[Avodah] The Torah Attitude Toward Gentiles, Animals, and Vegetation

[Professor L. Levine]

Many years ago when my two oldest grandsons were in  elementary school in yeshiva,  they began to speak in a derogatory manner abut non-Jews.  They had heard these things from their fellow students. Their father,  my oldest son, and I made it clear to them that this was not the appropriate way to speak about human beings who were created by Ha Shem with a neshama.  Fortunately,  they listened to us and changed their attitude.


No one is saying that one must be "buddy buddy" with gentiles,  but they are to be treated with proper respect.


I have posted letter 11 of RSRH's 19 Letters at


http://personal.stevens.edu/~llevine/letter_11.pdf


While I suggest that everyone read the entire letter,  below are some excerpts from it.


MISHPATIM.  All these insights, however, are of value only if
you truly live your life according to what you, as man and
Yisraelite in God's world, with your God-given powers, have
recognized. The first requirement is, therefore, that you
practice justice:

-Respect every being in your surroundings, as well as
everything within yourself, as a creation of your God,

-Respect whatever is theirs as given to them by God or as
having been acquired according to Divinely sanctioned law. Let
them keep, or have, whatever they are entitled by right to call
their own; do not be a source of harm to -others!

-Respect every human being as your equal. Respect him,
his inner self as well as his outer garment-his body-and his
life) Respect his property, too, as a legal extension of his
body.  Respect his claim to property or services that you have
to render to him, 1 properly measured or counted,  as well as
his claim to compensation for harm done to his body or
property.

-Respect his right to know the truth and his right to
freedom, happiness, peace of mind,P honor and a peaceful
existence.

-Never abuse the frailty of his body, mind or heart/ and
never misuse your legal power over him.

The Chukkim require of you:

-respect for all that exists, as God's property: do not
destroy anything! do not misuse it! do not waste! use
everything wisely

-respect for all the species: their order was established by
God-do not intermingle them;u respect for all creatures: they
are servants in the household of Creation; v respect for the
feelings and instincts of animals;w respect for the human body,
even after the soul has departed;x respect for your own body:
maintain it, as it is the repository, messenger and instrument of
the spirit;

-limitation of your own instincts and animal-like actions:
subordinate them to God's Law, so that, truly human and
sanctified, they can help you attain the holy goal of mankind and
will not turn you into a mere animal;

-respect for your soul, when you nourish its tool, the
body: supply the body only with such nourishment that will
enable it to act as a pure and willing messenger of the world to
the spirit, and of the spirit to the world, rather than giving it
food that will induce sluggishness and sensuality;

-concealment and sublimation of the animal in you, rather
than according it too much respect and attention: only thus will
the conflict within you ultimately be resolved, and the animal in
you will also aspire only to the truly human;

-lastly, respect for your own person in its purest
expression-your power of speech.

In light of the above I simply cannot understand how some Torah sources can express a derogatory view of gentiles.

YL







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