds of Life, and treats of the daily life in the home and in the Synagogue.

II. IORE DEAH: which teaches knowledge about foods, purifications and other religious laws.

III. CHOSCHEN HAMMISCHPAT: private judgments about civil and criminal laws.

IV. EBHEN HAEZER: The Rock of Help, which treats of the laws of marriage.


You Might Also like to Read:
What is Talmud?
The Truth About the Talmud
Talmud - Myths and Misquotes
Talmud - Killing Gentiles
Talmud - Tricking Gentiles
Talmud - The Term of Goy
Talmud - Theft From Gentiles
Talmud - In The Image of God
Talmud - The Real Story of Rabbi Elazar
Talmud - Sex With Three Years Old
Talmud - Refuting Various Claims About The Talmud
Talmud - Are Jews Commanded to Lie About The Talmud?
Talmud - Where Do Gentiles Fit Into The Jewish World?
The Talmud Does Not Consider Gentiles to be Animals
The Talmud Prohibits Jews From Withholding a Gentile's Wages
More Lies About the Talmud
A Pregnant Non-Jew is no Better Than a Pregnant Animal
Talmud and More
Questions and Challenges to the Talmud

Lies About the Talmud

Antisemites such as Van Hyning, Nesta Webster, Benjamin H. Freedman and Wesley Swift have claimed that the Talmud has been systematically hidden from non-Jews, and that it is the supreme authority of Jewish law, philosophy and ethics. In truth, it is available in most good public libraries and most Jews regard it as simply one branch of Jewish theology, of limited interest outside of rabbinical seminaries.

The Talmud consists of two parts: the Mishnah, and its commentary, the Gemara. The Mishnah, compiled and edited by Judah Hanasi about 200 C.E., was the first Jewish code of laws since the Torah. There are two Gemaras, known as the Babylonian and Jerusalem. The former, completed about 500 C.E., is the record of the discussions of the Jewish scholars which sat in "Palestine". The Mishnah plus the Babylonian Gemara is known as the Babylonian Talmud; the Jerusalem Mishnah plus the Jerusalem Gemara is known as the "Palestinian" Talmud. The two Talmuds have always been printed separately, and never together.

Van Hyning’s leaflet was widely reprinted, excerpted, added to and quoted from or referenced throughout the 1950s and 1960s by such publications as The Cross and the Flag, Common Sense, and Thunderbolt. In the early 1970s the Rev. Gerald L.K. Smith continued to distribute a free tract quoting most of these lies. Rarely quoted today, these fabrications continue to be the foundation of many claims that Judaism is anti-Christian.

The following is Van Hyning’s list. Both Pranaitøis and Freedman claim a longer list but the following list and refutations dispels the whole.

ACCUSATION
"The Talmud refers to Jesus Christ as the bastard son of a harlot (Kallah, 1b, 18b)"

FACT
Kallah, 1b, 18b. The quotation does not exist in this volume. This is a complete fabrication, and even the reference numbers are fabricated.

ACCUSATION
"Jesus is blasphemed as a fool (Schabbath, 104b), a conjurer (Toldoth Jeshu), and idolater. (Sanhedrin 103a) and a seducer (Sanhedrin 107b)."

FACT
Schabbath, 104b. The correct spelling of this volume is Shabbath. It does not make an evaluation of anyone, but rather reports a dialogue; "It was taught, Rabbi Eliezer said to the Sages: But did not Ben Stada bring forth witchcraft from Egypt by means of scratches (in the form of charms) upon his flesh? He was a fool, answered they, and proof cannot be adduced from fools." The professional antisemites are relying on the theory that the Talmudic scholars meant Jesus when they referred to Ben Stada. A British scholar, R. Travers Herford, gives it as his opinion in "Christianity in Talmud and Midrash" (p. 37) that Ben Stada means Jesus of Nazareth. Further on, however, he says "...The Talmud has preserved only a very vague and confused recollection of Jesus" (p. 83). And he points out that some people argue "that there are in the Talmud two persons called Jesus, neither of whom is the historical Jesus of Nazareth" (p. 347).

Toldoth Jeshu is a book from the Middle Ages. It is not a part of the Talmud. [The Toledoth Yeshu is a polemic work written in about the 10th century. The Oxford Dictionary of Jewish Religion says of it, "..the work is an expression of vulgar polemics written in reaction to the no less vulgar attacks on Judaism in popular Christian teaching and writing [of that time]".]
Sanhedrin 103a. Van Hyning’s claim that it calls Jesus an idolator is a complete fabrication.
Sanhedrin 107b. This is a distortion of the truth by Van Hyning based upon a legendary story in this portion of the Talmud. As it is actually related, Jesus and his teacher met a woman at a wayside inn; Jesus admired her extreme beauty. For this the teacher severely admonished him and dismissed him as a pupil. The rabbis in the Talmud sharply criticized the teacher for his harshness and severity towards Jesus.

ACCUSATION
"The Talmud teaches that Jesus died like a beast and was buried in that 'dirt heap'...where they throw the dead bodies of dogs and asses and where the sons of Ssau (the Christians) and of Ismael (the Turks), also Jesus and Mohammed, uncircumsized and unclean like dead dogs are buried (Zobar, III, 282).

FACT
Zohar, III, 282. This is a cabalistic work that came into being during the Middle Ages [13th c.]. It is not a part of the Talmud. This entire "quotation" is a complete fabrication.

ACCUSATION
"One of the basic doctrines of the Talmud is that all non-Talmudists rank as non-humans, that they are not like men, but beasts. (Kerithuth, 6b, p. 78)".

FACT
Kerithuth, 6b, p. 78. Even the numbering system is a fabrication. 6b means page 6, side 2. Consequently, page 78 can have no relationship to 6b. This claim is based upon a particular dialogue in which reference is made specifically to heathens in a fashion comparable to that of many Christian preachers who today still thunder away with the doctrine that only those who accept Jesus Christ will be "saved." Obviously no sane person with a semblance of decency would condemn present-day Jews for the dialogue of some individual religious philosophers 1700 years ago.

ACCUSATION
"A JEW WHO KILLS A CHRISTIAN COMMITS NO SIN, BUT OFFERS AN ACCEPTABLE SACRIFICE TO GOD. 'Even the best of the non-Jews should be killed.' (Abhodah Zarah, 26b Tosepoth)."

FACT
Abhodah Zarah, 26b, Tosepoth. Tosepoth is not a part of the Talmud. It is a collection of commentaries on the Talmud. In a passage alluded to by Van Hyning, Tosepoth quotes a Talmudic source as stating that the command of killing all Canaanites was applicable only during the war against them.

ACCUSATION
"The following quotation from and about the Talmud should be of interest to all Christians. Note: 'GOY' means non-Jews; 'GOYIM' is plural for Goy."
"Jehovah Himself studies the Talmud standing, he has such respect for that book (Tract Mechilla)."

FACT
Tract Mechilla. No such book exists in the Talmud. Furthermore, the internal evidence in the alleged quotation suggests crude fabrication. The Talmud is not "that book"; it is a collection of volumes.

ACCUSATION
"Every goy who studies the Talmud and every Jew who helps him in it, ought to die. (Sanhedrin, 59a Abhodah Zarah 8-6)."

FACT
Abhodah Zarah 8-6. Insofar as this volume is concerned the quotation is a complete fabrication. Even the reference number is incorrect. It should read "Abhodah Zarah 8a or 8b." A number such as 8-6 can never exist in the Talmud.
Sanhedrin, 59a. Here is reported a dialogue between two Rabbis, the first of whom does indeed fanatically advocate death for a heathen who studies the Torah (the Pentateuch, not the Talmud), The second Rabbi effectively demolishes his colleague’s argument by pointing out that the heathen who studies the Torah succeeds in elevating himself to the status of a High Priest.

ACCUSATION
"To communicate anything to a goy about our religious relations would be equal to the killing of all Jews, for if the goyim knew what we teach about them they would kill us openly. (Libbre David 37)."

FACT
Libbre David 37. This is a complete fabrication. No such book exists in the Talmud or in the entire Jewish literature.

ACCUSATION
"A Jew should and must make a false oath when the goyim asks if our books contain anything against them. (Szaaloth-Utszabot, The Book of Jore Dia 17)."

FACT
The Book of Jore Dia 17. No such statement appears, This is a complete fabrication.
Szaaloth-Utszabot, The Book of Jore Dia 17. There is no such book in the Talmud. These two words are part of the title of some 1500 books, but by themselves they mean only "responses."

ACCUSATION
"The Jews are human beings, but the nations of the world are not human beings but beasts. (Baba Mecia 114-6)."

FACT
Baba Mecia 114-6. This quotation is a complete fabrication. Even the numbering is incorrect. There can be no 114-6; it has to be 114a or 114b.

ACCUSATION
"When the Messiah comes every Jew will have 2800 slaves. (Simeon Haddarsen, fol. 56D)."

FACT
Simeon Haddarsen, fol. 56D. There is no such book in the Talmud. It is actually the name of a 10th century Bible commentator. The "fol. 56D" is an invention.

ACCUSATION
"Jehovah created the non-Jew in human form so that the Jew would not have to be served by beasts. The non-Jew is consequently an animal in human form, and condemned to serve the Jew day and night. (Midrash Talpioth, 225-L)."

FACT
Midrash Talpioth, 225-L. This is not a volume of the Talmud. It is something composed by a Turkish Jew in the 18th century. His name was Elijah ben Solomom Abraham, ha-Kohen

ACCUSATION
"As soon as the King Messiah will declare himself, He will destroy Rome and make a wilderness of it. Thorns and weeds will grow in the Pope’s palace. Then he will start a merciless war on non-Jews and will overpower them. He will slay them in masses, kill their kings and lay waste the whole Roman land. He will say to the Jews: 'I am the King Messiah for whom you have been waiting. Take the silver and the gold from the goyim.' (Josiah 60, Rabbi Abarbanel to Daniel 7, 13)."

FACT
Josiah 60. This is not a volume from the Talmud. There is no book of that title in existence.

ACCUSATION
"A Jew may do to a non-Jewess what he can do. He may treat her as he treats a piece of meat. (Nadarine, 20, B; Schulchan Aruch, Choszen Hamiszpat 348)."

FACT
Nadarine 20. The actual quotation is: "The Rabbis say: That whatever a man wants to do with his wife he may do; just as he can prepare meat to suit his fancy." This concept of male superiority of 1700 years ago bears no relationship to the philosophy and conduct of present-day Jewry. To represent this as the teachings of Judaism in the twentieth century is to perpetuate a palpable fraud. Van Hyning perpetrated the additional fraud of twisting it into a Jew vs. Gentile problem.

ACCUSATION
"A Jew may rob a goy--that is, he may cheat him in a bill, if unlikely to be perceived by him. (Schulchan Aruch, Choszen Hamiszpat 348)."

FACT
Schulchan Aruch, Choszen Hamiszpat 348. This is not a part of the Talmud. It is actually a part of a collection of Biblical commentaries in the sixteenth century. The actual text in this volume says that it is forbidden to steal even a small item from a Jew or non-Jew, from children or from adults. One of the commentators remarks that in dealing with an idolator it would be permissible to use artifice or stratagem to effect repayment of a loan. He then adds that others say that to do it intentionally is forbidden, but if the idolator makes a mistake in one’s favor, it is proper to accept the advantage that accrues. However it is pointed out that the famous Rabbi Maimonedes is vigorously opposed to such procedures.

ACCUSATION
"All property of other nations belongs to the Jewish nation, which consequently is entitled to seize upon it without scruples. An orthodox Jew is not bound to observe principles of morality towards people of other tribes. He may act contrary to morality, if profitable to himself or to Jews in general. (Schulchan Aruch, Choszen Hamiszpat 348)."

FACT
Schulchan Aruch, Choszen Hamiszpat 348. This is a complete fabrication.

ACCUSATION
"On the house of the goy one looks as on the fold of cattle. (Tosefta, Erubin VIII, I)."

FACT
Tosefta, Erubin VIII, I. This is a complete fabrication. Tosefta is not part of the Talmud.

ACCUSATION
"How to interpret the word 'robbery'. A goy is forbidden to steal, rob or take women slaves, etc., from a goy or Jew. But the Jew is NOT forbidden to do all this to a goy. (Tosefta, Abhodah Zarah VIII, 5)."

FACT
Tosefta, Abhodah Zarah VIII, 5. This is a complete fabrication. Tosefta is not part of the Talmud.

ACCUSATION
"All vows, oaths, promises, engagements, and swearing, which, beginning this very day of reconciliation, we intend to vow, promise, swear, and bind ourselves to fulfill, we repent of beforehand; let them be illegalized, acquitted, annihilated, abolished, valueless, unimportant. Our vows shall be no vows, and our oaths no oaths at all. (Schulchan Aruch, Edit. 1, 136)."

FACT
Schulchan Aruch, Edit. 1, 136. This is not from the Talmud. This is actually a garbled version of the Kon Nidre prayer. The reference to "Edit. 1, 136" is completely meaningless. [The Kon Nidre prayer, from the 8th century CE, did not release anyone from a judicial oath or obligation between people. It was intended to release a Jew from a vow made to God, specifically those made under duress to accept another faith.]

ACCUSATION
"At the time of the Cholhamoed the transaction of any kind of business is forbidden. But it is permitted to cheat a goy, because cheating of goyim at any time pleases the Lord. (Schulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 539)."

FACT
Schulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 539. This is a complete fabrication.

ACCUSATION
"If a Jew be called upon to explain any part of the rabbinic books, he ought to give only a false explanation. Who ever will violate this order shall be put to death. (Libbre David 37)."

FACT
Libbre David 37. There is no such book, as previously noted.

ACCUSATION
Abhodah Zarah (22a): Christians have intercourse with animals.

FACT
This fabrication is not in the text.

ACCUSATION
Sanhedrin 67a: Jesus referred to as the son of Pandira, a soldier. Mother a prostitute.

FACT
According to a footnote in the Talmud, this passage refers to a Jewish revolutionary named Ben Stada or Ben Padira who came from Egypt, claimed to be a prophet, led his followers to Mount Zion, and was executed by the Romans, about 100 years after the time of Jesus. The footnote also says that Christians have long misunderstood this passage as a reference to Jesus and tried to censor it or condemn the Jews because of it. Note the legend put about by Celsus, the Greek philosopher, who argued with Justin martyr in the 2nd century, and who repeated a tale that Jesus was the son of a Roman centurion called Panthera.

ACCUSATION
Kelhubath (11a-11b): "When a grown-up man has had intercourse with a little girl... It means this: When a grown up man has intercourse with a little girl it is nothing, for when the girl is less than this [see footnote] three years old it is as if one puts the finger into the eye [again see footnote] tears come to the eye again and again, so does virginity come back to the little girl three years old."

FACT
This is probably the most insidious quote in the whole list. The words are correctly quoted but completely out of context. All the words after [see footnote] actually appear in the footnote, and are therefore not part of the Talmud itself. This passage is a discussion of the penalties and consequences of adult-child sexual relations. The point being made is that if a man has sexual relations with a little girl, that is to be punished less harshly than if it is with an older child or an adult woman. Importantly, when she grows up, the child is to regarded as still having her virginity for legal and marriage purposes. She is not to suffer. In modern times it is quite shocking to think that the fine or reparation for raping an infant should be less than that for raping or seducing an older child, but that is the relative judgement that some of the rabbis made, and which is recorded in the Talmud. The following paragraphs continue to discuss this issue, and there does not seem to be a strong consensus on the issue. The important thing, though, is that whilst from a modern standpoint we (whether Christian, Jew or atheist) might deplore the medical and psychological ignorance which seems to inform this decision, it must be stressed that the Talmud in no sense condones such behaviour. The discussion is about how it should be punished.


You Might Also like to Read:
List of Talmudic Books
What is Talmud?
The Truth About the Talmud
Talmud - Myths and Misquotes
Talmud - Killing Gentiles
Talmud - Tricking Gentiles
Talmud - The Term of Goy
Talmud - Theft From Gentiles
Talmud - In The Image of God
Talmud - The Real Story of Rabbi Elazar
Talmud - Sex With Three Years Old
Talmud - Refuting Various Claims About The Talmud
Talmud - Are Jews Commanded to Lie About The Talmud?
Talmud - Where Do Gentiles Fit Into The Jewish World?
The Talmud Does Not Consider Gentiles to be Animals
The Talmud Prohibits Jews From Withholding a Gentile's Wages
A Pregnant Non-Jew is no Better Than a Pregnant Animal
Talmud and More
Questions and Challenges to the Talmud


http://www.freemasonry.bcy.ca/anti-masonry/van_hyning.html

The Truth About the Talmud

Written by Gil Student

Introduction

Anti-Talmud accusations have a long history dating back to the 13th century when the associates of the Inquisition attempted to defame Jews and their religion [see Yitzchak Baer, A History of Jews in Christian Spain, vol. I pp. 150-185]. The early material compiled by hateful preachers like Raymond Martini and Nicholas Donin remain the basis of all subsequent accusations against the Talmud. Some are true, most are false and based on quotations taken out of context, and some are total fabrications [see Baer, ch. 4 f. 54, 82 that it has been proven that Raymond Martini forged quotations]. On the internet today we can find many of these old accusations being rehashed and this site is an attempt to correct the mistakes and put the true quotes into their proper perspective.

The accusations against the Talmud can be divided into four categories [see Hyam Maccoby, Judaism on Trial, pp. 23-38].

1] The Talmud considers itself holier than the Bible
2] The Talmud contains passages that are blasphemous against Jesus and Mary

The first two accusations are essentially frivolous. What business is it of Christians if the Jewish Talmud is considered holier than the Bible (which it isn't)? And if Jews do not take the account of the Christian NT to be totally historically accurate, so what? To fundamentalist Christians, EVERY other religion is considered blasphemous. Why should the Talmud be judged within the Christian religious framework? Of course, any Jewish book is blasphemous within that framework because Judaism does not accept Jesus as the messiah. The very accusation that the Jewish Talmud is blasphemous to Christianity is redundant.

3] The Talmud has ridiculous and immoral statements

The third accusation is one that Jews have to work out for themselves. Should a Jew believe in a book that makes foolish and obscene comments? That a Jew does should not be relevant to gentiles. In fact, the allegedly foolish and immoral statements in the Talmud are sometimes non-existent but usually allegorical. The Talmud and associated literature developed an entire genre of parables and allegorical sayings that, when understood, shed light on the mysteries of life. However, when inadequately translated and ripped from their context they seem silly.

Dov Zlotnick, Introduction to Saul Lieberman's Greek in Jewish Palestine (1994), p. xx

Rabbinic texts that seem bizarre at first blush can become quite ordinary when properly understood. I remember Lieberman once being called by a popular national publication regarding a passage from the Talmud. To the caller, who was researching an article, the passage seemed silly. Its subject was the difference between a roll or a bundle of documents, and how each note of indebtedness was to be placed in relation to the other. After the Professor finished explaining the passage, the caller responded with surprise, "Why, this is reasonable!" "Of course," the Professor responded.

"Well, in that case," the caller replied, "I cannot use it."

4] The Talmud has laws that are racist and anti-gentile

The fourth accusation is the one on which I will be focussing. Because today's Orthodox Jews still lead their lives based on the laws contained in the Talmud, it is incumbent upon Jews to understand and explain that their religious laws are not racist or derogatory to gentiles. Jewish law, as contained in the Talmud, treats gentiles with the proper respect due to a person created in the image of G-d. Their property and lives are honored and any (mis)quotes from the Talmud indicating otherwise need to be seen in their original language and context.

I will be showing the ENTIRE passages in both their original Hebrew or Aramaic and in translation. I will also be providing a fuller context by bringing other quotations on the topics from other parts of the Talmud. After seeing all of the quotations, a proper judgement can be rendered. I will also be showing how Jewish commentators and legalists have understood these passages throughout history.

Even if a reader would believe that these talmudic quotations are racist, if Jews have always understood them differently then Jews cannot be considered racist. Even if someone can twist the words of the Talmud to be hateful, if Jews have always understood the Talmud in a non-hateful way then the argument is meaningless. The real exercise is to find the (allegedly racist) talmudic influence on Jews and Judaism and by perusing through the post-talmudic literature we can clearly find that this talmudic influence was not racist.

Is the Talmud racist or anti-gentile? No. But neither is it a universalist manifesto. It is a religious document written by those of the Jewish religion for others of the same faith. It favors Judaism over other religions and sets down rules on how to live in both an all-Jewish society and a mixed society. It legislates how to create vibrant Jewish communities while still maintaining respect for the gentile society. Universalists would have everyone be treated exactly equally and live in non-denominational communities. However, the Talmud, which is concerned for the survival of the Jewish religion, must weigh both the respect for humanity and the need for Jewish survival throughout thousands of years of minority-status.

What we will demonstrate is that the consideration for the Jewish community NEVER relegates those outside of this community to an inhuman status. Gentiles are ALWAYS respected and their rights are secured.

The anti-talmudic lies are exactly that - lies. The wisdom of the Talmud has sustained Judaism for thousands of years and perhaps its very success is what has engendered so much jealous hatred.


You Might Also like to Read:
List of Talmudic Books
What is Talmud?
Talmud - Myths and Misquotes
Talmud - Killing Gentiles
Talmud - Tricking Gentiles
Talmud - The Term of Goy
Talmud - Theft From Gentiles
Talmud - In The Image of God
Talmud - The Real Story of Rabbi Elazar
Talmud - Sex With Three Years Old
Talmud - Refuting Various Claims About The Talmud
Talmud - Are Jews Commanded to Lie About The Talmud?
Talmud - Where Do Gentiles Fit Into The Jewish World?
The Talmud Does Not Consider Gentiles to be Animals
The Talmud Prohibits Jews From Withholding a Gentile's Wages
More Lies About the Talmud
A Pregnant Non-Jew is no Better Than a Pregnant Animal
Talmud and More
Questions and Challenges to the Talmud


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