The Jew and the Non-Jew

אמן, כל הכבוד, שמחנו הרבה להקשיב לשיחה הזאת. Awesome! Reply

It's amazing how human beings wants to tell us what God wants. I have a personal relationship with God, my creator. No book, no rabbi, no priest, no other person, can tell me right from wrong, better than God, who speaks to us at all times if we choose to listen. We are all human beings; none better than the other - except as in our behavior. And this form of arrogance and pride in the physical, is not of God. Reply

The Jewish Soul To Katrin:

If your conversion was valid, why would you think you have not already received your Jewish Soul?

Additionally, the Zohar offers the idea that a non-Jew who converts had a Jewish Soul all along and needed to be born a non-Jew to effect a certain tikkun.

That said, I'm personally so sure that I buy into the notion of a different soul altogether, as the Rambam makes no mention of such a distinction in any discussion of his on the nature of the soul...At least none that I am aware of. Reply

My Purpose: I know that deep down in my heart and soul... I live only for my (1) goal and that's to see the World to Come and to see my God. Whether I'm Jew or not. Reply

What a great lecture! You explained things so well and clearly, thank you so much!

I now truly understand the meaning of "love your fellow Jew as yourself" Before I listened to this lecture I saw this commandment from the wrong angle I believe. I'm so happy that I finally understand the meaning, as this commandment is so, so crucial!

I'm a convert, and even though I haven't received the Jewish soul yet, I feel that it's easier for my to love my fellow Jew. How is this to me explained....?

And I also agree it really is disrespectful to eat when the animals are still hungry. Our pets always got their food first before we sat down at the table. Reply

I in no way mean any disrespect...but I just don't get it...if ten Jews gather together, to quote the Rabbi, even "for a meal"... and these "ten pieces of G-d" are together so holy that an angel couldn't enter into the same room...how come I have seen many non-Jews in the same room as ten Jews, for example, at an Orthodox Bar Mitzvah/Kiddush? By this logic, either non-Jews are more holy than angels or they should have disintegrated on the spot...It just doesn't make any sense to me..a person is born Jewish because, biologically, genetically, their mother was Jewish...But the person's holiness, which means separation, has to be contingent on their keeping the miztvot....A non-Jew does not have the same potential for holiness because they have fewer mitzvot, and for this reason, less ability to reveal Godliness. Reply

@Anonymous some one please correct me if im wrong. A person who converts by halachic (and orthodox jewish) law is considered 100% Jewish. It is a little complicated but the non-jew who converts will literally be given a Jewish soul, and thats why after the conversion he is like a newborne without any sins. All links to his past existence (i.e. family) are cut off. His previous father is not considered his father now. However if one chooses to be a part of Judaism he need not convert. G-d had the world for every one. All should heed the seven noachide laws (search the site for them). However if one is truly not satisfied with these laws and truly wants to be Jewish than further steps can be taken. Let me know if this helps. Reply

So does this mean a non jew should not convert because he will not be a jew anyway? I dont know if i am comfortable with the language of the speaker. As a non jew who has strong christian beliefs im a litle offended. Until i heard this audio class i was strongly contemplating conversion, now i dont know what to think. Someone please explain. Reply

Moshiach Yossi, I hope you are kidding. Torah never changes and never has. Ruth converted. Just like many other Jews who go through conversion. Avraham had two wives, Sarah,(a Jew) and Hagar ( a non Jew) Sarah had Isaac who is Jewish and Hagar had Ishmael who is not Jewish. Ishmael is the father of muslims. Fairly simple. Avraham was the father of both. I know this from personal experience. I had three children with a non Jewish women before becoming observant. A Jew is Jewish from the mother. period. Your comment on Laplace has nothing to do with Torah. Go learn Tanya for a few years and you will have your eyes opened, enjoy your Judaism and have a lot of joy and success being Jewish. Reply

Okay posters...The Rabbi is correct. We must understand here Who the Torah was given to...The Jewish people. Therefore, this command was to the Jew's neighbors..who by command were not to have non-Jews or idolaters with living them. It also did NOT say in Torah to love the world, love humans...it SAYS your neighbor or fellow Jew. So, I guess you will have to take this up with Hashem. They were His words...not the Rabbis idea. Ok? If we loved everyone the way it says, then why are we not allowed to inter-marry? It is an exclusive life. Like it or not. That doesn't mean we cannot love or be kind to a degree to everyone. Just not in the same way as a Jew. In addition, if we don't love each other more..who will? The world hates us! Reply

Then again... I get a kick out all of this foolishness. Was Ruth Jewish? Nope, not on your bippy (to borrow a '70s byword). Worse, she was a Moabite! One of the people who were never to mix with our people. Yet will anyone dare to say that she is not the grandmother of Kind David? In Solomon's Temple there was a court of the Gentiles and he asked Hashem to accept the prayers of the Gentiles. How can we dare think that we can fix the world if we cannot love our Gentle neighbors are ourselves? Reply

Moshiach Remember, this is all just commentary. Only Moshiach's interperatation of the Torah will be absolute and everlasting.

We establish logical propositions ascribed to the Torah, and these have varying probabilities tied to them. But they are just that. Propositions with probabilities tied to them. I think a major problem of contemporary Orthodoxy stems from an idea outlined in Laplace's Philosophical Essay on Probabilities; that men with positions of power and authority make statments to the masses, to which the masses take as "absolute".

So how was King David Jewish, according to your logic? You seem so confident in the idea that the child of a "Jewish" father and a "non-Jewish" mother is not "Jewish". Is there special consideration given to King David and Moshiach, then? Or is what is underlying Chassidism the push for rebellion against Moshiach which is outlined in Isaiah? Reply

This is noxious. I found this audio to be noxious. Ramban in referring to Lev. 19:18 said, “We must wish upon others the same degree of success and prosperity we wish upon ourselves and must treat others with the utmost respect and consideration.” Nowhere does he or Hillel or Akiva say or suggest that this fundamental of the Torah is reserved for Jews only.
According to Rabbi Friedman, “Love your fellow as yourself” means your fellow Jew and leaves non-Jews out of the commandment. I totally reject this exclusivist point of view. It breeds a kind of snobbery that I find incompatible with Judaism.
Are we Jews better than non-Jews? Are we supposed to teach our children to not love others who are not like us? We have all seen what this kind of thinking breeds: Hatred towards others and from others.
Rabbi, your interpretation of this verse is defective and just plain wrong. I humbly suggest you pray for a better understanding of it before you harm others. Reply

love for the jewish people I have a great love for the JEWISH people, When I was small I told my mother when I grow up I will be a Jew. She said hush don't talk like that. When I was working as a young adult I stood outside the Temple and wished I had the nerve to go in and visit. I did not. Now I am old and I have been to one small service. Where I live there is no temple. So I guess that is it. It makes me cry to think I probably will never be able to visit. I now know why I have these feelings. My Mother and her line of people where Jewish. My mothers father and his line were also jewish. I feel my heritage was stolen from me. But I will always love G-D and my children know there heritage. That makes me happy. Reply

Loving others... What about non practising Jews and Messianic Jews? Is it still possible for a practising orthodox Jew to love them just as they love themselves, because even though they are Jews (because they were born a Jew) but they don't undertake all the Jewish practices, and worship in the same way that makes one identify himself as a Jew so it would be hard to love a them as much as I love myself because they don't share in practices that makes me identify with my jewish self Reply

Loving and respecting I am a bit hurt to think that Jewish ought to love Jewish only, and not non-Jewish. I was born Christian, but found out later that my maternal side of the family were Jewish. Strangely enough, before I found out about my family's Jewish background, I have always love and respect and adore the Jewish people. I have always wish to visit Israel, and as a child, I have dreamed so many times the sceneries of Israel, which I now see surrounding the Western Wall. I knwo that G-d loves all people Jewish, or non-Jewish. Reply