Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: meandog
"Kill the best Gentiles"

The above is a mis-quote this killer cherry-picked from the Talmud (and got wrong), and it appears to have been the source of much of his hatred against Jewish people.

That text refers to case of war (specifically, the war with Eqyptians during Exodus).

The G-d-fearers among the Egyptians allowed their animals to be used in battle against the Jews. Presumably, these people went along with their animals and drove the chariots. We now see that the G-d-fearers, the "good" among the gentiles, were doing battle with the Jews. To this R. Shimon ben Yochai said that, when in battle, do not try to spare the lives of those opposing soldiers who are fine, upstanding people.

Kill any enemy soldier, regardless of their character. This contextual approach to understanding R. Shimon ben Yochai's statement is how the post-Talmudic literature has read this statement [see Tosafot, Avodah Zarah 26b sv Velo; Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Avodah Zarah 10:1].

Reading R. Shimon ben Yochai's teaching as a single-sentence imperative to kill all gentiles is simply wrong and is not how Jewish scholars have ever understood it.

Here:

http://www.angelfire.com/mt/talmud/kill.html

The Talmud is a very confusing book for Jews seeped in its tradition and learning, and, at least partially for this reason, non-Jews are encouraged to concentrate on the portions of the Talmud that apply to them and leave the portions that apply to Jews alone --- to prevent EXACTLY THIS KIND OF CONFUSION.


96 posted on 06/10/2009 12:40:41 PM PDT by Jewbacca (The residents of Iroquois territory may not determine whether Jews may live in Jerusalem.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 64 | View Replies ]


To: Jewbacca
The above is a mis-quote this killer cherry-picked from the Talmud (and got wrong), and it appears to have been the source of much of his hatred against Jewish people.

The people who believe this stuff are immune to any arguments to the contrary. When you consider that half the time they're attacking "Talmudists" for "murdering" J*sus and the other half claiming that Jews are not Israelites at all but "Khazars" who "converted" during the Middle Ages you can see that these people have no sense of logical whatsoever--unless they believe the crucifixion was carried out by Khazars from the future using a time machine.

Also consider that the Hebrew Bible is every bit as "anti-gentile" as the Talmud but the anti-Semites who accept the Bible refuse to see it this way because they believe the Israelites in the Bible who were exorted to kill their enemies were not Jews, but their own ancestors.

These people are freaking crazy.

100 posted on 06/10/2009 12:49:26 PM PDT by Zionist Conspirator (Vayhi binsoa` ha'Aron vayo'mer Mosheh: qumah HaShem veyafutzu 'oyeveykha . . .)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 96 | View Replies ]

To: Jewbacca
About 10 years ago I attended a two-week long seminar on Judaism taught at a local synagogue by its “para-rabbi.” It was striking to me, a Christian, how Jews (according to the instructor) didn't really have a beef with Jesus or his original apostles however Paul came under particular scrutiny.
I assumed that it was because that early Christianity in its orginal form was in reality a Jewish sect until his appeal to Gentiles in allowing a general disregard of the Talmud.
The para-rabbi noted that Jesus's famed "Sermon on the Mount" was exactly what a Jewish Rabbi would have preached at the time and, as we went through the course and history, I learned of the true roots of my own faith.
The hardest thing for me to grasp was G-d's instruction to Israel to execute the Herem, in demanding that everything be put to death. But I realized that He did it because he did not want the ancient Israelites to take booty of any kind--no women, slaves, nor cattle, sheep or treasure. I also realized that had it been done as He instructed instead of disregarded (Saul, etc.) that present-day Israel might not today face enemies on all sides.
117 posted on 06/10/2009 1:33:50 PM PDT by meandog (Doh!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 96 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson