We have a problem in our circles.
While the following is not the norm, as most of our kids show respect to all people most of the time, this story did actually take place. And I’m afraid it happened because we sometimes fail to educate our children, and ourselves, properly.
Due to traffic, a non-Jewish teacher was late to class. While he was walking to his classroom, he heard the students singing a song in Hebrew. Not being dumb, he suspected that the boys were insulting him.
He asked an unsuspecting student from another class what the boys were saying and when he heard that it was “Shelo asani goy,” he went to the principal to express his dismay that young Jewish boys would slur him based on his ethnicity. What a chilul Hashem they caused.
The other day I saw a bumper sticker that read: “G-d Bless the Whole World – No Exceptions.” The clear message is that Americans should not only say, “G-d Bless America,” but Divine blessing should be granted to all human beings.
While one could read some unpatriotic thoughts into the expression, it is a nice point. Indeed, it is possible to say, “G-d Bless America,” and at the same time wish and pray for blessings for all people in the world.
We do actually pray for the material and spiritual benefits for the entire world in our davening. On the other hand, we certainly spend more time and energy davening for Klal Yisrael’s needs, as we should. The two types of prayers are not contradictory – we can daven for the good of the whole world, with a special strong emphasis on good for the Jewish people.
Many within our community make racist jokes and use racial slurs – it is our job to proclaim loudly that this is not the Torah way and this is not something that gives HaKadosh Baruch Hu nachas. He has mercy upon all of His creations, He cares about each one, and we must not make fun of anyone that He created based upon his or her race or skin color. We can only dismiss others based on their negative actions. The fact that it’s even necessary to say this is a failure of our Torah society.
What does all this have to do with this week’s haftarah?
Yirmiyahu is prophesizing about Egypt and Bavel, specifically that the king of Bavel, Nevuchadnezzar, is going to conquer Egypt in the future. This conquest is part of the punishment given to the Egyptian empire for its terrible treatment of the Jewish People. Egypt had been decimated when Bnei Yisrael left after the makkos, especially at the splitting of the sea where the army and its chariots was destroyed. Later on in history, it would rise again. But, Yirmiyahu tells us, Bavel would soon conquer it.
Clearly, G-d has spiritual goals and plans for the non-Jewish nations of the world and, when they don’t live up to their expectations, there are consequences.
We inherited spiritual greatness from our Avos and Imahos, and thus we have more mitzvos and responsibilities than the seven mitzvos given to the Bnei Noach, but every human being has a role in Hashem’s plan. Rav Tzadok HaKohen (Tzidkas HaTzadik 47) writes that every nation has a special spiritual quality in which only it excels. This is why we find our prophets lamenting the destruction of any nation, because its particular spiritual quality would be lost as well.
Jews, of course, have a greater role to play, but we allow all people to join us and convert to Judaism, if they so choose. This choice will transform their souls and grant them the same spiritual levels we enjoy.
Surely, we should not be looking to praise a secular lifestyle which may be antithetical to Torah. And, of course, we are allowed to denigrate actions of those who are evil and immoral. We want to maintain our distance from aspects of secular culture which would affect us negatively. But we should never denigrate nationalities, races, or feel negatively about people just because they are not Jewish.
To display the spiritual potential latent in non-Jews, we cite the following. Rav Moshe Feinstein writes (Orach Chaim 2:25) that when a non-Jew prays he certainly receives reward, as we learn from Yeshaya (56:7), “My abode shall be declared a house of prayer unto all the nations of the world.” Even though they are not commanded to engage in prayer, it is clear that a non-Jew performs a good deed whenever he prays.
What’s more, says Rav Moshe, when a non-Jew experiences a personal emergency, an eis tzara, he is actually expected to pray to Hashem. Such prayer demonstrates a basic belief in G-d, exhibiting trust that He alone gives sustenance and that He alone heals. One who does not pray to G-d at a time of dire need demonstrates that he does not believe in Him, but rather in other forces.
The question is: If a non-Jew prays merely in his thoughts, will he merit reward or must he pray verbally? We conclude that he would not be rewarded for mental prayer as it is not prayer performed in the proper manner. Since prayer is a bond between the physical being and a personal G-d, one must use physicality to create this bond, which means verbal prayer. The non-Jew’s prayer should also not consist solely of supplications, but should include praises to G-d as well.
What then do we make of the bracha of shelo asani goy? Rav Yaakov Weinberg, zt”l, once stated that Chazal say horrible things about someone who gains respect through another’s disgrace. The Torah has a term for this that is not very complimentary – “miskabed bekalon chaveiro.” Such conduct, done continuously throughout one’s life, causes one to lose his share in the World to Come (Rambam, Hilchos Teshuva 3:14).
If so, it is impossible that the intent of shelo asani goy is a “put-down” of non-Jews. Chazal would never have instituted such a practice. Rather, the explanation is this. We really should have say a bracha utilizing the positive phrase of she’asani Yisrael, thanking Hashem for making us Jews. Rav Shimon Schwab cites one old siddur as actually having that bracha. Commentaries explain that because we appreciate things better in contrast by stating what we are not, we say shelo asani goy, to help us appreciate who we are, but not to denigrate anyone else.
We should remove any tinge of racism we might have and realize that Hashem wants to see non-Jews succeed spiritually as well.