The first sentence is evident in the gratitude most Jews feel toward Gentiles who appreciate the beauty of Judaism. This feeling is so strong that it is often misdirected, as when Jews (and the Jewish state) confuse flattery with friendship and fail to distinguish true friends from fake friends.
There is not a single Gentile who deep down does not know that Jews are God’s people. At the same time, every Gentile feels, albeit erroneousy, that the God of the Torah does not love them.
The second sentence is enigmatic for most Jews, yet clear for non-Jews familiar with Jewish teaching and Jewish history. There is not a single Gentile who deep down does not know that Jews are God’s people. At the same time, every Gentile feels, albeit erroneously, that the God of the Torah does not love them.
This psychological pain characterizes at some point every thinking Gentile's encounter with Judaism. This is reflected in the history of the Abrahamic religions: Christian theologians, who believed in the truth of the Torah, were pained by its indifference toward non-Jews. Therefore, they developed the doctrine that God’s son had died on the cross to forgive the sins of humanity. This was important for a simple reason: It showed that God was in love with all humanity.
In Islam, the dynamics were similar. Mohammed was inspired enough to realize that God is one and indivisible. In other words, he knew that the Torah was right. Mohammed could have embraced the Noahide path.
He did not do so, realizing that the rabbis of the time had no interest in proselytizing and sharing Torah with the nations. Crushed by this realization, he did what forever cursed history: He changed Islam's direction of prayer from Jerusalem to Mecca and abandoned the Jewish orientation of his ethical teachings.
When I posted this meme on Facebook I got likes from the most unexpected people: from a devout Shiite Muslim in Pakistan, from an Egyptian sheikh involved in interreligious dialogue, from a devout Catholic and even from a Hindu living in America.
The reverse scenario is unimaginable: No devout Jew would feel the need of approval from the Gospels, the Quran or the Baghavad Gita!
To address this thirst for truth there are Noahide movements emerging around the world. This is a tremendous opportunity and a mortal threat. It is a mortal threat if Noahide teachings become twisted and are used as a way for underfunded yeshivas to make money out of our thirst for spirituality and truth. If this happens, and Gentiles feel that rabbis view them as potential donors, the consequences for the Jewish people will be catastrophic.
I personally know the experience of feeling love and resentment toward the Torah and Jews at the same time. In history, this ambivalence manifests itself in the continuous cycle of Jews being most mistreated after having been most welcome.
This is not necessarily an essential flaw of Gentile nature. This is a reflection of what all humans need in order to be at peace with themselves and the world: Truth, Love, Respect, Recognition and Meaning. The Jewish people have survived all ordeals thanks to the Torah providing them with these five elements. Many gentiles are increasingly aware that their religious traditions do not deliver Truth. Judaism therefore needs to provide them Torah together with love, respect, praise and meaning in order for the vision of the prophets to be possible.
In other words, Jews do not need anyone to defeat their enemies and bring universal peace in that way. Your victorious weapons are the values and virtues of your faith.
Ordinary rabbis need to start teaching Jews and Gentiles that we are all equally loved even if we are not the same and God's expectations from us differ. We do not have to keep 613 commandments, but only 7 - not an easy requirement in itself.
The attitude of Jews toward Gentiles must resemble that of Cohanim toward Leviim and Israel. You should bless us and be different from us, as we are different from you.
If rabbis divide the ideal world between Jews and Noahides or say that Jews are the firstborn in the brotherhood of man, at the slightest Jewish vanity, we will feel the urge of throwing you into a pit.
Rabbis must emphasize that Jews and Gentiles are all children of Noah. After saying so, they can explain the universal and unique mission of Israel as a nation of priests. If they do so, the nations of the world will, hopefully, accept the meaning of Torah. And when this happens, we will embrace and weep like Joseph and his brothers over thousands of years of unnecessary jealousy, resentment and hatred.
