The Roots of Antisemitism: The Truth About Jew-Hatred - Rabbi Daniel Glatstein

a very stirring topic, a frightening subject, a relevant subject, something that the Jewish people have encountered throughout our history. Uh we have some good news about the uh the safer. It looks like the first edition there are extremely limited copies of the first edition. The first edition of Satadic are arriving in America today. probably it will be available to the public soon with the second edition uh that's coming in the main shipment very soon and if anybody wants to participate in upcoming volumes we have the uh safer uh in the works in English you could uh let us know and those are uh in the queue. Okay, today's topic is perhaps the topic that's on everyone's mind and that is anti-semitism. What is the meaning, the rationale, the understanding, the basis? What are the roots of anti-semitism? Is it a phenomenon that exists in every generation? Is it something that just flares up at certain times? are there sociological basis for anti-semitism. So let's begin with a very powerful and stirring comment on the we know one of the most dramatic segments of the we sayu this is what has stood up for our forefathers and for us not one alone has stood up for us to destroy us in every generation They stand up against us to destroy us and Hashem saves us from their hand. So the Hagada says in every generation the nations of the world stand us stand up to destroy us. And then the segways into what seems to be an unconnected point. go out and see what wanted to do with what does that have to do with anything. We just said in every generation the nations of the world stands up against us to destroy us. What does it mean? And what's the relevance of so says Mikna was one of the prewarim one of the greatest pisk and gimm of the 19th century. Uh my great greatgrandfather Pesak Misha Goldman was a student of Raisha Mikna and helped publish the work Yeshua Malai. He says, you know, sometimes we think that, okay, anti-semitism, we've read about that. There was anti-semitism in during the Holocaust. There was anti-semitism during the Inquisition. There was anti-semitism during the pgrams. And there are times of hatred and animosity. And then there are times of peace. But uh regarding that which the Hagada says in every generation they rise up against us to destroy us. Okay that's hyperbole that's exaggeration. It doesn't mean every generation they rise up against us to destroy us. In our generation they love Jews and they treat us with kindness and we live in a nation of egalitarianism and liberty and equal rights. So therefore the Hagada says no no no no no when we say in every generation they rise up to destroy the Jewish people. This is not exaggeration. This is not hyperbole. Look at love on harami. Love oni. He sweet talked yakov. He says why didn't you give me a chance to kiss my sons and my daughters? I would have sent you out with song. And yet Kazal say that in his heart of hearts in his soul he was laying an ambush and he wanted to uproot everything. What that is saying is when we say in every generation they rise up to destroy us. We mean in every generation. We mean even when you live in a country of civil rights and equal rights and egalitarianism and religious freedom. Don't make a mistake and think that they don't really want to destroy you. They do. That's a fact of life. Say when we say the proof is even though love un said I want to kiss you. I want to hug you. We love our Jews. We love our we just love our Jews. That's what they say. In their inside they lay an ambush. So we're going to speak about the roots, the etmology, the source of anti-semitism. And of course in our para after 22 years, Jacobu is returning to Israel and he is encountering his brother his foe who is primed to attack with 400 men. The Pik says run toward him. He hugs him. He falls on his neck and he kisses him and he cries. Rashi points out there are dots on the word and there are different interpretations. There's a in the what this means. Some explain it cuz dots indicate that you should understand it the opposite of what you would have thought. some dar in it to say that it says he kissed him. No, he didn't kiss him wholeheartedly. Says no says actually the way the printer punctuated it. It is a matter of law. It is known that as hates. So then why did he kiss him? His mercy was aroused at that time and he kissed him with all his heart. So there are two interpretations of the dots. Either it means even though it says he kissed him, he didn't kiss him wholeheartedly or it is a fact. It is a that Asov hates Yakov but and you would have expected Asov would come for the kill at that moment his mercy was aroused. Now it's very interesting that there are two sources in Kazal for the meaning of these dots. There's a ink and Rashi quotes the ink. We have the teaching of the rashi and the and we also have whenever you have more writing than dots you dashion the writing. Whenever you have more dots than writing, you dash the dots. Here it's equal. It teaches you. It's very interesting that there are two places in where they discuss the dots. One on the Medish here in this one in the ink. And Rashi is Rashi quotes the ink instead of quoting the Medish on this Pak. Why is Rashi go to the Bahala if he could just quote the Medish Rah on this Pak? So I would have said well cuz Rashi wants to bring down that there are two ways to learn it. The medish rabba only brings one take on this pik. I would have said rashi quotes to bring both views of kazal. There's a safer on the holocaust called Adler and he says the reason Rashi quotes the is you know again in the medish rabb the is not it's in the it's the well saysler the raji is adding an toshar alazar is just saying that he kissed him with all of his heart, which you would have expected him not to. And the is he kissed him with all his heart. But the is adding an and that is the reality of life is that Asov hates Yakov. And the point being even at this moment when he's kissing him with all of his heart even at that very moment Asov hates Yakov. The reason Rashi brings from the saf is to indicate even at this very very moment when Asov is kissing Yakov but in his heart there's a raging hatred and animosity to to Yakov. I would say that [snorts] there's an important reason why Rashi quotes the saf over the medba in uh this week's para and this comes from a great kosh of rabakim zaim za is widely quoted regarding this point my grandfather gladstein was a student of raman za and a bbayas by raman zamba Um our friend the eminent writer the author of parades wrote an amazing biography about Raim Zamba actually you know is the author of uh the biography on Rair Shapiro he's the author of the biography on the Kua Glover he's the one who put together I'm sure You've seen the paradish is written by one of the ones and of completed it on he's the author on the shas daf alaf and like I mentioned he authored the biography on raman za he asked me if I know anyone who could help him out he's now putting out the biography on raman za in So he asked me if I could put in a good word. If anybody would like this eminent go to help him put out Zamba in English, please let me know. Actually I was able to give him some information about Raman Zamba from my grandfather's writings. Uh firstly my my grandfather wrote that Raban Za was able to answer up stros in the Rambam while he talked to people. He could do two things in his mind at the same time. Rabba also said that is the same level of you want to know how fundamentally different Israel is from the that's the difference between well it happens to be there's a which was also put together by mandam and he brings one of The astounding of Raim Za says Raman Za says why is the why is it also what's the meaning of you know you're going to call anti-semitism how would you call anti-semitism we're >> [clears throat] >> It's a phenomenon. Why do we call it? So said as follows. He says many people try to give rationalizations for anti-semitism some but reality reflects there is no rationale and logic for it because each anti-semite hates Jews for the exact opposite reason that the other anti-semite hates Jews. Some hate Jews because we're capitalists. Some hated us because we're socialists. Some hated us because we're communists. Some hated us because we controlled society. Some hated us because they said we're leeches on society. And in the same country, you could have anti-semites and they hated us for exact opposite reasons, which obviously shows that though none of the reasons are the real reasons. What is the real reason? That's why the rashi is the one who tells us Who's the raj the says he's always could explain the reason for the raji would say we wear because of this reason we wear because of this reason we dav for this reason we learned to for this reason he was dra the raji always had a logic for everything but when it comes to anti-semitism meaning it's like a there's no logic there's no reason there's no rationale it's a reality of life the reason why the raji said is he's letting you know even though if there's anyone who could explain the logic for something it's me the raji time of the when it comes to anti-semitism it's it's just a reality ity and a fact of life. It's just a reality or a fact of life. Um, which I would humbly suggest the reason why Rashi quotes the safal as opposed to the Medish Rabba is because it's so much more profound when we hear this teaching from the Rashbi. the Rajbi is the Balamera and the in Bahala because when it comes to anti-semitism it's important to know that this is not just a phenomenon it's a it's a reality and it's reality and who tells us it's reality the one who ordinarily is now it's interesting this idea that anti-semitism is a paras by the way I tell you something interesting You know there's a question we have a para named after Balak you know we don't have a para named after Abraham or parasa but Balak he has his he has his own para why does why do we have a para named after balak so it's suggested that you know when it comes to a Jew how often could we say yeah we fulfill that wholeheartedly with all of our cavana with all of our heart and soul with all the minutia with every single pitchka who could say we're just a boss of but there's one individual who he's the way you're supposed to you know who that you know what that we're talking about by hiring bum he was his wholeheartedly believe. So he's you know he was to have a par named after him. You know that's that's brought in this. In any event what we want to explore now is why the of we understand it's a phenomenon. It's a fact of life. It's reality. Why this It's interesting one of the great to come out of yeshiva hersbrung. He was uh in Montreal. I believe Rabbi Obam speaks about him uh often. I think he stayed in Rabbi Obam's house. Rabbi Obam spoke with him many occasions. And Raas Hersbrung was a great Bucky and Shas. He could quote the words of Rishinam verbatim. He would say jokingly you know there's a mus who's greater sai or harim s with broad vast knowledge of tyra sai he knows the whole corpus of material and harim s with deep profound analytical skills who's better and the conclusion of the gamarra is sai is greater it's greater to be a bucky than an amk and many po say that was back then when the ikar is having knowing the sources of the information But nowadays when everything is written then harim is perhaps greater. But hersburg would say why is sai better than o harim. Let the o harim come. He knows how to uproot a mountain. Senai is a mountain. Let him uproot sai. Why is the senai greater than the haram? The oh haram should come and uproot sai. So hersung would say in humor, yeah, if he could find him he would uproot saii. But the haram is so you know is so tunnel visioned has such a limited scope he can't find he doesn't know where he is he doesn't know where the sai is so hers is quoted in yeshuran in the 26th volume that the word and by the way hersung would quote za on this rav would say based on um the Rambam that this is something that um quotes that you can't have a look in you can't have a that's why emphasize what there's No about this. I think I I I distracted myself. But the paras says what is this of? What is this? What is this of? He says in his opinion it's a word. It should have said instead of it originally said who that just strengthens the question because our ga is the finds it so unusual to have this ga that he says the correct ga is but we're trying to explain what is the what is the what is the reason why our ga is the meaning behind that ger. So one explanation said it's a reality of life. Another reason hersung brought from is that there's no about it like in other words re um hbrung is quoting that it's a and therefore there's no about it. That's a second aspect of also invokes this statement of the Rajby to show that how it has ramifications. It once happened in England that the Jewish schools were not receiving the funding that other public schools were receiving. And they entertained the possibility maybe they should sue the government for not funding the Jewish schools that the way they funded other uh public schools. And they asked the question, they brought the question to Ra Mosha whether they should sue. They brought the question to Mosha whether they should sue the government and enlist the aid of countries that are sympathetic to the needs of the Jewish community to help sue the government and pressure the government maybe to get the United States involved. And Ramosa said bad idea. It's a bad idea to enlist the help of foreign aid. Why? Because it's going to cause AVA. It's going to provoke the government. If you enlist the help of the United States against the government of England, it's going to cause AVA. I it seems that on the outside the uh English government is sympathetic to Jewish causes and they're not anti-Semitic says Mosha. That's what it seems on the outside. But why do bring the you know why it's called says Moshe because it's immutable. The same way doesn't change, anti-semitism doesn't change. Even though they look like they are interested, they have our best interest in mind. But since beneath the surface there's a reality that doesn't change the way doesn't change. So it is heaven forbid to provoke and to cause a that's why say In other words saying the the is literal not like the that is a so we've already brought three connotations of the word number one that it's there's no logic to it there's no logic to it it's the raji that the there'll always be diametric and antithetical reasons for anti-semitism because there is no reason it's just a reality of life also have said there's no about it nobody disputes it nobody argues about it like says it's like aanis it doesn't change by the way rev hers in this article in yeshuran quot number 10 and it's also brought in the in a footnote on the word that in there's that you're now to eat meat on a table that someone else is eating milk unless there's a hecker, unless there's a differentiation or reminder that you should not partake of the other person's meal. However, if let's say you have two people that are enemies, then they are allowed to eat milk and at the same table says the place is the they could eat on the same table. If you have an akum eating milk on on the table, you're allowed to eat meat. Why? Because anti-semitism is it's not just a phenomenon. It's something that enters the realm of so in other words it enters the realm of it has implications ramifications. The closena said that what is this of? He writes this in the onlic ramifications are there. He says if somebody would come before you and you know you say yeah I like I like how they dress. I like their clothing. I like how they speak. I mean I want to be like them. But you knew they hated you and you were their avowed enemy and they want to harm you. You might think twice before you want to emulate them, before you want to adopt their code of conduct. The reason why say it's teaching you something you need to separate yourself. You need to distance yourself. Don't don't desire to emulate their their ways. Don't think that this is something that yeah, it's appropriate. Uh I'm going to I'm going to I'm going to look at it and I'm going to see how I could emulate it and adopt it. No. If if you realize how much animosity is there, you'll have you'll think twice and a third time and you'll change your mind before you want to emulate and adopt the behavior of somebody who uh who wants to harm you. In fact in the uh he also says that how careful you have to be because this is such a reality of life that you need to assume that this is so and if it's not acted on it's only because the maybe at that time there's a a laziness or a inertia but default by the way the vision of the says also there's a ramification of you know says always otherwise remind him of the day of death. So simply it means you should think about the day of death and then it will subdue you and it will humble you. But the vision said it could be is remind the of the day of death because the is the malabz in that case the is your enemy and if he's your enemy don't rely on his since he's the he's going to be the one to kill you so he hates you so He's pulled a Why would you listen to his advice? Why would you listen to his advice? You know, the Ramas says that if you don't speak to your friend for three days out of hatred, you're you're considered an enemy and that person can't judge you. That's why the mug of says you should be mafish yourself. separate yourself three days before the yum. Why? Don't attach yourself for the for three days. So this way um he's considered an enemy and he won't be able to judge you. That's why says what's the is hates and is the so says now the will not be able to judge a person since the is and cannot judge. So now the can't judge you and the vision says maybe that's the meaning of the raj who said I could potter the whole world for me the why is now disqualifying the to because he's aim says it's because he's the one who said. So this is another ramification of by the way there's another very interesting uh ramification in the harim at the end there's a hashmat at the end of puket he says you know there's an idea in shas that if a gentile turns off the light for Um, we say by Shabas, let's say if a guy go puts out a light, we don't we don't have to tell him, "No, don't turn it off." Or you could even maybe say, "Anyone who turns it off won't lose out." Why? Because when the guy does it, he's doing How do we know for sure that when the gentile does it, he's doing it for himself. Maybe he's doing it to help you. And if he's doing it to help you so then you did an iss that he's not why are we not that maybe he's doing it for you? The answer is you're allowed to assume he's doing it for himself. Why? Because the the phenomenon of anti-semitism has ramifications. Namely, we are allowed to assume in many instances in Shabas that so it has ramifications. So just to summarize the ramific but we've seen many of the offer various interpretations of it's to indicate that It's a meaning there's no logic quoted by Hersbrung it's like and you can't argue about it moisha says it's a and even in instances and there and it doesn't change so even if you think it won't cause aa no ava is something you always have to reckon with that's a third a fourth from the haram that It allows us to assume a fifth from the parades also of hersbrung that you're allowed to eat and flesh at the same table. It's a number six the cloenber says it's telling us that be be have second thoughts before you want to emulate the ways of the nations of the world. The vision says because is a so now he's pled to judge us and this is said now it's interesting um David Cohen ofitz brings that there's another aspect of anti anti-semitism. There's another aspect of anti-semitism. What is that? You know the gar says in chabas why is it called sai? Because animosity went to the nations of the world on Sai Rashi and Shabas explains when the nations of the world rejected the Torah so Hashem hated them because of that. Hashem was upset with the nations of the world because of that. The reason why it's called sai is s came down to the nations of the world for not being but if you look in the medish which is also known as the med says why is it called they are jealous of us you know why it's called s you know where anti-semitism comes from because the nations of the world are jealous that we have the Tory David says that there's an agamino between these two reasons. If it's because of jealousy, if it's because of jealousy. So when if we're not observant and we don't learn to we don't keep the mitzvah, then they'll love us. Then they will like us. then there's nothing that uh raises their jealousy. But if it's then it makes no difference whether we keep the Tory or not. It's interesting friends that after 911 Arasha had an astounding perspective on 911. He said you know what the lesson of 911 was? If people hate Jews so much that they're willing to give up their life because of that hatred. And why do they hate us? They hate us because we have the Tory and they're jealous. Look how powerful the Tory is. Look how important the Tory is. Look how valuable the Tory is. Look what a great gift the Tyra is. that there are people that are so jealous of us that they're willing to risk their life to to harm us because they're so jealous of the Tory. Look at the said it's a lesson. It's an insight into the power of Torah and it that event should be [snorts] in Torah. Our love of Tory, our commitment to Tyra, our desire to spread the Tyra. Look how valuable it is. Look what the nations of the world are willing. In other words, anti-semitism should be it should stir our heart. Look what a valuable commodity. Look what we have. You realize that all of their hatred that the the biggest motivator in their life is the jealousy that they have for our Torah. I want to end off with uh one last uh message and I'm going to tell you about a safer that it's published but it's not available. It's a it's a biography about my grandfather. It's not available for the public. It's called it's something we published for the family. But I want to read you something from there. It's It's about what my grandfather saw in the DP camps after liberation in Marianbad. We participated in the conference of Agodas Israel in 1947 in Maranbad, a resort located in what was then Czechoslovakia, popular for its mineral richch waters. On the return trip with Harav Blah, the Telza Russa, we were approached by a German at the waiting place. My grandfather was a member of the joint. As a joint member, I was dressed in an American army uniform. And he mistook me for an American soldier. He began to say, "You really should not be angry at us Germans for what we did. It is after all in our blood." Why are you upset at the Nazis for killing Jews? It's in our blood. It's in our blood. To which the Telerosiva remarked, "Indeed, it is the blood of the culture." Okay. And uh it's unfortunately it's the reality of the gulus and we should be to the great day. We wait for the day where all of humanity joins us. Have a good day everyone. Call to >> recording the dock.