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"And thou shalt love the stranger"
Q: Illegal immigrants are flouting U.S. laws, but does affluent America (or Arizona for that matter) have a larger moral or spiritual obligation to help illegal immigrants who are trying to better their lives? What about religious obligations to welcome the stranger? Are we our brother's keeper?
Diversity is rightly called America's strength.
I feel this strongly as a sixth generation American and as a Jew with deep respect for my country as well as my religious identity and Eastern European origins. Besides Africans brought to this country as slaves, as well as Native Americans who were here already (though themselves originally from Asia), all of our ancestors came to these shores for a safer and more prosperous life. No country has surpassed America at making many people into one; e pluribus unum. No country has been better at creating equality over time which will remain our competitive edge in an increasingly global economy.
It is also well known that first generation immigrants often perform the entry level and menial jobs that assimilated Americans of all races and ethnicities feel they have moved beyond in achieving the American Dream. Yesterday's Irish steel worker, Italian stonemason and Polish tailor is today's Caribbean sugar cane cutter, Vietnamese fisherman, and Latino farmer. America especially depends on immigration for this reason, but even beyond their importance to our economy, we owe our newest residents good will and protection, as long as they are legally pursuing their livelihood.
While we must safegaurd American sovereignty and the legal process whereby immigrants become taxpaying and law-abiding citizens, the Torah goes even further in its demand for justice. We are commanded to love our neighbor and even more so to respect the stranger regardless of his or her economic utility or social contribution. The Torah constantly reminds the Jews that we too were foreigners in strange lands of exile. In fact, As noted by Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, the commandment to love the stranger appears many more times in the Bible than the commandment to love the neighbor who is like us.
I was in very close communication with the defense of Sholom Rubashkin of the Agriprocessors company of Postville, Iowa, who was recently charged with serious financial malfeasance and various immigration violations. Rubashkin was convicted in the first area and while the government ultimately dropped all of the labor charges, it was too late to save hundreds of jobs being performed at the plant by immigrants, mostly from Latin America. I mention this case because I know of the devastating impact on the Iowa and regional economy due to the plant's temporary closure and saw firsthand how those workers performing the simplest and hardest tasks were in fact the center of a huge and co-dependent economy.
I have yet to hear of an American business that has not been enhanced by immigrants, a community that has not been inspired by them, or an American family that does not descend from one.
By
Shmully Hecht
|
May 24, 2010; 8:52 PM ET
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Posted by: bruce18 | May 26, 2010 10:16 AM
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A good post, Rabbi. Perhaps, we should send it to the nearly Judenrein Middle East, which exiled not three million strangers, but three million citizens whose presence predated their own Muslim identities.
I wonder what the Yemeni Jews, the end of a thirty-five hundred year civilization recently exiled would think of all this. What did they think when shrieking Islamists savaged their rural communities, shouting "Convert or die!" What did they think when one of the shrieking Islamists murdered a thirty-one year old rabbi?
Just wonderin'
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And Israel continues to welcome the stranger, the fleeing Sudanese Muslim and Christian stranger, or, at least, those strangers who have not been shot in the back by Egyptian soldiers. (Guess Egypt doesn't welcome to stranger or so the Christians say, although, of course, the Christians are not strangers.)
And we have Christian America, which bleeds its immigrants dry, its Jewish, and Muslim, and Christian, and Hindu, immigrants dry.
But look at these postings, Rabbi. Christian America doesn't welcome the stranger. It doesn't even welcome itself.
Apartheid Christian America banished itself onto Reservations, remember, where dwell the Native Americans, among the poorest people in the world.
Welcome the stranger....
Posted by: farnaz_mansouri2 | May 26, 2010 10:12 AM
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Rabbi,
I'm going to suggest that Israel, which is better off than all its neighbors, open it's borders to anyone who wants to make a better life for themselves.
Oh Wait. Ask the Palestinians how that works in Israel.
Or is that cutting a little to close to home?
Posted by: Ombudsman1 | May 26, 2010 2:16 AM
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You make numerous valid points in this article. However, there seems to be an unfortunate denial of facts, which is either unintentional and based in well wishing naiveté or an intentional underestimation of the reader. Yes, we should respect those that aid us, that support our economy and are willing to undertake the occupations that most scoff at. However your article seems to suggest that the best approach to the immigration crisis is to smile politely, I wonder if this would be your stance if your position was threatened by an immigrant worker who was willing to take your place for half the pay? It's easy to enlist the words of G_D and support "turn the other cheek" ideals when you can watch the issue from the safety of an Ivory Tower.
Posted by: concerned4us1 | May 25, 2010 10:30 PM
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Rabbi, Consider this in your pro open border somewhat rambling nonsense. The Muslim world had a baby boom over the past twenty years. Now wouldn't it be in the spirit of God to invite hordes of young Muslims to the United States? There are plenty that could immigrate. I believe that millions of new Muslims would possibly change the political landscape in the US as a voting bloc. This would be a voting bloc that would be say less than favorable to Israel...In fact downright hostile Pandering political scum, most likely in the Democratic party would be more than happy to court this voting bloc and cut support for Israel... just a thought not a sermon!!!
Posted by: RedStater3 | May 25, 2010 9:24 PM
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Well said,
I have yet to hear of an American business that has not been enhanced by immigrants, a community that has not been inspired by them, or an American family that does not descend from one.