In the previous blog post, I shared the Christian perspective on the concept of welcoming the ‘stranger’ and how the issue of migration in and of itself can also be beneficial to both the ‘stranger’ and the host. Returning to the Scriptures, we may understand as Christians that the Bible offers solutions to many of our problems not to mention that it also offers a way how through our limitations as human beings, the Bible may also offer different perspectives that we can adhere to in order look at any given situation from a positive light.
Christianity is definitely not the only religion that speaks of welcoming the stranger; it is not the only religion that offers solutions to our problems. Have you ever wondered what the Jewish perspective was on the matter? Let’s take a look.
Both the Christians (i.e. in the Old Testament) and the Jews (i.e. in the Torah) have similar ways of thinking regarding welcoming the foreigner as suggested through the Scriptures.
In the Talmud one is encouraged to
“walk after the attributes of the Holy One”
Babylonian Talmud, Sotah, 14a
… by clothing the naked, visiting the sick, comforting the mourners and burying the dead just as Yahweh did. Christians are also asked to “walk after the Lord [your] God” (Deuteronomy 13:4) in this manner.
In Judaism, the foreigner is not to be oppressed “for [you] were strangers in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 22:21)
Indeed the Jews were in slavery while being foreigners in Egypt. However they are encouraged to understand through this experience on how one feels and what one needs while being in a land that does not belong to oneself. Unfortunately, Israel, particularly Jerusalem suffers terrorism even as we speak. Sometimes it happens too often that news does not arrive through the other continents even in such a technocratic age. One can imagine how hard it can be to stick to one’s beliefs during such hard circumstances. At the end of the day however, sticking to what you believe is the means to living as God wills, in other words, living a virtuous life, which ultimately is humanity’s self-fulfillment.
Abraham Welcomes the Strangers
In ancient Israel, we have many typical examples of encountering the stranger. For example Abraham was a nomad himself. He is depicted “[run]ning from the tent door to meet them (the three men that were travelling), and bowed himself to the earth…” (Genesis 18:2) Him and his wife Sarah prepared them a fine meal for they understood that they have come from a long distance and still have a lot to travel.
Abraham must have had limited resources but he still offered assistance to people he did not know. If we sit down and think for a bit on this image portrayed in the Genesis, we may start to understand how much we can learn from those that are different from us, those who are strangers. On another note, have you ever thought about the idea that a stranger remains such until we get to know the person? What makes a stranger ‘the stranger’ is the lack of knowledge about the person. Lack of knowledge can often build fear which blocks us from interacting with anyone who is not in the same circle, to put it this way.
This point can help us get to the next one. In Judaism, there is also the concept of responsibility in welcoming the stranger.
Welcoming is Being Responsible For
When welcoming a foreigner, it means that you are being responsible for him. Even today,
“all Israel is responsible for one another.”
Babylonian Talmud, Sotah,, Tractate Shavuot, 39a
While the Temple of Jerusalem still stood, Israel welcomed pilgrims from all over the world. However, this still happens even today considering that pilgrims still visit Jerusalem for the three pilgrim festivals. Judah proposed to Joseph, to take Benjamin’s place in slavery as not to break his mother’s heart being her only son left. (Genesis 44: 18-34) This is being responsible for one another.
Another example is:
“No stranger had to sleep in the street; I kept my house open to the traveler.” (Iyov 31:32)
HaShoah vis-à-vis Helping the Stranger
The Holocaust is something pretty recent that can be discussed. It is sure that Jews were persecuted under Nazism 57% of which lived in Europe at the time.
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2015/02/09/europes-jewish-population/
A high percentage of them were foreigners. Bluntly put, they were not welcome, whatever the reasons were. However they did manage to find shelter out of Europe and this did help. How? As they found shelter being foreigners in a different land, again, they know what it means to be a stranger, what it means to be a foreigner. They could perfectly understand and aid the foreigner, even more than other nations can as they experienced at it first hand.
Eugene Black, a Holocaust survivor stated while interviewed,
“I know what this feels like, to be at the end of hatred when you did nothing other than be born a Jew.”
http://holocaustlearning.org/FAQs/Eugene-Black
Then he adds,
“There were so many kind people who helped me, a complete stranger.”
Ibid.
What is the underlying message here? History makes evident the fact that welcoming the stranger can never be worse than not welcoming the stranger whether we like it or not. No one knows if they will not be in the same situation themselves someday. Having said that, aren’t we ‘evolved’ enough yet to have compassion for fellow human beings without having to be in the exact situation as the persons asking for our help?
My deepest sympathy remains with the Jewish nation. What has happened in recent history remains a wound for humanity which is something we share as human beings and we will always keep sharing.
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