Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 12.djvu/19

 xii. JULY 4, 1903.] NOTES AND QUERIES.

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quoting Maimonides as saying that "the sincere and virtuous professors of every religion may hope to enjoy future bliss."

While gladly recognizing that some of the rabbis have expressed liberal and kindly sentiments towards Gentiles, we canno ignore the too-abundant evidence of narrow ness and prejudice. A well-known instance of the application of a contemptuous term to a Gentile will be remembered as confirmation of a saying in the Midrashim that "the nations of the world are likened to dogs."

Writers who have made special study o; the Jews and their history repeatedly refer to Jewish hostility towards Gentiles anc mixed races. One writes that the Gentile had seemed to the Jew " worthy of contempt more often than of any softer feeling ' (Hosmer's * Story of the Jews'). Another concludes that Jewish exclusiveness, justifi- able at times, became under the Roman Empire "a hateful and anti-human feature in the life of the race " (Morrison's * Jews under the Romans'). When reviewing the Mosaic regulations about strangers, Ewald, in his ' Antiquities of Israel ' (Solly's trans- lation), writes :

" National antipathy to the Egyptians was formed in the cradle of the community, and was succeeded by the same feeling towards the Canaanites and Philistines ; this again, after the days of David and Solomon, by aversion towards the smaller kindred tribes which surrounded them ; and, finally, towards the great heathen dominions in the three continents of the old world.'"'

Dean Milman, in his ' History of the Jews ' (book ix.), when describing the characteristics of the nation after the return from the Babylonian captivity, assigns to this period the commencement of

" that unsocial spirit, that hatred towards mankind, and want of humanity to all but their own kindred, with which, notwithstanding the extent to which they carried proselytism to their religion, the Jews are branded by all the Roman writers."

Proselytism seems to have been the result rather of the wish of Gentiles to become Jews than of Jews to make converts. According to Lightfoot ('Hebrew and Talmudical Exer- citations upon the Gospel of St. Matthew '), the evils attendant on proselytism gave rise to the maxim "Proselytes are dangerous to Israel." From the Babylonian Talmud he quotes the saying "Proselytes and Sodomites hinder the coming of Messiah." Rules were properly made for strict inquisition as to the motives of a Gentile in seeking to be recog- nized as a worshipper of the God of Israel ; but the Sanhedrim did not encourage prose- lytism, and the stricter Jews would never regard the proselyte as on an equality with

themselves either as to present privileges or prospects for the future. No ceremonial initiation could obviate the permanent dis- advantages entailed by the fact that he was not of the seed of Abraham. There were, however, among the later rabbis those who regarded other than racial characteristics as entitling their possessors to be accepted as of the seed of Abraham. It is said in the Talmud :

" He who possesses these three virtues is of the disciples of our father Abraham, and he who is possessed of the three opposites is of the disciples of the wicked Balaam. The disciples of our father Abraham possess a benevolent eye, an humble spirit, and a contented mind. The disciples of Balaam have an evil eye, a haughty spirit, and a narrow mind."

To the question, What is the difference bet ween the one and the other 1 ? it was answered :

" The disciples of our father Abraham eat of the fruit of their good works in this world, and inherit the future one ; but the disciples of the wicked Balaam inherit hell, and descend to the pit of destruction." Barclay's 'Selections from the Tal- mud,' p. 235.

Some habits of pagans doubtless called forth many of the rabbinic directions, but into the observance of these directions by the ignorant and ill-conditioned among the Jews might be introduced easily the male- volence expressed by Shylock's words, "I will buy with you, sell with you, talk with you, walk with you, and so following ; but I will not eat with you, drink with you, nor pray with you." Not less suggestive of animosity are such directions in the Talmud as that which provides that if the ox of an [sraelite bruise the ox of a Gentile the [sraelite is exempt from paying damages, aut should a Gentile's ox bruise an Israelite's the Gentile is bound to make full recom- pense ; or that which provides that if lost property is found in a locality where the majority are Israelites proclamation must be made, but if where Gentiles are the majority the discovery need not be divulged. Even more serious injustice was permitted, for the abbis prescribed that in order to secure the -cquittal of an Israelite involved in a law- uit with a Gentile adroit pretexts should be used, and that if there were no fear of dis- covery of deceit recourse should be had to alse evidence. (See the references to * Bava ama ' and ' Bava Metzia ' in Hershon's Talmudic Miscellany.') Curious stories are old in the Talmud illustrating the various ways in which the rabbis allowed that entiles might be cheated. By example, as well as by precept, these teachers inculcated njustice towards the non-Israelite ; and self-