The reason for almost demonization of the Jews in numerous anti-Semitic communities is the deathly fear that the new criteria for Good and Evil, which came from the same source for everyone called The One God, may change the local criteria for good and evil which came from a multitude of local gods in the old heathen world.
In other words, it is a fear their tribal criteria for good and evil may be damaged by the more powerful criteria of the other tribes.
The logic of almost demonization develops in the following way in the heathen’s mind. “My god tells me the source of my well-being is the military seizure of the material good of a neighboring tribe, and The One God is admonishing us, “don’t do it, they are your brothers!” Only a devil can want me to deprive myself of the means of my well-being. Consequently, people spreading such ideas are allies of the devil and they must be treated as such.
And people who subsequently stopped considering themselves heathen, but who continue to consider Jews almost devils essentially remain heathens.
True heathens and pseudo-heathens created different anti-Semitic myths for justification of their demonization of Jews. An analysis of the basic anti-Semitic myths compared with the concepts of the Torah indicates that the positive work of the Jews for the improvement of our world is at the heart of the majority of anti-Semitic myths, but it is represented negatively and prejudicially by anti-Semites.
And the following examples bolster this statement.
Myth: The Jews killed the Son of God, Jesus Christ
Actually, it wasn’t the son of God sentenced to death, but the Jewish rabbi Jehoshua who rose up against the established Judeo-Roman order recognized and supported by Palestine’s Jewish population during Roman domination. This Jewish rabbi’s teachings served as the basis of the new Christian religion, and he himself became known as Jesus Christ many years later when his followers began to convert to Judaism heathens at a significantly lower level of intellectual development. In order to make Judaism understandable to the heathens, Judaism’s ideas had to be simplified and canonized, as a result of which the Jews ceased perceiving the altered Judaism as an offshoot of Judaism. And then something happened Rabbi Jehoshua could not foresee: he was converted from a Jewish rabbi and the spiritual leader of one of Judaism’s sects to the founder of Christianity and the Son of God for Christians.
Myth: The Jews murder Christian children and mix their blood into matzo.
Such actions in the Torah are categorized as punishable spiritual transgressions; therefore, this myth must be rank savage fabrications. Of course, it is impossible to exclude such an event completely, but if such a thing had happened, it would have been an absolute violation of Jewish tradition for the “sanctity of human life,” and that pertains to any life – Jewish and non-Jewish, because all people are made in the image and likeness of God.
Myth: Jews have been robbing and corrupting other peoples with usury.
Usury created a contemporary system of financing operations for society’s material and spiritual development, a system that made it possible for Man-the Creator, who was created in the image and likeness of God-the Creator, to create the Judeo-Christian civilization as one of the most important elements of the better world “according to God.” Usury means borrowing money at interest. If such a financial system had not been created, people with ideas for the betterment of our world, but without funds for the implementation of these ideas (the implementation of almost all ideas required material support), would not have been able to implement them, and our world would not have achieved that stage of spiritual and material development it has achieved now. The world has advanced and thanks to the worldwide financial system created on the basis of “Jewish usury,” the world must be thankful to the Jews for it.
Jewish usury began in the following way in history.
The Jews were constantly ousted from their home by different pre-Christian (before our era) and Christian (during our era) governments. The Jews had no time for selling property, even if the Jews had owned any such property (and the Jews were forbidden to own land and businesses). Therefore, the only thing the Jews were able to take with them while escaping the pogroms, was money or its equivalent (precious stones). Having arrived at a new home, the Jews often had only one chance to make a living to support their families and community – loaning money at interest.
If the money loaned was used by Christians for the creation or improvement of production, the region or country’s economy would be been improved, and everyone should be thankful to the Jews, whose money improved the economy. But noblemen very often borrowed the money to support their standard of living – not for production. The money loaned did not yield new profits. Therefore, there was nothing paid back, and it did not befit them to acknowledge their inability or unwillingness to be productive. Hence the desire to accuse someone, in this case the Jews, of “robbing” the common people.
Some examine this question from the religious/moral point of view – they say it was of no benefit to charge interest. That is true if it was a question of one’s own community, where money is loaned or simply given gratis as aid to people in trouble.
The relationships themselves of the Jewish and Christian communities during the Russian empire were purely business (political and economic), so the money was loaned for business necessities – not as aid. And hence the interest, as a kind of profit share that was supposed to be obtained with the correct usage of credit.
Myth: The Jews did not want to perform manual labor and agriculture
The Jewish community of the times of the First and Second temples, the modern state of Israel and the Torah itself refute this myth; Jews were not involved in it only when conditions were being created for them hindering such occupations (it was forbidden for Jews to work in many manual labor professions in today’s enlightened Europe and Russia for many centuries.) Being able to do everything in Israel, including manual labor, the Jews have refuted this myth. And both farming and the pharmaceutical industry, and high technology factories that have attained technological achievements unprecedented in the world are evidence of it in Israel.
Myth: The Jews have bamboozled common Christian people with their anti-Christian spirituality
Not bamboozled, but drawn others into spiritual discussions in order to demonstrate that other ways exist for organizing society that can lead to better spiritual and material well-being for people. During such discussions, Jewish activists have wanted to demonstrate that social organization based on the Torah is closest of all to God’s ideas, and are one and the same for Jews and Christians. They often did not understand the Jews, and that created animosity, but Jewish activists continued such work, because they considered it a mission from God.
Myth: Jews always isolated themselves from the other peoples where they lived
They did not isolate themselves, but the others isolated them; but if resistance to assimilation is understood as isolation, then that’s the way it should be according to the Torah, and that is good for everyone.
As is well known, in many countries of the world they really isolate the Jews, placing different anti-Semitic limitations on them such as limitations for university admissions, for specified types of economic activity, for homes, for inclusion in governmental and political activity and so on. These limitations were intended for deterring the Jews’ influence on the social and public life of those countries where they lived. But to the great disappointment of the anti-Semites, these limitations were counterproductive: In order to achieve anything in countries with anti-Semitic limitations, the Jews had to be more ingenious, more enterprising, better educated – and all that allowed them to find ways out of hopeless situations where the anti-Semitic limitations had driven them. Paradoxically, anti-Semitic limitations strengthened the capability of the Jews to be victorious in the competitive struggle, and their numerous victories are well known – both in science and in technology and in economy and in art, and in philosophy, etc.
Myth: The Jews made drunkards of the Christian people
The Jews didn’t drive Christian people to the taverns, the people made drunkards of themselves; the Russian government rented taverns to the Jews only because it knew only the Jews would not become drunkards and would hand over all the income to the government.
Indeed, Jews do own taverns for selling vodka in Russia. It really is so. But why, and was it so bad for Russia? The sale of vodka in the Russian empire always was a state monopoly and one of the main sources of income for the empire. The greater the sales – the greater the income. And there were more sales when the taverns were in the hands of the Jews. It’s for that the Russian empire farmed out to Jews the sale of vodka through the taverns. At the same time, the empire solved two main problems for itself.
The first was a sharp increase of income for the treasury. The Jews knew how to organize trade and increase sales, and it was much easier to take the profit from them. If a tavern owner was a Russian, there was a real probability he himself would become a drunkard along with his guests. In that case the income for the treasury would be curtailed sharply.
And the second problem the empire solved for itself was whom to blame for making the people drunks – not the empire who in this way was enriching the treasury and keeping the people in obedience, but the Jews. It was not Jews making drunkards of the people, but the people themselves and their rulers wanted it. The Jews owned and own now many alcohol enterprises in the United States and Europe (“taverns”), but no one becomes a drunkard there.
Myth: The Jews organize different associations for self-government and self-help within their people in order to be separate from others
Jews, actually, organize different associations, but not to be apart and begin to scheme something against others.
Jewish associations for self-government and self-aid have pursued two goals. One of them is to strengthen and pass on to the next generation their religion, that is, the set of moral rules that allow distinguishing good from evil The second goal is to help their own fellow believers who are in trouble. The Jewish religion proceeds on the assumption that God wants His people to create God’s kingdom in this world, and not in the other. The Russian Orthodox themselves believed that the real kingdom of God exists only in that world and life in this world is only preparation for moving THERE. There are two diametrically opposed concepts in understanding what The One God wants. From the point of view of the Jews, these two concepts can co-exist peacefully and gradually draw closer to each other. But imperial Russia was afraid of it because the Jewish concept was instilling discord in the minds of the Russians and might have led to disobedience. Hence springs the defensive reaction of anti-Semitism.
Myth: The Jews consider themselves chosen for controlling others
Both yes and no – here it all comes down to an understanding of the word chosenness. If one follows the Jewish notion of this word, then yes. Jews consider themselves chosen not for controlling others, but for helping others in the social organization of our world “according to God,” and it is their predestination “according to God.” But the Jews have never considered themselves chosen for controlling others in the sense of governmental compulsory control.
Myth: Jews have created a secret government for controlling the whole world.
It is not a secret government, but an open one, and it is not a legal government of control, but more of a spiritual government of ideas “according to God,” of ideas that must belong to all people in accordance with the Torah. And that is good for everyone.
Myth: Jews were colonizers and occupiers
If it is a question of colonization and occupation with the spiritual ideas and results of the Jewish people’s creative labor, then that is really so, and it is good. Regarding territorial colonization, Jews are affected by it and today’s endeavors by the State of Israel to resolve the Palestinian problem are a good example of it.
Myth: Jews were nationalists and chauvinists
If by this is understood resistance to assimilation and absolute faith in the Torah as a rendering of God’s ideas for the organization of our world, then it is true and that is good.
Myth: Jews created both capitalism and communism
That is true, because genuine creation “according to God” cannot occur without the competition of different spiritual and economic concepts which are allowed to prove their own supremacy in the competitive process. Capitalism was created and tested and proved its suitability as an economic instrument in the creation of the Better World “according to God.” Communism was tested and proved its unsuitability.
Myth: Jews undoubtedly are guilty if everyone has been persecuting them — both heathens and Christians and Moslems and atheists.
Yes, that’s the truth – everyone has been persecuting them. But this may also be proof of the spiritual righteousness of Jews who see in the Torah what is hidden for others.
Myth: And generally, there are many bad people among the Jews – they are venal, unsympathetic, stupid and the like.
That is true, but it is not what lies at the heart of Jewish spirituality – at the heart of their spirituality lie their obligations “according to God” to make our world a better place for everyone living in our world. And the Jews do it even unconsciously on the basis of a tradition developed over the millennia that has been handed down from generation to generation even in Jewish families who do not consider themselves religious.
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Speaking of the myths underlying anti-Semitism, one must not forget too about the simpler reasons for the hatred of one group of people by other groups. Many simply do not like strangers, Jews included, who are within eyeshot. Conditions are not only negative where people have no contact with each other. Sometimes envy too does the dirty deed. Jews frequently, thanks to a better education and a greater desire for learning, have a better job, construct their lives more efficiently and spare no money for the education of their children and the improvement of living conditions and the like, and this too causes envy.
Constant attempts to conceal or deprecate the influence of Jewish intellectuals and politicians on the achievement of their countries in the social and economic areas are part of anti-Semitic strategy.
Some intellectuals who do not like the influence of the Jews on their countries’ society (it may be anti-Semites and not be anti-Semites) declare that the so-called Jewish lobby forces the American government (and the governments of other countries) to do what is of benefit to Jews and not beneficial for the “native” residents of these countries. This Jewish lobby, these same intellectuals maintain, is responsible for the many hardships of these countries. But in reality there is no single Jewish organization playing the role of the so-called Jewish lobby. Many Jewish organizations exist who work together with Gentile organizations and government agencies for advancing those ideas included in the realm of their common interests. In essence, all these organizations, which one can notionally call the Jewish lobby, help the “native” population of the United States and other countries understand that compliance with Judeo-Christian morality is “advantageous” to the same degree for Jews and gentiles.
Constant attempts to evoke suspicion for the actions of Jewish intellectuals and politicians, accusing them of disloyalty to the countries where they reside is included in the arsenal of anti-Semitic actions.
The so-called dual loyalty of citizens of Jewish ethnicity is discussed often – that is to say, they are loyal not only to the country where they live, but also to another country. Either the state of Israel or the Jewish people is understood as the other country. It is true, but such dual loyalty is not supposed to be looked upon from a negative point of view. All people have many “loyalties” besides the country in which they live – to their family, to their friends, to their religion, to the place where they were born, and so on. And when these loyalties conflict with loyalty to the country of residence, people attempt to have an influence on both sides in order to bring their positions together. And that has been a normal aspect of life since mankind’s very beginning.
One of the reasons for anti-Semitism about which they are afraid to speak openly was fear of economic competition.
There were real grounds for it. Actually, the Jews always have been distinguished by a much greater level of social and religious education which imparted to them definite advantages in understanding man’s nature, and that is one of the essential elements in the creation of goods possessing more attractive qualities that assure victory in a level playing field. And Gentile competitors, the goods of whom were less attractive for the consumer, tried to increase their chances at winning on that field, foisting negative characteristics on the Jewish goods not linked to the goods themselves, but linked to the nature of the manufacturer of the goods, who is the Jew. Thus, frequently the exaggeration of anti-Semitism was advantageous for winning on this economic playing field.
There are many different interpretations for the nature of anti-Semitism – racial, religious, economic, class and so forth. While not refuting the influence of all these elements in the creation of anti-Semitism, the author believes that the main one is the reaction to the actions of Jews in the fulfillment of the plan for the spiritual and material creation, as it was prescribed by God in the collective understanding of the Jews and set forth in the concept of chosenness.
Stopping anti-Semitism may signify stopping the work of Jews on the fulfillment of God’s plan. Actually, the Jewish people are the subject most often of negative, though sometimes positive, attention from the rest of the world’s nations because of their unique role in the continuation of the creative process begun by God which has made the Jews the chosen people. Jewish people, even those who consider themselves non-believers, fulfill their debt for assisting God in the transmission of His “instructions” to all the other peoples – it is not a personal desire, it is an obligation.
The main thing is the majority of the intellectual elite and elected governments of the Western world’s democratic states understand correctly the nature of anti-Semitism and constantly oppose it.
An example of it can be the international Conference on the United Nation’s Demonization of Israel held in New York in November 2007. Israel’s demonization is understood as a tradition begun by the U.N. for the constant censure of not so much concrete political actions of Israel’s government as for the censure of Zionism which is equated to the whole spirituality of the Jewish people, simply for its existence. The existence of the Jewish people themselves is thereby demonized.
Anti-Semites accuse the Jews of a great deal, but the chief accusation consists of the Jews ruling the world through some kind of universal supreme secret government which controls (by means of financial and other machinations) national governments of the states of the Judeo-Christian civilization. And when it comes down to it, they are right.
Actually, a universal supreme Jewish government exists, but it is not secret – all literate people are acquainted with it. It is a government of ideas for the creation and improvement of our world, the principles of which are specified in Judaism, and the practical steps for fulfillment are in millions of published (and unpublished) works on the creation of modern systems controlling all areas of human activity. And one can only rejoice in it.
Thus, it is necessary to rid oneself of the syndrome of blame for the fact that they do not love us, the Jews. Although we don’t always do well, and although there are bad people among us, as it is with all peoples, the roots of anti-Semitism are not in us, but in them, the anti-Semites. And understanding this is an important element of Jewish intellectual identification.
