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ShareThe first is laid out in an essay of Rav Naftali Tzvi Berlin, printed at the end of his commentary to Shir Ha'Shirim. In it he identifies from Rabbinic sources the roots of antisemitism. His conclusion lays the responsibility on the actions of the Jews vis a vis Torah observance, in particular the adherence to the obligation of Mitzvah and study of Torah.
The second approach is set forth by Dennis Prager and Joseph Telushkin in their book Why the Jews. In it they make arguments that see Judaism itself - in tenet, creed and action - as responsible for the fomenting of Jew-hatred among the nations.
As an aside, one can make an argument along the principle claim of Prager in that Judaism, and not the Jew, is to blame. However, the argument could be augmented to presume a metaphysical cause to the hatred versus a rational cause to the hatred caused by Judaism. In other words, instead of blaming G-d's commandments, blame G-d Himself as the One who plants hatred into the hearts of the nations indiscriminately.
It must be stated that the approach of the Rav Naftali Tzvi is irrefutable given that a simple peruse of the Torah reveals that the non-Jewish response to the Jews is directly associated to the actions of the Jew.
On the other hand, given that Prager's book looks towards a largely non-Jewish audience, it is not unexpected that his sources are almost exclusively biblical and try to be universal. As a student of the Talmud and Rabbinic tradition (additionally, a quick read of the Parshiyot of Ki Tavo and BeHukotai also place all blame on the Jew and not on Judaism) I saw Prager's argument as inadequately sourced to establish it as a valid parallel appraoch to Rav Naftali Tzvi.
However, I would like to give it due process and perhaps analyze several Rabbinic statements that may lend credence to this approach. Ultimately the question is whether to blame the Jew or Judaism, and the practical implications are paramount. (See Chapter 15 in Why the Jews where Prager lays out his directive for advancing philosemitism).
אֲמַר לֵיהּ הָהוּא מֵרַבָּנַן לְרַב כָּהֲנָא: מִי שְׁמִיעַ לָךְ מַאי ״הַר סִינַי״? אֲמַר לֵיהּ: הַר שֶׁנַּעֲשׂוּ בּוֹ נִסִּים לְיִשְׂרָאֵל. ״הַר נִיסַּאי״ מִיבְּעֵי לֵיהּ! אֶלָּא: הַר שֶׁנַּעֲשָׂה סִימָן טוֹב לְיִשְׂרָאֵל. ״הַר סִימָנַאי״ מִיבְּעֵי לֵיהּ! אֲמַר לֵיהּ: מַאי טַעְמָא לָא שְׁכִיחַתְּ קַמֵּיהּ דְּרַב פָּפָּא וְרַב הוּנָא בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב יְהוֹשֻׁעַ דִּמְעַיְּינִי בְּאַגָּדְתָּא? דְּרַב חִסְדָּא וְרַבָּה בְּרֵיהּ דְּרַב הוּנָא דְּאָמְרִי תַּרְוַויְיהוּ: מַאי ״הַר סִינַי״? הַר שֶׁיָּרְדָה שִׂנְאָה לְאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם עָלָיו.
One of the Sages said to Rav Kahana: Did you hear why it is called Mount Sinai? He said to him: "Since it is a mountain upon which miracles [nissim] were performed for the Jewish people." "Well then, it should have been called Mount Nisai?" Okay, so then it is a mountain that was a good omen [siman] for the Jewish people." "If so", he responded, "it should have been called Har Simanai". Rav Kahana said to him: Why don't you come to Rav Pappa and Rav Huna, son of Rav Yehoshua, who study aggada? As Rav Ḥisda and Rabba, son of Rav Huna, both said: What is the reason it is called Mount Sinai? It is because it is a mountain upon which hatred [sina] for the nations of the world descended.
(2) וישקהו AND HE KISSED HIM — Dots are placed above the letters of this word, and a difference of opinion is expressed in the Baraitha of Sifré (בהעלותך) as to what these dots are intended to suggest: some explain the dotting as meaning that he did not kiss him with his whole heart, whereas R Simeon the son of Johai said: It is a Halacha for Esav to hate Yakov, but at that moment his compassion and empathy were aroused and he kissed him with his whole heart. (Sifrei Bamidbar 69.2)
On the other hand, R' Shimon limits his expression to Esav, whereas the later comments of Rav Kahana and his friend are far more universal. Somehow there seems to be a qualitative distinction between the hatred of "Esav" and the hatred of the idolators. Esav needs no apparent reason to hate his brother, or perhaps lacks the capacity to forgive Yakov for stealing the blessings even for millenia to come. The other nations, on the other hand, look to Sinai as a catalyst for their hatred.
Notice the following Midrash cited by Chizkuni:
(א) לתת נקמת ה׳ במדין הקב״ה אומר נקמת בני ישראל ומשה אומר נקמת ה׳ אמר משה רבונו של עולם הנקמה שלך היא שאין הכנענים שונאים אותנו אלא בשבילך.
(1) לתת נקמת ה' במדין, “to execute the Lord’s vengeance against Midian." G-d previously called it "Israel's Vengeance", and now Moshe is calling it "G-d's Vengeance"? Moshe, upon hearing the instructions, had said to G-d: “It is your vengeance, as the only reason why the Canaanites, Midianites, etc. hate us, is on account of You.” (B’chor shor).
(ד) לתת נקמת ה' במדין. הקב"ה אמר נקמת בני ישראל, ומשה אמר נקמת ה' אמר להם הקב"ה דין שלכם אני מבקש שגרמו לי להזיק אתכם, ומשה אמר אם היינו ערלים לא היו רודפים אחרינו, אלא בשביל תורתך ומצותך שנתת לנו, הלכך הנקמה שלך היא.
Hakadosh Baruch Hu said "It is the vengeance of Yisrael", and Moshe said "It is the vengeance of Hashem". Hashem told them, this is your struggle that I am fighting, for they caused me to hurt you. But Moshe said, if we were uncircumcised they never would have targeted us in the first place, rather this fight is because of your Torah and your Mitzvot, therefore it is your vengeance.
However, notice how Moshe begins explaining himself with a specific reference to Brit Milah, and then reverts back to a broader "Torah and Mitzvot". Why blame the Brit specifically if it is the totality of Torah observance that serves to instigate conflict and propagate hateful ideation?
It is possible that Moshe here is referencing a specific arousal of hatred for Midyan that would have come from the Brit Milah, and then goes back to refer to all of the Torah and Mitzvot in arousing hatred among the rest of the world each aspect in its unique way for each particular nation and situation. However, contextually Midyan was not after Brit Milah, as is realize by anyone studying the Midrash and commentary that delve into this part of the story. I would like to suggest that there may be a deeper inference here, and this would explain the characterization of the Midrash as the Rishonim worded it. It is found in Zohar:
(ו) תָּא חֲזֵי, דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, בְּגִין רְחִימוּתָא דְּאִיהוּ רָחִים לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל וְקָרִיב לוֹן לְגַבֵּיהּ, כָּל שְׁאָר עַמִּין עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים וּמַזָּלוֹת שָׂנְאִין לוֹן לְיִשְׂרָאֵל. בְּגִין דְּאִינוּן מִתְרַחֲקִין וְיִשְׂרָאֵל קְרֵיבִין.
Come and see, Hakadosh Baruch Hu, His love for Yisrael and His intimate relationship with them causes the rest of the idolatrous nations to hate Yisrael. They recognize that they are kept away and Yisrael is brought close intimately.
The reason Esav hates Yakov is because Esav's arch-nemesis is Brit. The other nations each have their aspect of culture, lifestyle or ideology that conflicts with the Torah on some level and this may be the impetus of hatred, as argued by Prager and Telushkin.
The bottom line is, however, that it is only when a Mitzvah permeates the environment with its scent of intimacy that it triggers the jealousy and arouses the anger of those who find the source of that smell just beyond their reach.
