TALMUD ENCOURAGES JEWS TO DECEIVE
By Rev. Ted Pike
11 Oct 10
What kind of religion sanctions deception and immorality for the sake
of political goals? Orthodox Talmudic Judaism. The Babylonian Talmud
encourages Jews to cheat and deceive Gentiles whenever necessary! In
fact, “by way of deception” is the motto of Israel’s
spy agency Mossad. Official license to deceive and even commit sexual
immorality was seen in Israel this week.
Eminent Orthodox
Rabbi Ari Shvat responded to a female student’s
question about the morality of seducing and sleeping with an enemy. “ I
was asked a question by a student of mine who was a religious girl
that had been recruited by the Mossad. She wanted to know if a woman
was allowed to do this kind of work.”
Shvat ruled yes and published an essay in Tehumin, an annual
collection of articles on law and modernity. The Jewish World summarizes: “A new Halachic study ruled that seducing an enemy
for the sake of national security is an important mitzvah…” It
is, in fact, an “utmost mitzvah” (legal command). Shvat’s
work was published by the Tzomet Institute, a non-profit organization
dedicated to “seamlessly merging Judaism with modern Israeli
life.”
In the ruling, Shvat says women can be “used to seduce enemy
agents in order to cajole information out of them or see them captured.” Jewish
World says such women were used to capture nuclear whistleblower
Mordechai Vanunu and to assassinate a senior Hamas operative in Dubai
last January. Such deception, says the rabbi, is “Halacha,” or
binding Talmudic law. Even with homicidal intent, he writes, “sexual
intercourse with a Gentile for the sake of a national cause is not
only sanctioned, but is a highly important mitzvah…Our Sages
of Blessed Memory elevate such acts of dedication to the top of the
Halacha’s mitzvahs pyramid.”
Rabbi Yisrael Rosen, head of Tzomet Institute and editor-in-chief
of Tehumin, called the study “daring and important…Although
it is highly unlikely that Mossad agents will seek rabbinical advice,
this essay is very important and courageous. The author is versed in
religious discourse and even conservative rabbis would surely agree
with his thesis.”
Shvat’s ruling, reported by a major Jewish news agency, is presented
without criticism. It reveals a disturbing, even ominous fact: Talmudic
Judaism encourages Jews to ensnare and deceive Gentiles in order to
advance Jews and Jewish causes, as long as they can get away with it.
If they are caught and Israel is embarrassed, the “holy name
of God” (synonymous with Israel’s good reputation) may
be blasphemed. If that is a real possibility, the Talmud tells Jews
to back off. But in order to save the Jewish nation it is even morally
permitted to murder and commit adultery.
God “Outlawed” the Gentiles
The Talmudic position concerning deception of Gentiles is embodied
in the Halachic dictum, “It is permitted to deceive a goy (Gentile).” [1]
In legal and business matters, the Talmud says Gentiles are beneath
equality with Jews. As the 1905 Jewish Encyclopedia explains
[2], the Gentiles were “outlawed” by God from the beginning.
The passage in Moses’ farewell address: ‘The Lord came
form Sinai, and rose up from Seir unto them; he shined forth from
Mount Paran’. . . indicates that the Almighty offered the Torah
to the Gentile nations also, but, since they refused to accept it,
He withdrew His ‘shining’ legal protection form them,
and transferred their property rights to Israel, who observed His
law. A passage in Habakkuk is quoted as confirming this claim: ‘God
came from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran. . .He stood
and measured the earth he beheld, and drove asunder [“outlawed”]
the nations.’ . . .the Talmud adds that He had observed how
the Gentile nations steadfastly refused to obey the seven moral
Noachian precepts, and hence He decided to outlaw them.” (Baba
Kama 38a).
The rabbis believed Gentiles demonstrated their stupidity by thinking
their own laws were worthy of obeying. The Talmud denies the Gentile
status as a “man,” so they are also excluded from being
the Jews’ neighbor.
Another reason for discrimination was the vile and vicious character
of the Gentiles... With such a character… it would naturally
be quite unsafe to trust a Gentile as a witness… He could not
be depended upon to keep his promise or word of honor like a Jew.” (Bek.
13b) A Gentile. . . is not a ‘neighbor’ in the sense
of reciprocating and being responsible for damages caused by his
negligence; nor does he watch over his cattle. Even the best Gentile
laws were too crude to admit of reciprocity.
The meaning of these passages is obvious: As animals cannot be “neighbors” to
men and as the behavior and laws of the animal world do not require
observance by humans, so the Gentile world is beneath the Jewish. This
source confirms: “The Torah outlawed the issue of a Gentile as
that of a beast.”
In a Jewish Courtroom
Jewish contempt for Gentile law was best illustrated in the courtroom.
Imagine a Jewish court in Babylon in 350 A.D. as the Jewish Encyclopedia describes:
It sometimes happened that the Gentile, wishing to take advantage
of the liberal Jewish laws, summoned his Jewish opponent to a Jewish
court. In such cases the Gentile would gain little benefit, as
he would be dealt with by the Jewish or Gentile laws, as might be
least advantageous to him. The judge would say: ‘This is in accordance with our
law’ or ‘with your law’ as the case might be.
If this was not satisfactory to the Gentile, legal quibbles and
circumventions might be employed against him.
The primary source for the above quote, Baba Kama 113a (Soncino edition),
elaborates:
Where a suit arises between an Israelite and a heathen, if you
can satisfy the former according to the laws of Israel, justify
him and say: ‘this is our law’; so also if you can justify him
by the laws of the heathens justify him and say (to the other party): ‘This
is your law; but if this cannot be done, we use subterfuges to
circumvent them. This is the view of R. Ishmael, but R. Akiba said
that we could not attempt to circumvent them on account of the
sanctification of the Name.
However, the same source comments: “but were there no infringement
of the sanctification of the Name, we could circumvent him.”
By “sanctification of the Name,” Rabbi Akiba refers to
the dignity and reputation of God’s name in the eyes of the world.
If lying in the court may bring disrespect to Israel and thus to the
God of the Hebrews will, then it had better not be done. The real question
about perverting justice against a Gentile is whether a Jew can get
away with it. The Jewish Encyclopedia summarizes the majority
opinion, stating: “The Mishnah. . .declares that if a Gentile
sue an Israelite, the verdict is the for defendant; if the Israelite
is the plaintiff, he obtains full damages.” [3]
The Divine Right of Cheating
Outright robbery of a Gentile is not endorsed, but the Talmud makes
broad provision for indirect thievery; a Jew doesn’t need to
return a lost article to a Gentile. Baba Kama 113b continues: “And
with all lost things of thy brother’s: it is to your brother
that you make restoration, but you need not make restoration to a heathen.”
As Rabbi Akiba warned, the Jew must avoid bringing God’s name
into dishonor by cheating Gentiles. Yet, as a passage in B.K. 113b,
114a reveals, Rabbi Samuel was not above cheating a Gentile out of
the full price of a gold bowl, while Rabbi Kahana cheated a Gentile
out of both the number and price of a quantity of barrels.
A passage from the Talmud describes with praise how the head of a
famous Talmudic academy cheated a Gentile out of a gold bowl for less
than even a copper one was worth. This passage continues with examples
of cheating from the likes of Rabina and Ashi, sages from the academy
at Sura in Babylonia, and the two most important figures in the final
editing of the Talmud.
“Public Property”
Despite the fear that defrauding Gentiles might bring dishonor God’s
name, the Talmud generally upholds the right of Jews to Gentiles’ property.
God “outlawed” Gentiles at Mt. Sinai and their property
rights were now Israel’s. The Rabbis by their own decree could
at least theoretically declare the property of Gentiles to be ownerless.
The Jewish Encyclopedia (p. 621) summarizes:
All retaliation or measures of reprisal are based on the Jewish
legal maxim of eminent domain, ‘the judicial authority can
annul the right to the possession of property and declare such property
ownerless.’
Pharisees: The Original Racists
Perhaps the most remarkable feature of Rabbinic bias against the Gentile
was that, in most cases, there is no mention of the possibility that
the “goy” is doing his best or is the rightful owner of
his property. He is viewed as a member of a class with known characteristics:
The Jew is good, the Gentile bad; the Jew must be acquitted, the Gentile
convicted. An essentially racist view of human nature was assumed.
Indeed, the Pharisees were the original racists. Few religions possess
such racist undertones as rabbinic Judaism.
The bad example of the most respected sages of Israel had a widespread
and corrosive effect on the relations of Jews with their neighbors.
One wonders if the Gentiles were aware of their position as fair game
to predatory Jews. Choschen Ham spells out some of the ground rules
for exploiting Gentiles:
If a Jew is doing good business with an Akum [Gentile] it is not
allowed to other Jews in other places to come and do business with
the same Akum. In other places, however, it is different, where another
Jew is allowed to go to the same Akum, lead him in, do business with
him and to deceive him and take his money. For the wealth of the Akum
is to be regarded as common property and belongs to the first who can
get it.
And again:
If a Jew is doing business with an Akum and a fellow Israelite comes
along and defrauds the Akum, either by false measure, weight, or number,
he must divide his profit with his fellow Israelite, since both had
a part in the deal, and also to help him along. [4]
Secret Hatred
Just as the Talmud gives Jews the right to cheat Gentiles, so any
inquiry into its true teachings by Gentiles is answered deceptively.
This continues today. Jews must maintain a well-meaning appearance
in order to dwell and trade among Gentiles. A commentary in Abodah
Zarah (I, 2, fol. 7b) laments: “Since we are in captivity, we
cannot live without trading with them, and we depend upon them for
our food, and we must fear them. . . .” (Pranaitis, p. 65) For
this reason, Jews were encouraged to practice philanthropy, even toward
Gentiles. “Needy Gentiles may be helped as well as needy Jews,” for
the sake of peace. [5] Yet such expedients are to be employed only
when there is no alternative. “Therefore,” the Talmud says,
If you enter a town and find them celebrating a feast, you may pretend
to rejoice with them in order to hide your hatred. Those, however,
who care about the salvation of their souls, should keep away from
such celebrations. You should make it known that it is a hateful thing
to rejoice with them, if you can do it without incurring their enmity.
[6]
Also:
No one is allowed to praise them or say how good an Akum is. How
much less to praise what they do or to recount anything about them
which would redound to their glory. If, however, while praising them
you intend to give glory to God, namely, because he has created comely
creatures, then it is allowed to do so. [7]
Gentiles: Keep Out
Separatism between Jew and the corrupting Canaanites had a divinely
sanctioned purpose in the time of Joshua. But the Pharisees nourished
and intensified racism long after its usefulness was done. Gentiles
were forbidden from becoming acquainted with the Jewish religion—an
instruction never given by God. The Pharisees considered a
Gentile so far beneath a Jew that hospitality or religious instruction
were forbidden to him. In Sanh. 104a, “Hezekiah b. Hiyya deduces
from II Kings XX.18 that he who shows hospitality to a heathen brings
the penalty of exile upon his children.” The Jewish Encyclopedia article
on “Gentiles” (p. 621) heartily agrees:
The Talmud comments on the untruthfulness of Gentiles (a band of
strange children whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right [in
raising it to take an oath] is a right hand of falsehood) and contrasts
it with the reputation of a Jew: The remnant of Israel shall not
do iniquity nor speak lies; neither shall a deceitful tongue be found
in their mouth. (Zeph. iii. 13) [8]
Such holiness may be facilitated by following this suggestion from
the Talmud as related by the Jewish Encyclopedia, p. 617, “Judah
ben Illai recommends the daily recital of the benediction ‘Blessed
be thou… who hast not made me a goy.’”
Why Have Jews Been So Persecuted?
What if these passages from the Talmud weren’t written in the
Talmud by authority of the Pharisees but in the New Testament by authority
of Jesus? If they were, Jesus’ followers would have become the
most despised and mistrusted of men. Christians (if any survived) would
have faced discrimination and even banishment from civilized society.
People today would laugh at any Christian reply that their sufferings
were caused by bigoted nations.
Yet history books in our educational system describe the long saga
of Jewish suffering as primarily caused by Christian “anti-semitic” bigotry
against “innocent” Jews.
Why have the Jews been exiled from 60 countries since they began to
follow the leadership of the Pharisees nearly two millennia ago? It’s
because of something toxic within the religion of the Pharisees.
Jesus put it most directly: Rabbinic Judaism is the “synagogue
of Satan” (Rev 3:9)—the church that Satan goes to, the
religion he inspired and owns.
(Adapted from Israel: Our Duty…Our Dilemma by
Rev Ted Pike. This 345-page book is available for $24.90, post-paid,
online at www.truthtellers.org or
from National Prayer Network, P.O. Box 828, Clackamas, OR, 97015.)
Footnotes:
1. Baba Kama 113b, quoted in “The Talmud Unmasked,” by
Rev. I. B. Pranaitis. This volatile passage is paraphrased or omitted
in Jewish translations of the Talmud meant for modern audiences. However
scholars of Hebrew and Aramaic have translated passages by Pranaitis
for me and found them more accurate than Jewish translations
for the public.
2. “Gentile,” p. 620.
3. Ibid. Pg. 620.
4. Choschen Ham 156, 5 Hagah, 183 Hagah, Pranaitis, pp. 72-73. Choschen
Ham is a rabbinic treatise not part of the Talmud proper, but of comparable
authority. Since the Pranaitis translation is consistent with views
expressed in the Talmud and Jewish Encyclopedia, I have included
it.
5. Gittin 61a, quoted from the Jewish Encyclopedia article, “Gentile,” p.
623.
6. Iore Deah 147, 12 Hagah, Pranaitis, p. 69. Iore Deah is part of
a compendium of Jewish law first formulated by Maimonides. Again, I
feel that the Pranaitis translation from the Krakow edition is trustworthy.
7. Ibid. 151, 14 Hagah.
