Teaching Talmudic
Passages Concerning
Non-Jews
Rabbi Yaakov Bieler
“Teaching Rabbinic Literature:
Bridging Scholarship and Pedagogy”
Brandeis U.
1/28/08
What a Talmud teacher who is a reflective
practitioner must constantly ask him/herself:

Questions independent of my specific subject matter:

How can I better prepare the subject matter to understand it
on a level that will be best suited for my students?

How effective is my pedagogy and what can I do to improve
my presentation and the level of student engagement in my
classes?

How can I become more conversant with the latest
developments in education and technology?
Questions for the Orthodox reflective
practitioner specific to teaching Talmud
in an Orthodox setting:

How can I influence my students to become
life-long Talmud students?

What effect is my teaching having upon
them religiously, spiritually, ethically?
Modern Orthodox students’ and their parents’
overt educational and religious expectations
from Talmud study:

Master the subject matter, as in the case of any other discipline
that is being studied.

Determine how Jewish tradition delineates the manner in
which observant individuals are to conduct themselves.

Define general moral standards of behavior.

Compare general society’s approach to various situations
with that of Jewish tradition.
MO students’ unarticulated expectations from
their Talmud study:

Are these values, behaviors that I see discussed in the
Talmud such that I wish to internalize them and make
them an intrinsic part of myself ? If not…

Are ChaZaL’s views compatible with and appropriate
for the world of today? If not…

If these are the actual cornerstones of Jewish tradition,
and I am having difficulty
accepting/understanding/respecting them, how does
this affect how I feel about religious observance in
general? Does my learning paradoxically drive me away
from a life of commitment?

If my teacher is, in my opinion,
rationalizing/insensitively promulgating these views
which I find reprehensible, to what extent can I ever
take seriously what s/he teaches in other areas?
‫‪Rabbinic statements that should give all‬‬
‫‪teachers* of Tora pause and warn us that our‬‬
‫‪teaching can go terribly wrong:‬‬
‫יומא דף עב עמוד ב‬
‫אמר רבי יהושע בן לוי‪ :‬מאי דכתיב (דברים ד) "וזאת התורה אשר שם משה"‪ ,‬זכה ‪ -‬נעשית לו‬
‫סם חיים‪ ,‬לא זכה ‪ -‬נעשית לו סם מיתה‪.‬‬
‫והיינו דאמר רבא‪ :‬דאומן לה ‪ -‬סמא דחייא‪ ,‬דלא אומן לה ‪ -‬סמא דמותא‪.‬‬
‫אמר רבי שמואל בר נחמני‪ :‬רבי יונתן רמי‪ ,‬כתיב (תהלים יט) "פקודי ה' ישרים משמחי לב"‬
‫וכתיב (תהלים יח) "אמרת ה' צרופה"‪ ,‬זכה ‪ -‬משמחתו‪ ,‬לא זכה ‪ -‬צורפתו‪.‬‬
‫ריש לקיש אמר‪ :‬מגופיה דקרא נפקא‪ ,‬זכה ‪ -‬צורפתו לחיים‪ ,‬לא זכה ‪ -‬צורפתו למיתה‪.‬‬
‫‪*Included in a Tora teacher’s “Hippocratic Oath”.‬‬
Rabbinic statements that should give all
teachers* of Tora pause:
Yoma 72b
R. Yehoshau b. Levi said: What is the meaning of the verse,
(Devarim 4:44) “And this is the law which Moshe '‫ 'שם‬before
the Children of Israel”? If he is meritorious, it becomes for him a
'‫( 'סם‬medicine) of life; if not a deadly poison.
That is what Rava meant when he said: If he uses it the right way, it
is a medicine of life unto him; he who does not use it the right
way, it is a deadly poison.
In what manner can Tora (including Talmud)
learning prove
“spiritually lethal”?

Students find dealng with the text so difficult and/or
unsatisfying that they are discouraged from engaging in such
study once they no longer have to do so.

Some topics, comments provide religious justification for what
the student considers immoral behavior, which is disillusioning
and possibly deeply alienating.

A particular Talmudic discussion might sometimes shine upon at
least some members of ChaZaL, as well as teachers attempting
to justify such views, an unflattering light re their sophistication,
open-mindedness, humanity, sensitivity.
3 examples of Talmudic passages that challenge
contemporary values of fairness and respect and
therefore potentially bring students to the brink of
crisis:
I
‫יבמות דף מז עמוד ב‬
,‫ קשים גרים לישראל כספחת‬:‫דא"ר חלבו‬
‫א) "כי ירחם יקוק את יעקב ובחר עוד‬:‫ (ישעיהו יד‬:‫דכתיב‬
‫בישראל והניחם על אדמתם ונלוה הגר עליהם ונספחו על‬
":‫בית יעקב‬
I
Yevamot 47b
Said R. Chelbo: “Geirim” (converts) are as difficult for the
Jewish people as “Sapachat” (a form or Tzora’at, skin
disease), as it is written, (Yeshayahu 14:1) “For God will
have Mercy on Jacob and will yet Choose Israel and place
them in their own land, and the ‘Ger’ will be joined to
them ‘VeNispechu’ (and they will cleave) to the house of
Jacob.”
‫‪II‬‬
‫משנה מסכת סוטה פרק ג‬
‫‪...‬רבי אליעזר אומר כל המלמד בתו תורה כאילו‬
‫לומדה תפלות‬
‫רבי יהושע אומר רוצה אשה בקב ותפלות מתשעה‬
‫קבין ופרישות‪...‬‬
II
Sota 3:4
R. Eliezer says: Whomever teaches his daughter
Tora, it is as if he has taught her immoral matters.
R. Yehoshua says: A woman would prefer a small amount
(of food) accompanied by immorality, over nine times as
much food without immorality.
‫‪III‬‬
‫בבא קמא דף קיג עמוד א‬
‫דתניא‪ :‬ישראל וכנעני אנס שבאו לדין‪ ,‬אם אתה יכול לזכהו‬
‫בדיני ישראל ‪ -‬זכהו ואמור לו‪ :‬כך דינינו‪ ,‬בדיני כנענים ‪-‬‬
‫זכהו ואמור לו‪ :‬כך דינכם‪ ,‬ואם לאו ‪ -‬באין עליו בעקיפין‪,‬‬
‫דברי ר' ישמעאל;‬
‫ר"ע אומר‪ :‬אין באין עליו בעקיפין‪ ,‬מפני קידוש השם‪ .‬ור"ע‪,‬‬
‫טעמא דאיכא קידוש השם‪ ,‬הא ליכא קידוש השם ‪ -‬באין‪,‬‬
III
Baba Kama 113a
When a suit arises between a Jew and a strong-armed non-Jew, if
you can acquit the former according to Jewish law, you do so and say, “this is our
law.” If you can acquit the former by the laws of the non-Jews, you do so and
say, “This is your law.” And if these things cannot be done, then we resort to
subterfuges to defeat him. This is the view of R. Yishmael.
But R. Akiva said we should not attempt subterfuges because of Sanctifying
God’s Name.
Now according to R. Akiva, the whole reason appears to be the Sanctification of
God’s Name; but if there were no infringement of the Sanctification of God’s
Name, we could resort to subterfuges…
Why, within the context of studying Talmud,
present Rabbinic views concerning non-Jews?
A global perspective:

…The assumption that an integrative approach must be pursued
with respect to Judaic and general studies, is predicated upon the
acceptance by the Modern Orthodox Jew that he is meant to
serve a role not only in his immediate Jewish community, or even
within the broader Jewish society, but in the world at large as
well…

Our spiritual heritage charges us, the biological and/or spiritual
descendents of Adam, Noach and Avraham, to not only be
concerned with our own personal survival and preservation of
our particular religious tradition, but also to be involved in and
contribute positively to the welfare of the world at large...

http:my.mli.org.il/visions/articles/Newsletter/open/Bieler.
pdf http://www.lookstein.org/articles/bieler_racism.pdf
Why, within the context of studying Talmud,
present Rabbinic views concerning non-Jews?
Specific educational considerations:

In terms of every-day life, commandments between man-andman should not be assumed to apply exclusively to Jews,
particularly for those living in an open society.  Relevance.

One can evaluate a system not only by what it says about
ourselves, but also about the “other”.  Contrast, tension.

Anticipate students encountering the views reflected in these
sources in “hostile” contexts, and offer approaches to
understanding them constructively.  ‫דע מה להשיב‬
Unit on Non-Jews in the Talmud

1) Sanhedrin 57a
A terse statement that suggests that it is
permitted (!?) for a Jew to steal from a nonJew.
:‫והתניא‬
– ‫ וכן כיוצא בהן‬,‫ וכן יפת תואר‬,‫ גנב וגזל‬,‫על הגזל‬
,‫ אסור‬- ‫נכרי בנכרי ונכרי בישראל‬
.‫ מותר‬- ‫וישראל בנכרי‬

2) Sanhedrin 56a-b
A listing of the 7 Noachide commandments
and a textual source for their derivation.

3) Bava Kama 4:3; 38a
A formulation of why when a non-Jew’s
animal harms a Jews’, the owner will pay, but
not vice versa. The Talmud provides a
rationalization based upon the assumption
that this apparent double standard is due to
non-Jews’ non-compliance with the 7
Noachide commandments.

4) Bava Kama 113a-114a
A Tannaitic argument regarding the
permissibility of stealing from a non-Jew
along with the introduction of the concern
regarding Kiddush/Chillul HaShem.

5) Avoda Zora 22a-b; 25a-26a
A listing of laws suggesting that non-Jews
are
both lascivious and dangerous.

6) Avoda Zora 19b-20b
A discussion of the possible interpretations
of “Lo Techanem” including that one must
neither admire nor act kindly towards nonJews.
Assumptions of these texts that precipitate
strong reactions from students:
1.
How can something that is prohibited to Noachides
be permitted to Jews (stealing)?
2. Why should there be a double standard in terms of
who is responsible for damages caused by his
property and who is not?
3. Kiddush HaShem appears to be invoked not because it
is a higher standard by which to live, but rather because
it will look badly if someone is caught.
4. How can such extreme things be said about non-Jews?
Are these possibly exaggerations to keep the
communities separate? And haven’t Jews suffered when
such stereotypes were invoked concerning their
behavior and customs?
5. How can we be enjoined from expressing gratitude to
and admiration for non-Jews who have done admirable
things? (particularly speaks to my “global” concerns).
6. How can a generalization be made that all non-Jews are
not complying with the 7 Noachide Commandments?
Why are there not similar consequences when Jews do
not comply with their body of Commandments?
(student: Iraq; colleague/Rosh Yeshiva)
And what happens if such texts elicit
no reactions from our students?
Pro-active strategies that can mitigate the
negative impact of such material:
1. Careful study of the topics Kiddush/Chillul Hashem.
2. Anticipation of the effects of controversial material
and preparation of counter-material, e.g.,
commentaries, essays, contemporary perspectives.
(the issue of “apologetics”)
3. Faculty deliberations prior to the presentation of a
unit where approaches to students can be hashed out.
Articles that address the issue of the nature and
treatment of non-Jews in the Talmud:

David Berger, “Jews, Gentiles and the Modern Egalitarian Ethos:
Some Tentative Thoughts” in Marc Stern, Formulating
Responses in the Egalitarian Age, Rowman & Littlefield, 2005.

Moshe Halbertal, “Ones Possessed of Religion”: Religious
Tolerance in the Teachings of the Me’iri”, The Edah Journal
I:1.

Nachum L. Rabinovich, “A Halachic View of the Non-Jew”,
Tradition VIII:3 Fall 1966.

Walter Wurzburger, “Darkei Shalom”, Gesher (Pub. SOY,
RIETS—Yeshiva U.) 1978.