Is There a Better Word Than Xenophobia?
Here's a YWN thread in which the idea that "a Jewish child molester is on a higher level than Mother Theresa" finds acceptance.
Lest you think that this opinion is one shared by a small, fringe group of nutjobs, almost every single self-identified Lubavitcher I have ever met espoused this idea without reserve. Here is one example. Chabad is far ( Read more... )
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I was treated to private lectures with rabbis who taught that gentiles have an animal soul and only Jews have a real soul. They knew that I was a geress. They must have known that I had family members I loved. They were all as nice as pie as they explained God's truth to me.
I used to feel closer to Chabad because, as others have said here, my local Chabad is loving and giving, but after my l'arnin', I realized that the locals probably harbor all these beliefs at the same time they put on a pleasant face. It is very discouraging to say the least.
You are probably uncomfortable answering this but I just have to ask -- where does your husband stand on all these things? How are you teaching your children?
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I have so far avoided teaching Tanya to my kids. There might come a time when they are expected to learn it. I'm not sure what I will do about that, but I guess I will cross that bridge when I get there.
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What you are doing with that quote from Tanya, which is esoteric and refers only to souls of non Jews not having been on Sinai, is the same as what the neo-Nazis do with quotes from Gemara. Out of context, no explanation, just looking to shock people and uphold your own stupidity.
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As for the Tanya quote, is it esoteric? Who says? It's pretty simple- v'ein bohem tov klal. Their souls are made from impurity and there is no good in them whatsoever. This has nothing to do with souls not being at Sinai and I've never even heard this flavor of apologetics from anyone who has tried to explain this perek to me. Cite your source. Oh, and yes, please feel free to cite the entire first perek and explain how the context makes it any less vile.I have cited to the perek a gazillion times... http://www.chabad.org/library/tanya/tanya_cdo/aid/7880/jewish/Chapter-1.htm
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Just because SOME people belive that, doesnt mean its true
They have some crazy ideas there, Obama is Muslim. African Americans are racist
Jews own Hollywood and wall Street. The "Zionists" control Washington.
Gays are trying to pass the "Gay Agenda" and make everyone Gay.
All Hispanics are Illegal Ailens trying to take over this country, Ban English.
Its a Free country and you can belive whatever you want to
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These are inanimate (domem), vegetation (tzomeach), animals (chai), mdaber (humans), and klal Yisrael. It is quite clear to anyone looking at this that non-Jews are not considered subhuman.
To me, calling everyone other than the "in" group subhuman is not that far from calling the in group "uber-human" which is what your explanation assumes, that Jews are an entirely different entity.
My understanding of the first perek of Tanya is that the good that is being referred to here is goodness that comes with no form of ulterior motive whatsoever. Keep in mind that Tanya assigns very high standards to otherwise normal terms (like beinoni). Almost everyone has some kind of ulterior motive that is not 100% lshem shomayim when doing chessed, Jews included. These motives include satisfying ones inate desire to do kindness or to make one feel good about himself. The nefesh Elokis that a Jew has enables him to totally overcome his yetzer hara at the moment that he is doing chessed, ( ... )
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I'm not the poster above but as far as I understand those spiritual differences are not so obvious that you can see and judge them and decide who's more selfless and who's selfless. It's on a completely different level, that we can't see.
L.
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So, I can believe that either (1) the whole thing is rather crazy, thanks to some powerful mashke or funky mushrooms in Poland/Russia, or (2) it represents some sort of inspired spiritual message that defies any sort of "simple" understanding at all. [Or (3), it's an impressive intellectual work on spirituality written by someone who was literally surrounded by senseless Jew hatred on a constant basis.]
I thought I also saw something in your link about how the righteous among the nations are an exception, and that they too will do things strictly for the sake of goodness and not any ulterior motive.
JRKmommy
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I'm curious as to how you dealt with it when you became a Chabadnik and learned all of these great beliefs. Were you initially enthusiastic about the idea? Did some set of circumstances cause you to rethink things? Did it always bother you ( ... )
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