Divine Diversity

Judge your fellow favorably. (PIrkei Avot 1:6) 

You shall not go around as a gossip-monger amidst your people. Don’t’ hate your brother in your heart. (Vayikra 19:16) 

Love your neighbor as yourself. (Vayikra 19:18) 

These three mitzvot in the Torah command every Jew not to be racist.   

These three commandments from God to every Jew forbid us to hold stereotypes about people based on their gender, race, color, sexual orientation, even political leaning.  

In order to be a racist, you have to pass judgment on someone before you even say a word to them.  

We are prone to take it a step further, making comments about people because they are part of a specific group. “I am sure it came from her. You know how they love to talk.” “Just do what he says. You know how hotheaded those people can be.” 

It is destroying us as a nation.  

People have to suffer these misjudgments. A religious people can be denied a job on the stereotype that “they are all primitive.” Women can be denied a promotion because “they are too gentle.” 

From affirmative action initiatives taken by American president Richard Nixon to politically correct dialogue that started twenty years later to outright favoring minorities for positions today . . . 
 
We have been working on fixing the racist problem in the world, but the divisions seem to be getting worse.   

It’s time to go beyond the elected officials who rule over human law, and look to the King of Kings and follow His law. The answers He gave us for resolving racism thousands of years ago are as relevant today as ever.  
 
Follow these simple rules to blot out racism in your life: 

• Don’t judge a single Jew. Do everything you can to block out any assumption based on what you see or hear.  
   
• Look for a single good quality in every Jew you meet. It can be something they are saying. It can be the way they present themselves. It can be that Hashem made them a part of His treasured people. Force yourself to look for just the good in everyone you see. 
    
• Share your findings. Reinforce your new attitude by talking about the new qualities you see. Mention one thing, but not too much. Over-complimenting someone makes others defensive, and then in comes the lashon hara (evil speech). But to mention just one thing about someone that you find appealing is a great way to bias yourself towards Divine Diversity.  
   
• Say “I love you” in your heart. The Tanya explains that we reflect what we are. Like a face in the water, if we smile, the reflection smiles back at us. Our heart reflects towards others the way they will behave towards us.  
   
  If you meet someone new and the first thing you think is, “Boy, he looks obnoxious.” He may not know what you are thinking, but he will feel it in your heart. When he replies to your questions with one-word answers and you can’t understand why he is matching your openness with the silent treatment, check your heart.  
   
  However, if the moment you see someone you say to yourself, “I like you. We are going to be friends.” They will act differently.  
   
  Try it. The next time you see someone, smile and think to yourself how good this person seems and how you will be friends.  
   
  In seeing one good thing about a fellow Jew, we are fulfilling Hashem’s commandment to Love Your Neighbor as yourself. (Vayikra 19:18)  
   
  Do this to every Jew. Do it to Jews of every color, background, religious affiliation, and political orientation.  

Diversity to Include Everyone 

Isn’t seeing everyone in a good light, as long as their Jewish, racist? 

No. It’s a good start.  

Once you can attain the ability to embracing every Jew with a positive attitude, you can approach everyone like this.  

To judge a Jew favorably is a commandment. To judge everyone favorably is a kindness.  

It’s doing your bit to make the world better by making everyone around you feel like they are measured by the content of their character and not the color of their skin. . . or their gender, or by who they prefer in the next election.  

By following God and the Torah He gives us, we are making our contribution to eradicate racism, hatred, and injustice from His world.   

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David Ben Horin lives in Afula with his family, a high-tech center, millions of sunflowers, and Matilda, the local camel. David’s Israeli startup, Center Stage Content, makes your business the star of the show by creating SEO optimized, ROI driven, easy to understand content.