Non-Jews
The 'Chosen People' Problem
What does Jewish law really say about non-Jews? From the concept of 'chosen people' to laws that treat gentiles as lesser, this chapter examines the troubling hierarchy built into the texts.
The Chosen People Concept
The idea that Jews are God's "Chosen People" (Am Segulah) is central to Orthodox identity. But what does "chosen" really mean in the texts?
Devarim 7:6 declares: "For you are a holy people to the Lord your God; the Lord your God has chosen you to be a treasured people above all the peoples on the face of the earth."
This isn't just spiritual distinction—it translates into concrete legal differences in how Jews and non-Jews are treated in halacha. The concept of "Am HaNivchar" (the chosen nation) creates a fundamental hierarchy: Jews at the top, everyone else below.
While modern apologists reframe "chosen" as "chosen for responsibility," the texts themselves paint a different picture—one of inherent superiority and divinely mandated separation.
📜 Sources
Treatment of Non-Jews in Halacha
The legal distinctions between Jews and non-Jews in halacha are stark:
Financial dealings:
- Returning a lost object: Required for a Jew's property, debated for a non-Jew's (Bava Metzia 24a)
- Charging interest: Forbidden between Jews, permitted to non-Jews (Devarim 23:20-21)
- The Rambam rules that it's permissible to keep a non-Jew's financial error (Hilchos Geneivah 7:8), though some authorities disagree
Legal status:
- Non-Jewish testimony is not accepted in Beit Din
- The life of a non-Jew is valued differently in various halachic contexts
- Shabbat can be violated to save a Jewish life, but the rules differ for non-Jews
Attitudes:
- The Aleinu prayer (said three times daily) includes a line thanking God for "not making us like the nations of the lands"
- The morning blessing includes: "Blessed are You... who has not made me a gentile"
These aren't obscure texts—they are part of daily Orthodox practice and belief.
📜 Sources
🌱 Your Next Steps
- →Reflect on any unconscious biases about non-Jews you may still carry
- →Build genuine friendships with people of all backgrounds
- →Remember: all humans have equal inherent worth