CAUSES OF ANTISEMITISM

Summary

Here Manfred Davidmann shows that there are two separate root causes of antisemitism, and these he describes clearly.

These two distinct causes one would normally not consider in relation to antisemitism. But one can quickly see that what is usually talked about or considered in relation to antisemitism are only side-effects and symptoms.

The conclusion is that while one of the causes is of international concern and can be remedied by increasing peoples' awareness, the other is under the control of the Jewish people and can be remedied from within.

Contents

The Law Defines Human Rights

Dictatorship

Consequences of One's Behaviour (Social Cause-and-Effect Relationship)

Jewish Belief and Practice at the Present Time

Unaware of the Effects of their Behaviour

Two Thousand Years Ago

Basic Causes of Anti-semitism

Remedies and Cure

A New Factor has Entered into the Equation

Notes <..> and References {..}

Relevant Current and Associated Works

Relevant Subject Index Pages and Site Overview

The Law Defines Human Rights

The Torah's social laws and social system <1> include a statement of fundamental and scientific social laws of behaviour, of human rights, of social and community organisation.

It is the social laws of the Torah which in effect state that all are equal, that no person may exploit another or oppress so as to exploit. All have the right to be free and independent masters of their own fate and there has to be a system of social security which guarantees not just freedom from need but also protection against loss of material and spiritual independence. In effect, oppression can be and has to be resisted, struggled against and opposed.

The essential social provisions of Torah law are clear and to the point. This is what the Torah lays down as a matter of law {1}:

1. The community has to provide ('lend') money to those who need it, free of interest.
2. All such loans, if outstanding, are to be cancelled every seventh year.
3. The country's wealth, and this applies particularly to productive capital such as land, belongs equally to all and needs to be shared out.
4. Inhabitants are also entitled to have a sabbatical year every seventh year. During this sabbatical year they are entitled to be freed from work at the expense of the community.

Every person is entitled as a matter of right to social security. This means that people are entitled to be supported by the community not only when they fall on hard times but also to maintain their independence as independent breadwinners for their families. For example, the community has to provide backup funds to those who need them and they have to be provided as and when required.

To prevent people being exploited through their need these funds have to be provided without charging interest and such 'loans' are cancelled every seventh year if the borrower has been unable to repay them.

It is the inhabitants who keep the social laws, who keep Torah law, who are entitled to these rights.

Dictatorship

Obviously it is not surprising that those who follow and keep the social laws of the Torah have in the past been persecuted by dictatorships of both right and left, by those who wish to establish and support such dictatorships, by those who wish to oppress so as to exploit people. Openly under dictatorship and in more hidden ways under other forms of government.

The Jewish religion keeps alive the knowledge of these human rights and social laws, as Jews read the whole of the Torah each year from beginning to end at weekly services. Jews also celebrate every year the exodus from Egypt, that successful rebellion of slaves against their overlords when God freed the slaves.

Hence dictatorships both of the left and of the right, or those who approve or condone such systems, persecute Jews so as to discredit and wipe out from human memory that which the Jewish religion teaches, namely the social laws and social system of the Torah.

Consequences of One's Behaviour
(Social Cause-and-Effect Relationship)

So far we have had a look at the social laws and system of the Torah. But the Torah also clearly states the consequences of keeping or rejecting the social laws and social system of the Torah. {1}

In the language of religion the Torah states a fundamental scientific law, the Social Cause-and-Effect Relationship {1}, which is that the consequences of keeping or not keeping the Torah laws are inescapable, that what happens to one is in the end the inevitable result of one's own behaviour. Also clearly stated is that this is a scientific law which was defined and stated using the language of religion to get the message across to listeners in such a way that they could understand at least the effects of this 'cause-and-effect relationship'. The relationship is stated in precise terms.

We are told that the cause-and-effect relationship applies to all without exception and at all times, wherever one may be, regardless of type of government, form of religion or social system or country. It applies whether you like it or not, agree or disagree. Freedom and independence of mind and person and the quality of life depend on one's behaviour.

Keeping or not keeping the Torah laws has consequences which cannot be avoided. The consequences are outlined both ways and we are told that the process is reversible. {1}

The Torah lists and describes the actual results of behaviour both ways, clearly and powerfully illustrating intermediate stages between the two ends of the scale. The results of observing the Law are described and so are those of disregarding the Law.

The process is reversible. Increasingly disregarding the Law results in greater suffering and oppression, increasingly behaving according to the Law results in greater freedom and a better life.

The relationship is stated in a way which enables people to benefit from the effects of their behaviour, even if they do not understand the underlying interrelation.

If we want freedom, independence, good life of high quality, then we have to follow these laws. If we do not, then we lose freedom, independence, good life and the country in which we live. This Cause-and-Effect Relationship is a fundamental scientific law. The consequences of our behaviour cannot be avoided but we can change the course of events by behaving differently.

It so happens that the relationship was stated in the Torah for the first time but this does not change the general validity of the relationship. Statistically speaking, whole communities prosper or suffer (are 'persecuted') as a consequence of their individual and thus collective behaviour.

Not knowing the law does not prevent consequences of one's behaviour.

Jewish Belief and Practice at the Present Time

Unaware of the Effects of their Behaviour

The social laws of the Torah are now but vaguely understood and commonly disregarded. Few are aware of their existence as a practical social system.

What is remarkable is that at the present time the Jewish people are unaware of the need to keep the laws, of the need to implement the social system and laws of behaviour which would guarantee their survival and security and a high standard of living in the land of Israel at the present time.

How come?

Two Thousand Years Ago

According to Torah law the role of those who are rich is seen to be that of administering money on behalf of the community and not that of enriching themselves at the expense of the community. People are entitled to support from the community not just when hungry or starving but so as to maintain their independence and improve their security.

Those who were wealthy simply did not wish to provide funds (to those who needed them) without charging interest and in the knowledge that the 'loan' would be cancelled after some years if it could not be repaid by those who remained in need.

As the community failed to ensure that those who were wealthy obeyed and followed the laws, they (the rich and powerful) had the laws changed on their own behalf to suit themselves. {2, 3, 4}

So about two thousand years ago, just before and during the formative years of Christianity, the Jewish establishment of that time argued against the social system of the Torah and succeeded in having the core laws, which prevented them from exploiting people, bypassed and the whole social system abrogated, in effect annulled. {3, 4, 5}

They did so by having their religious 'experts' argue against these laws over a considerable period of time and in this way succeeded in bypassing the social legislation.

But the changes the establishment of the time was making were so drastic that the process and the changes were recorded in what is now known as the Talmud because 'the law was becoming like two laws'. Even so, the establishment of the day attempted to hide what was actually being said by abstract arguments and sheer volume of words and succeeded to the extent that the memory of what they had done faded away into the background.

While this process took place and while the establishment changed Jewish religious belief and practice there were some who would not agree and recorded what was happening and how it was being done. Others, unable to change the course of events, formed communities who attempted to follow the fair and just social legislation. And this seems to have been how Christianity began in the first place. {5}

Basic Causes of Antisemitism

So we see that there are two apparently separate and distinct reasons for anti-semitism. On the one hand we have that persecution is at least instigated, or encouraged by condoning, by those who wish to oppress so as to exploit. On the other we have the fact that Jews behave in ways which by themselves cause the persecution, apparently unaware at present that persecution could arise as the direct and inevitable consequence of their own behaviour.

The fact is that it is because Jews as a people have not observed and at the present time do not observe the social laws of the Torah that they quite inevitably suffer from persecution, from anti-semitism.

On the one hand the Jew is persecuted by oppressors because of the laws of justice and equality he believes in as a matter of God-given law. On the other hand he suffers the direct consequences of not practicing, of not putting into effect, the very same laws he is being persecuted for.

Remedies and Cure

Obliterating the observance of the social laws will not prevent persecution from oppressors. On the other hand the dire consequences of not putting into effect the social system of the Torah are quite inevitable. Twice already were Jews driven out of Israel because the social system of the Torah was bypassed and rejected {2} and the third time is at present coming closer year by year.

Hence the Jew if he wishes to avoid anti-semitism has to find out about and put into effect the social system of the Torah under modern conditions. {7}

To the extent to which this is done will the knowledge spread that Jews are persecuted by oppressors and dictators because Jews are on the side of freedom and independence, that Jews are in the forefront of this struggle.

A New Factor has Entered into the Equation

This is the end of the twentieth century and a new factor has entered the equation. {6, 7}

Up to now it did not really matter whether a few people suffered, whether the odd village was wiped out in a war fought for the benefit of another establishment, whether a whole country and its people were devastated. Of course, it did matter but what I mean is that it did not mean the end of humanity. The point is that as a result of the impact of technology and increasing speed of transport and communication it is possible for the first time in the history of human beings on this planet for just one or only a very few socially irresponsible persons to do something or to introduce changes which could destroy us all as human beings or else make this planet uninhabitable for human beings.

I showed ten years ago in 'Social Responsibility, Profits and Social Accountability' {6} that we were experiencing a sequence of accidents and catastrophes which were occurring more and more frequently and were affecting more and more people.

Since then most people have become aware of this. But I also showed what could be done about this trend of events.

So now we do not have a choice. If we do not now observe and put into effect the social system of the Torah and its code of behaviour then the planet will become uninhabitable for human beings.

Notes and References

NOTES

REFERENCES

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RELEVANT SUBJECT INDEX PAGES

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• Islam
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