Refuting the claim: Jews Dislike Non-Jews (or Jews Think They're Superior)

Introduction

The claim that Jews are superior to or better than non-Jews is one that you hear from the antisemites when they talk about the Jews being "chosen". From the Chabad (Orthodox Jewish) website, we learn:

"In the Jewish understanding, chosenness leads not to arrogance, but rather to humility. All agree that it was the Jews that introduced the world to monotheism and a system of ethics and morals that has shaped the modern view of life and its purpose. It is the survival of Judaism to this day that attests to the eternal value of this system. In fact, anyone from any ethnic background can convert to Judaism and become a part of the Jewish people."

The word "goy" means nation in Biblical Hebrew. In the Torah, goy and its variants appear over 550 times in reference to Gentile nations of the world. The first recorded usage of goy occurs in Genesis 10:5 and applies innocuously to non-Israelite nations. The first mention in relation to the Israelites comes in Genesis 12:2, when God promises Abraham that his descendants will form a goy gadol ("great nation"). In Exodus 19:6, the Jewish people are referred to as a goy kadosh, a "holy nation". The Hebrew Bible often use goy to describe the Israelites (Jews), with later Jewish writings applying the term to other nations. "Goyim" is the plural of goy and means "nations".

Accurate Jewish Quotes About Non-Jews

Jews believe that when Moses, our teacher, gave us the Torah, he not only gave us the written law but also instructions in how to observe the law, the Talmud.

The Talmud has two components: the Mishnah (circa 200 CE), a written compendium of Rabbinic Judaism's Oral Torah and the Gemara (c. 500 CE), an elucidation of the Mishnah. The Talmud consists of 63 tractates, and in standard print is over 6,200 pages long. It is written in Tannaitic Hebrew and Aramaic, and contains the teachings and opinions of thousands of pre-Christian Era rabbis on a variety of subjects, including halakha (law), Jewish ethics, philosophy, customs, history, lore and many other topics. The Talmud is the basis for all codes of Jewish law, and is widely quoted in rabbinic literature.

Enemies of the Jewish people are highly unlikely to have ever studied the Talmud because to do so with precision they would need Aramaic and Hebrew language skills that most people simply do not have. There are many quotes about non-Jews in the Talmud, including:

1) Rabbi Akiva (Talmud, tractate Avot 3:18) says all mankind is created in the image of God, "Chabib Adam She-Nibra Be-Tzelem".

2) Babylonian Talmud, Chullin, pages 94A-B says, "It is forbidden to deceive anyone, including idolaters [non-Jews]."

3) "Non-Jews who treat Jews kindly have a share in the world to come (the afterlife)" per Talmud, tractate Avoda Zara, page 10B.

4) Midrash Tehillim for Psalm 146 teaches that a non-Jew can become a saint.

5) Rabbi Eliezer Papo (born in Sarajevo 1785, died 1826) was the author of Sefer Pele Yoetz. Rabbi Papo was the rabbi of the community of Selestria (Bulgaria) and an exemplary spokesman of Mussar (ethical teachings). Sefer Pele Yoetz gained immediate popularity when first published in Constantinople in 1824. Several editions in the original Hebrew were followed by translations into Judeo-Arabic, Ladino, and Yiddish -- all with enthusiastic endorsements from leading Rabbis. In Sefer Pele Yoetz we find:

a) Sefer Pele Yoetz, Chapter Emet: "Lying to non-Jews in business is one of the worst sins."

b) Sefer Pele Yoetz, Chapter Gezel: "And it is known that stealing from a non-Jew is WORSE than stealing from a Jew, since the thief also desecrates God's Name. Kabalists have written that a Jew who steals from a non-Jew causes the guardian angel of that non-Jew to steal holiness."

c) Sefer Pele Yoetz, Chapter Dibur: "It is also forbidden to deceive a Gentile."

d) Sefer Pele Yoetz, Chapter Zilzul: "Righteous people will not disrespect any person."

e) Sefer Pele Yoetz, Chapter Claloth Beth, Section 7: "Do not despise any person, young or old, non-Jew or Jew, because every person has his hour."

f) Sefer Pele Yoetz, Chapter Claloth Beth, Section 16: "Do not despise any person, great or small, Jew or non-Jew."

g) Sefer Pele Yoetz, Chapter Claloth Beth, Section 16: "It is forbidden to deceive people, including non-Jews."

h) Sefer Pele Yoetz, Chapter Claloth Beth, Section 21: "It is forbidden to steal from Gentiles or rob them ..."

i) Sefer Pele Yoetz, Chapter Claloth Beth, Section 21: "It is forbidden to deceive people with words, including Gentiles ..."

j) Sefer Pele Yoetz, Chapter Claloth Beth, Section 21: "Whoever lies to non-Jews or steals from them, is in the category of those who desecrate The Divine Name, since they cause the non-Jews to say: The Jews have no religion. And the punishment for desecrating The Name is more severe than Cutting Off or court-inflicted death penalties."

… and k) Sefer Pele Yoetz, Chapter Claloth Beth, Section 21: "It is forbidden to deceive anyone with weights or measures, including non-Jews."

Conclusion

Therefore, Jews believe that non-Jews have the same opportunities that we have to participate in community life, to worship G-d, and to be productive citizens in our society.