Identification of the Jews with the goal of denigrating them as it was and is in numerous anti-Semitic communities – part 2 of 3

[Please first read part 1 of 3]

Myth: The Jews made drunkards of the Christian people (a typical myth in Czarist Russia)

The Jews didn’t drive Russian 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 owned taverns for selling vodka in czarist Russia. 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 almost 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 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 Muslems 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.

[Please read part 3 of 3 in a few days]