“We are holy people – and all of us are holy – and our worth to others is ultimately going to derive from how we act.” — Rabbi Joseph Telushkin
“We are created in the image of God, if you will, and we are obliged to return the favor.”
Rabbi Arthur Green
הֲיַהֲפֹ֤ךְ כּוּשִׁי֙ עוֹר֔וֹ וְנָמֵ֖ר חֲבַרְבֻּרֹתָ֑יו גַּם־אַתֶּם֙ תּוּכְל֣וּ לְהֵיטִ֔יב לִמֻּדֵ֖י הָרֵֽעַ׃
Jeremiah 13:23
Can the Cushite change his skin, Or the leopard his spots? Just as much can you do good, Who are practiced in doing evil!
(יד) הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, חָבִיב אָדָם שֶׁנִּבְרָא בְצֶלֶם. חִבָּה יְתֵרָה נוֹדַעַת לוֹ שֶׁנִּבְרָא בְצֶלֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ט) כִּי בְּצֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים עָשָׂה אֶת הָאָדָם. חֲבִיבִין יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁנִּקְרְאוּ בָנִים לַמָּקוֹם. חִבָּה יְתֵרָה נוֹדַעַת לָהֶם שֶׁנִּקְרְאוּ בָנִים לַמָּקוֹם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יד) בָּנִים אַתֶּם לַה' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם. חֲבִיבִין יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁנִּתַּן לָהֶם כְּלִי חֶמְדָּה. חִבָּה יְתֵרָה נוֹדַעַת לָהֶם שֶׁנִּתַּן לָהֶם כְּלִי חֶמְדָּה שֶׁבּוֹ נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (משלי ד) כִּי לֶקַח טוֹב נָתַתִּי לָכֶם, תּוֹרָתִי אַל תַּעֲזֹבוּ:
(14) He used to say:Beloved is man for he was created in the image [of God]. Especially beloved is he for it was made known to him that he had been created in the image [of God], as it is said: “for in the image of God He made man” (Genesis 9:6). Beloved are Israel in that they were called children to the All-Present. Especially beloved are they for it was made known to them that they are called children of the All-Present, as it is said: “your are children to the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 14:1). Beloved are Israel in that a precious vessel was given to them. Especially beloved are they for it was made known to them that the desirable instrument, with which the world had been created, was given to them, as it is said: “for I give you good instruction; forsake not my teaching” (Proverbs 4:2).
(ה) כֵּיצַד מְאַיְּמִין אֶת הָעֵדִים עַל עֵדֵי נְפָשׁוֹת, הָיוּ מַכְנִיסִין אוֹתָן וּמְאַיְּמִין עֲלֵיהֶן. שֶׁמָּא תֹאמְרוּ מֵאֹמֶד, וּמִשְּׁמוּעָה, עֵד מִפִּי עֵד וּמִפִּי אָדָם נֶאֱמָן שָׁמַעְנוּ, אוֹ שֶׁמָּא אִי אַתֶּם יוֹדְעִין שֶׁסּוֹפֵנוּ לִבְדֹּק אֶתְכֶם בִּדְרִישָׁה וּבַחֲקִירָה. הֱווּ יוֹדְעִין שֶׁלֹּא כְדִינֵי מָמוֹנוֹת דִּינֵי נְפָשׁוֹת. דִּינֵי מָמוֹנוֹת, אָדָם נוֹתֵן מָמוֹן וּמִתְכַּפֵּר לוֹ. דִּינֵי נְפָשׁוֹת, דָּמוֹ וְדַם זַרְעִיּוֹתָיו תְּלוּיִין בּוֹ עַד סוֹף הָעוֹלָם, שֶׁכֵּן מָצִינוּ בְקַיִן שֶׁהָרַג אֶת אָחִיו, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (בראשית ד) דְּמֵי אָחִיךָ צֹעֲקִים, אֵינוֹ אוֹמֵר דַּם אָחִיךָ אֶלָּא דְּמֵי אָחִיךָ, דָּמוֹ וְדַם זַרְעִיּוֹתָיו. דָּבָר אַחֵר, דְּמֵי אָחִיךָ, שֶׁהָיָה דָמוֹ מֻשְׁלָךְ עַל הָעֵצִים וְעַל הָאֲבָנִים. לְפִיכָךְ נִבְרָא אָדָם יְחִידִי, לְלַמֶּדְךָ, שֶׁכָּל הַמְאַבֵּד נֶפֶשׁ אַחַת מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, מַעֲלֶה עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב כְּאִלּוּ אִבֵּד עוֹלָם מָלֵא. וְכָל הַמְקַיֵּם נֶפֶשׁ אַחַת מִיִּשְׂרָאֵל, מַעֲלֶה עָלָיו הַכָּתוּב כְּאִלּוּ קִיֵּם עוֹלָם מָלֵא. וּמִפְּנֵי שְׁלוֹם הַבְּרִיּוֹת, שֶׁלֹּא יֹאמַר אָדָם לַחֲבֵרוֹ אַבָּא גָדוֹל מֵאָבִיךָ. וְשֶׁלֹּא יְהוּ מִינִין אוֹמְרִים, הַרְבֵּה רָשֻׁיּוֹת בַּשָּׁמָיִם. וּלְהַגִּיד גְּדֻלָּתוֹ שֶׁל הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, שֶׁאָדָם טוֹבֵעַ כַּמָּה מַטְבְּעוֹת בְּחוֹתָם אֶחָד וְכֻלָּן דּוֹמִין זֶה לָזֶה, וּמֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא טָבַע כָּל אָדָם בְּחוֹתָמוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן וְאֵין אֶחָד מֵהֶן דּוֹמֶה לַחֲבֵרוֹ. לְפִיכָךְ כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד חַיָּב לוֹמַר, בִּשְׁבִילִי נִבְרָא הָעוֹלָם. וְשֶׁמָּא תֹאמְרוּ מַה לָּנוּ וְלַצָּרָה הַזֹּאת, וַהֲלֹא כְבָר נֶאֱמַר (ויקרא ה) וְהוּא עֵד אוֹ רָאָה אוֹ יָדָע אִם לוֹא יַגִּיד וְגוֹ'. וְשֶׁמָּא תֹאמְרוּ מַה לָּנוּ לָחוּב בְּדָמוֹ שֶׁל זֶה, וַהֲלֹא כְבָר נֶאֱמַר (משלי יא) וּבַאֲבֹד רְשָׁעִים רִנָּה:
(5) How did they admonish witnesses in capital cases? They brought them in and admonished them, [saying], “Perhaps you will say something that is only a supposition or hearsay or secondhand, or even from a trustworthy man. Or perhaps you do not know that we shall check you with examination and inquiry? Know, moreover, that capital cases are not like non-capital cases: in non-capital cases a man may pay money and so make atonement, but in capital cases the witness is answerable for the blood of him [that is wrongfully condemned] and the blood of his descendants [that should have been born to him] to the end of the world.” For so have we found it with Cain that murdered his brother, for it says, “The bloods of your brother cry out” (Gen. 4:10). It doesn’t say, “The blood of your brother”, but rather “The bloods of your brother” meaning his blood and the blood of his descendants. Another saying is, “The bloods of your brother” that his blood was cast over trees and stones. Therefore but a single person was created in the world, to teach that if any man has caused a single life to perish from Israel, he is deemed by Scripture as if he had caused a whole world to perish; and anyone who saves a single soul from Israel, he is deemed by Scripture as if he had saved a whole world. Again [but a single person was created] for the sake of peace among humankind, that one should not say to another, “My father was greater than your father”. Again, [but a single person was created] against the heretics so they should not say, “There are many ruling powers in heaven”. Again [but a single person was created] to proclaim the greatness of the Holy Blessed One; for humans stamp many coins with one seal and they are all like one another; but the King of kings, the Holy Blessed One, has stamped every human with the seal of the first man, yet not one of them are like another. Therefore everyone must say, “For my sake was the world created.” And if perhaps you [witnesses] would say, “Why should we be involved with this trouble”, was it not said, “He, being a witness, whether he has seen or known, [if he does not speak it, then he shall bear his iniquity] (Lev. 5:1). And if perhaps you [witnesses] would say, “Why should we be guilty of the blood of this man?, was it not said, “When the wicked perish there is rejoicing” (Proverbs 11:10).]
The eighth-century Pirqe de-Rabbi Eliezer (chapter 24), which tells of God “colorizing” the world, as it were.
He blessed Noah and his sons -- as it says: “And God blessed them,” i.e. with their gifts, and he apportioned the entire earth to them as an inheritance. He blessed Shem and his sons [making them] black and beautiful and he gave them the habitable earth. He blessed Ham and his sons [making them] black as the raven and he gave them the sea coasts.
Halakhot Gedolot:
The seven nations who concluded peace [with Israel] before [Joshua’s] conquest of the Land, are permitted to enter the community of Israel. The biblical prohibition of the seven nations applies only to those who were in Israel [at the time of the conquest], but those who were outside the Land were not prohibited by the Bible. And these Zanj—if they convert, they are permitted to enter the community. There are some rabbis who disagree in regard to the Zanj and the seven nations, [holding the opinion] that they may not enter the community, and that even if they convert, they are in the category of “You shall not marry them” (Deuteronomy 7:3). Zanj refers to people from east Africa, and may be the equivalent of Cushite.
“We passed through Aram-Naharaim and Aram-Nahor, and we did not find a woman as beautiful as you. Now that we are entering a place of the ugly and the black [i.e., Egypt], ‘Please say that you are my sister’” [Gen. 12:13] (Gen. Rabbah loc. cit.).
Genesis Rabbah is a midrashic text from the period of 300 - 500 C.E., here explaining the story of Abraham and Sarah who travel to Egypt after first experiencing famine in Canaan.
There is a concept of "blackness" in theories of race. What we understand as racist, finds its foothold in the most influential philosophical traditions - Jewish texts and Aristotelian thought. Dark skin as a physiological sign represented inferiority. The inferiority of the black race is a foundational story of Western Civilization. Later, proponents of Black African slavery looked to Aristotle’s Politics for a reasoned justification of slavery just as religious leaders cum apologists used the story of Ham to justify slavery.
Aristotle On Politics, Book 1:1255
But some persons, simply clinging, as they think, to principle of justice （for the law is a principle of justice）, assert that the enslavement of prisoners of war is just; yet at the same time they deny the assertion, for there is the possibility that wars may be unjust in their origin and one would by no means admit that a man that does not deserve slavery can be really a slave—otherwise we shall have the result that persons reputed of the highest nobility are slaves and the descendants of slaves if they happen to be taken prisoners of war and sold. Therefore they do not mean to assert that Greeks themselves if taken prisoners are slaves, but that barbarians are. Yet when they say this, they are merely seeking for the principles of natural slavery of which we spoke at the outset; for they are compelled to say that there exist certain persons who are essentially slaves everywhere and certain others who are so nowhere. And the same applies also about nobility: our nobles consider themselves noble not only in their own country but everywhere, but they think that barbarian noblemen are only noble in their own country—which implies that there are two kinds of nobility and of freedom, one absolute and the other relative, as Helen says in Theodectes2: “ But who would dare to call me menial,
The scion of a twofold stock divine?
” Yet in so speaking they make nothing but virtue and vice the distinction between slave and free, the noble and the base-born;
Whether or not the rabbinic tradition of Canaanite emigration was misunderstood, there is good reason to think that the Zanj and Kushites were believed to be descended from the Canaanites. In Islamic sources Canaan is commonly named as the ancestor of various black African peoples. Wahb ibn Munabbih (d. 730) says that the black African Nubians, Zanj, and Zaghawa descend from Canaan, and that “the descendants of Kush and Canaan are the races of the Sūdaˉn: the Nūba, the Zanj, the Qazaˉn, the Zaghaˉwa, the H. abasha, the Qibţ and the Barbar.” Ibn ʿAbd al-H. akam (9th century) states that Canaan is the father of the Blacks (sūdaˉn) and the Abyssinians. “It Is Permitted to Marry a Kushite” David M. Goldenberg AJS Review / Volume 37 / Issue 01 / April 2013, pp 29 49
See also:
David M. Goldenberg, The Curse of Ham: Race and Slavery in Early Judaism, Christianity and Islam, (Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press, 2003), 17-75.
Modern statements on the dignity of all people.
There is an old Hasidic story about Reb Nahman Kossover, a friend of the Ba’al Shem Tov. Reb Nahman believed that the proper way to remain close to God was to constantly contemplate the four-letter name Y-H-W-H, to see the letters of God’s name ever before him. He was a preacher, and when he looked out at his audience, he was able to see God’s name in every face. But then times changed; the preacher was forced to become a merchant in order to survive. In the marketplace, with the rapid pace of all the buying and selling, he found it harder to always concentrate on the name of God. So we are told that he hired a special assistant to follow him wherever he went. The person’s only job was to be a reminder. Whenever he looked at his assistant’s face, he would remember the name of God.
"Racism is not a thing of the past or simply a political issue. It is a real and present danger that must be met head on. As religious Jews, we believe the most important starting point for the national discourse that must take place is the recognition that all people are created in the image of G-d and that each human life is of infinite value. Indeed, the United States of America was founded upon this principle and, at its best, persistently strives to make it manifest in America’s laws and policies." Statement by the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations, June 1, 2020
URJ Resolution: On Civil Rights (1950)
https://urj.org/what-we-believe/resolutions/civil-rights
As we who subscribe to the belief in the brotherhood of man, survey the national scene, we note with great regret the discriminations from which many Americans suffer at the hands of their fellow-Americans. Such discriminations because of race, color or creed are a violation of the will of God and of the principle of equal liberty to all so basic to the American philosophy.
URJ Resolution: Committment to Racial Justice (1963)
https://urj.org/what-we-believe/resolutions/commitment-racial-justice
Cognizant of the failure of our nation to achieve full and equal rights for all its citizens, and recognizing the special potential of religious groups to lead in the correction of this failure, we hail the National Conference on Religion and Race, held in Chicago in January, l963. At this meeting, for the first time in our nation's history, ranking representatives of the country's major religious bodies, including the UAHC and CCAR, met to confront the issue of race and to bring to bear upon it the religious principles of their denominations.
So long as synagogue and church, and their memberships, are not completely free of the taint of racism, the voice of America's religious cannot speak truly in behalf of equality and freedom.
Acting in accordance with the mandate of this conference, we urge our member congregations to apply the commitment and the tradition of Judaism to "clean our own house". We recognize that our congregations have not dedicated themselves to the utmost of their influence, capacity and energy in order to help resolve the racial crisis.
We, therefore, recommend that each congregation formulate and implement a program of action to achieve the following goals:
- Racial justice in our congregation's administrative policies.
- Racial justice in our congregation's educational, cultural and worship programs.
- Racial justice in our congregation's cooperative relationships with other institutions.
- Racial justice in the lives of our individual congregants.
URJ Resolution: Resolution on the Study and Development of Reparations for Slavery and Systemic Racism in the U.S. (2019)
....
Systemic racial oppression in the United States began four hundred years ago with the institution of slavery. Black families were ripped apart, Black individuals were subjected to sexual and other forms of violence, and Black children were kept deliberately uneducated and illiterate. Some early Jewish Americans were among slave traders and owners.
....
The ongoing wounds of slavery and centuries of entrenched racial discrimination continue to fester and impact every part of American society. Such injustices will endure unless proactive steps are taken to acknowledge and eliminate them.[9] One means of addressing centuries of entrenched racial discrimination is through reparations. Reparations can take many forms including expressions of remorse, education, monetary compensation, and more.[10] According to the United Nations, several conditions must be met for full reparations: These are cessation of injury and a guarantee of non-repetition; compensation from the injuring state, institution or individual for the damages done; restitution and repatriation, restoring identity, culture, livelihood, and humanity; satisfaction, including apologies; and rehabilitation,
including legal, medical, psychological, and other care and services.[11] In practice, these measures may manifest as congressional hearings, a national apology, the institution of government programs, creation of tax incentives for Black-owned businesses, educational stipends to Black Americans, individual or community compensation, or other approaches. Legislation has been introduced in the House of Representatives to establish a commission to study slavery and its ongoing effects (including other forms of race-based discrimination), recommend ways to educate the public, and recommend remedies for these injustices.[12]
Our Jewish texts are clear on the importance of restitution for wrongs committed. The rabbis understood that the victim of a crime was made whole by financial repayment for damages done. Maimonides went one step further, linking the payment of damages to the concept of t’shuvah, noting that repentance must accompany the financial commitment (Mishnah Torah, Hilchot Teshuvah 1.1).
....
The history of slavery and the ills that have succeeded it are collective American issues that have affected the Black community broadly, in addition to those individuals who are direct descendants of slaves. Racial healing can only begin to be achieved when this systemic oppression is recognized and accounted for. As an institution striving to be antiracist, we seek to address the harms of those who came before us, and the injustices that continue to surround us, so that we do what we can to make our institutions, communities, and nation more just for future generations. As Jews, we know from Pirke Avot, the Ethics of the Fathers, (2:21) that we are not required to finish the task, but neither are we free to desist from it.
THEREFORE, the Union for Reform Judaism resolves to:
- Advocate for the creation of a federal commission to study and develop proposals for reparations to redress the historic and continuing effects of slavery and subsequent systemic racial, societal, and economic discrimination against Black Americans;
- Urge our congregations and their members to take active steps to redress the destructive effects of historic and ongoing systemic racism, including through education and conversations within our congregations and communities using resources such as the RAC’s Reflect, Relate, Reform toolkit[15] and other nationally recognized resources; and
- Commit to ongoing assessment and evaluation to strengthen our own institutions’ efforts to combat implicit and explicit bias and promote racial equity.