Anon asked Staff ago In the Haaretz supplement of May 4, 2006, there is an interesting article about Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a member of the Dutch parliament of Muslim heritage, who participated in the production of a movie critical of Islam. Her partner in the film was mudered by a Muslim fanatic.
I don’t want to discuss the entire articles, though it should be noted that this woman certainly deserves praise (though one can question her perspective on Islam). What is interesting in this article is the end. When her partner in the film’s production was murdered, the murdered attached a note to the body, addressed to the woman. Aside from death threats, the letter included the following paragraph:
A letter from the fundamentalist of Islam to the fundamentalist of enlightenment…It is a fact that Dutch politics is dominated by many Jews who are a product of the Talmud schools. I would like to ask you the following questions:
In tractate Bava Metzia it is written that only Jews are human. In tractate Berachot Gentiles are called donkeys. In tractate Yevamot it is written that all Gentile children are animals. In Bava Kama it is written that Jews may lie to mislead Gentiles. Rabbi Simon bar Yochai said, Tob shebe goyyim herog “Even the best of the Gentiles should be killed” [this sentence appears in the letter in translaiteration of the Hebrew]. Since you are a fighter for equal rights, you will probably (after learning about this) ask your Jewish masters to forbid teaching of the Talmud.
You, of course, can identify the Talmudic quotes. Some are distorted and all are taken out of context in quite a cruel fashion, but in general they honestly reflect the relationship to Gentiles in rabbinic literature and in Halacha. I do not suspect that you agree with the use of these quotes to justify murder (and the murder and dearth threats had no particular connection to Judaism). But what do you think of the suggestion to forbid the teaching of the Talmud (and I don’t mean specifically academic teaching)?
Katzele
jsadmin Staff answered 20 years ago
Hello,
The Talmud is one of the main cultural possessions (for good and for ill) of the Jewish people throughout the years of its exile, and so must be learned and recognized. I mean by this study along with intense critical review, and then adoption of what suits our enlightened values (if there is any such thing to be found) and rejection of the views which oppose equality, freedom, and critical thought. The educational system must inculcate in its students the enlightened view instead of the religious, to explain how “magical” faith opposes the scientific view, and to show how different the religious view of the strange and foreign is from the view of enlightenment. Thus the educational system will help its students develop pride and excitement at the thought of being part of the enlightened world, which knows to separate between light and dark. This state-sponsored education must be given to all citizens of the state of Israel: the secular, Reform, Conservative, traditional, religious, and Charedi, Jew and non-Jew alike.
Now I will deal with your main question: “But what do you think of the suggestion to forbid the teaching of the Talmud?”
Assuming you meant financial support and stipends to those who learn the Talmud as a sanctified text which may not be criticized or questioned, that is — the yeshiva world, both Charedi and religious — there is no doubt that the policy of the Israeli establishment towards Charedi and religious education is quite puzzling, bordering on blindness. Those who study the Talmud with an enviable tenacity learn sanctified text opposing the enlightened scientific view of the world, and do this using support from the enlightened world. This is one of the puzzling wonders about people’s behavior: they are prepared to cultivate and raise children upon the knees of their open opposition. These kids will become goats, they will be old enough to vote for representatives to the Knesset, and they will determine the character of the state and its values. (Today these kids represent a quarter of those learning in the Israeli educational system.)
Sincerely,
Daat Emet
jsadmin Staff answered 20 years ago
Once again, hello.
The state of Israel has accepted upon itself the United Nations charter, and it must educate all its citizens (whether they agree or not, as is accepted in a democratic regime) by its light. The state of Israel not only does not educate a not-inconsiderable majority thus, it actively supports education which contradicts these principles! This is a strange and puzzling notion.
In our opinion, common life in the framework of the Israeli society is possible only under a government whose values are enlightened, tolerant, and egalitarian. This contrasts with your view of “compromise,” which really means allowing some of the country’s citizens to educate their children to inequality, intolerance, and unwillingness to compromise. In your “compromise” you cut the branch out from under the democratic regime which we want with every fiber of our beings.
A government which champions cultural and educational pluralism must educate its citizens to pluralism and not allow some of its citizens to be educated against pluralism, in the name of pluralism.
Similarly, the enlightened view champions education to rationality and criticism, and an enlightened democratic regime cannot permit itself to raise citizens who are educated on the rejection of rationalism and criticism.
Sincerely,
Daat Emet