Yesterday the Jewish Twitterverse almost self-immolated with outrage over a strange clip from the NBC show Nurses. In the clip, a Jewish man hurt his leg and is told by the doctor that he will need a bone graft from a dead non-Jew. The patient and his father are distraught. The idea of taking "A goyim [sic] leg." horrified them, and they refuse the graft. Hilarity ensues.
Fox News quotes the American Jewish Committee’s (AJC) head of young leadership Seffi Kogen who tweeted, "I think this is the most antisemitic thing I have ever seen in a TV show." He also noted that "For those of you unfamiliar with Jewish law, which puts precedent on healing and saving lives, there is no prohibition on the kind of bone graft in this clip. The writers made it up, dressed their actors in Jew-face, and put random extremist nonsense in their mouths."
Jew in the City also weighed in. She wrote: “[t]he idea that such a surgery would be problematic in general or problematic because of where the bone came from not only is categorically false according to Jewish law, it is a vicious lie that endangers men who walk around with curled side locks and black hats.”
Religion News Service ran a headline “Does NBC have a Jewish problem?” and accuses Nurses of “going all full throttle Jew-hatey — promoting the vilest of stereotypes and trafficking in utter ignorance of Judaism?”
I stumbled on this dumpster fire when the creator of the group GSOFYO posted a link to a Twitter thread from StopAntisemitism.org denouncing the clip. (He subsequently unfriended me.)
The Problem:
Yet, looking at this debacle, I do not see an anti-Semitism problem; I see an I-can-not-own-up-to-the-nastiness-of-my-own-religion problem. For all the flamboyant outrage directed at the clip, the writers for Nurses were spot on (sans the idiotic payos and shameful “Goyim” solecism).
Here is a shocking fact: Not every Jew is an ultra-enlightened, smartphone owning, social media posting, light-unto-the-nation-quoting, Soloveitchik reading, Modern Orthodox blogger. So, dear am haratzim, please stop touting your narrow view of Judaism as if it is the only one that exists. As someone who lives in Lakewood and has spent quite a bit of time in the BMG coffee room, I feel fully qualified to tell you that yeshivish, Charadi, and Chassidish people would be very put off at having a slice of non-Jew put into their bodies.
But don’t take my word for it. Here is a story of the great Rabbi Yosef Shlomo Kahaneman, the Ponevezher Rav. Rabbi Kahaneman was the leader of the Agudas Yisrael during world war II, and he is the founder of one of the most respected Yeshivos in Bnei Brak. On the Dirshu website, they proudly bring down the following story:
המגיד הגה"צ רבי שלום שבדרון זצ"ל, היה רגיל לספר מעשה פלאי המעיד על עוצם קדושתו של מרן הרב, אך המספר כאן, הר' לויסון, היה עד ראיה למעשה: כששהה עם מרן הרב בבית החולים 'סיני' שבארה"ב, והיו צריכים לתת למרן הרב מנות דם, קרא מרן הרב לרופא ושאל האם יתנו לו דם של יהודי. הרופא היה בהלם מוחלט, והתפלא לפשר הבקשה הזו! האם יש הבדל בין דם של יהודי ללא יהודי?! שלח אותו מרן הרב לבדוק בתיק החולה, והרופא חזר נפעם וסיפר שבתיק האישי מופיע שלפני עשרים שנה הרב היה זקוק לתרומת דם, ומרן הרב שאל האם זה דם יהודי. הרופאים דחו אותו בטיעון שכל הדם כאן הוא של יהודים, ולא התייחסו לבקשתו. ברגע שהכניסו לו את המזרק, מרן הרב החל כולו רועד וצעק: "דם של גוי לא יכול להיכנס לגוף שלי! דם לא של יהודי לא יכול לשלוט עלי!". ובאמת, באופן פלאי, לא זרם הדם לגופו של מרן הרב, ורשמו זאת בתיקו, שהאיש הזה צריך רק דם של יהודי
The Magid Rav Shalom Schwadron would often say over an incredible story that illustrated the great level of holiness of the Ponevezher Rav; however, this account comes to us from Rabbi Levison, an eyewitness to the story. The Ponevezher Rav once needed to visit Sinai hospital in the united states and needed to be given a blood infusion. The Ponevezher Rav called the doctor and requested that he only be given Jewish blood.
The doctor was at a loss on how to answer the Rav and was surprised at the request. Was there any difference between Jewish and non-Jewish blood!?
The Ponevezher Rav asked the doctor to check his medical records. The doctor [went and ]returned and related that in the Ponevezher Rav’s medical file, it stated that the Rav required a blood transfusion twenty years ago. Back then, the Ponevezher Rav had also requested that he be given only Jewish blood. At the time, the doctor ignored his request, stating that all the blood in the hospital was from Jews.
As soon as the doctor inserted the syringe, the Ponevezher Rav began shaking and crying out, “The blood of a non-jew cannot enter my body! This blood belongs to a non-jew, and it cannot have control over me.”
Miraculously, the blood would not flow into the Ponevezher Rav’s body, and it was recorded on his medical file, “this man can only receive Jewish blood.”
Well, isn’t that just a cheerful, full-throttle Jew-hatey story. I can only imagine the outrage that would erupt if Nurses did an episode based on these events!
Critics may counter that the Ponevezher Rav story is not illustrative of normative halacha or the general ethos of Klal Yisrael. Both these points are wrongs. Let's examine some of the sources.
The sources:
Rabbi Ovadia Hadaya, a co-founder of Yeshivas Porat Yosef and one of the most respected halachic experts and mystics of Yerushalayim of the previous generation, wrote a work entitled Yaskil Avdi. His work received glowing approbations from leaders across the spectrum, including Rav Kook, Rab Baruch Ber, Rabbi Sonnenfeld, and Rabbi Chaim Ozer Grudzansky. In Yaskil Avdi Y”D 26:6, he rules upon the matter of a Jew who needs an eye transplant from a dead donor to restore his sight, and the doctors want to implant the eye of a dead non-Jew into the Jew. He writes:
Even though our sages teach us that a blind person is considered “dead,” and through this surgery, the blind person will be restored to “life,” nevertheless [one should refuse the surgery] as the loss outweighs the gain. This is true since the sight of a non-Jew stems entirely from [sources of darkness] the Sitra Achara, [and they are occupied with] stealing, mugging, murdering, engaging in debauchery, and all the disgusting things of the world.
Therefore [by receiving the eye], the Jew will be affected and will run after all the disgusting bad things, and he will end up forfeiting his portion in the next world through [getting the surgery]. It is better to remain a blind person your whole life and be able to gaze upon the light of the next world [than take the non-Jewish eye and forfeit the next world].
Furthermore, the souls of all the Jews are connected, and by putting inside his body the eye of a non-Jew, this Jew is causing spiritual damage to the unifying soul of all Jews. It is also possible that [getting the surgery will cause] the person to not rise at the time of the final resurrection—for the man has polluted his body with abominations. Therefore, one concerned over the welfare of his soul should not do a falsehood against his soul and replace his eyes with the eyes of a non-Jew. One who does such an act is like one who strikes a mortal blow, and his own blood is on his head.
Lovely. Moving along, Rav Ovadia Yosef in his responsa Yabya Omer Ch”M 11:2 discusses the ruling of Rabbi Ovadia Hadaya. He argues and concludes that one can receive an organ or blood from a non-Jew. However, he agrees with Rabbi Hadaya that there is a concern of spiritual contamination but thinks that forbidding Jews from making use of non-Jewish organs is too extreme. Nevertheless, he writes that it is admirable and worthwhile for someone in such a position to wait as long as possible to see if blood or an organ becomes available from a Jewish person before accepting blood from a non-Jew. This is what he writes:
“Because of the impure foods that non-Jews consume, the blood that comes out from them definitely causes one to develop a sinful nature and degradation of character traits. There is a concern that if a Jew receives a blood transfusion from a non-Jew, his qualities will be affected, and the non-Jewish blood will cause him to receive all those bad traits, including arrogance, anger, uptightness, jealously, hatred, and other broken attributes. Although I cannot forbid receiving blood…it is better to refrain from receiving it as an act of piety.”
He concludes
“In my humble opinion, even [according to the lenient positions] it is still appropriate to refrain from [taking non-Jewish blood] as an act of piety. This is true as long as there is no direct danger in waiting for the blood or organ of an upright Jew. The reason for refraining from taking blood from a non-Jew is because, even though the blood is not taken orally [and is, therefore, less likely to cause spiritual damage], nevertheless, non-Jewish blood comes from forbidden foods. Such blood can negatively influence a Jewish person, causing them to develop bad traits and a cruel and brazen temperament.
….
Because of the above considerations, it is better to wait for a Jewish source as an act of righteousness, and God will protect those who act righteously from any destruction. This ruling is also binding for people who are seeking kidney transplants. If there is no direct danger, it is better to wait for an upright Jewish doner.
This disdain for the body of non-Jews is ingrained in us at a very young age. Every child, including my own, is taught in cheder and Bais Yaakov the story Midrash that Moshe refused to be suckled from Basya, the daughter of Pharaoh, and only nursed from a Jewish woman in order not sully his mouth with the milk of those that are impure.
Speaking about using non-Jewish nurses, there is a discussion amongst the Rishonim on why drinking breast milk from a non-Jew causes spiritual damage. Some Rishonim (Rashi and the Ritva on Avodah Zarah 26a) state that since non-Jews eat dead animals and bugs, these foods go into the milk and cause damage. However, the Rashba and the Meiri in Avodah Zarah 26a takes a decidedly more racist stance, stating that spiritual damage occurs even in one ensures that the nursing gentile woman refrains from eating dead animals and bugs for the duration of the time they are nursing the Jewish child. This is because only Jews possess the unique traits of modesty and kindness, and we want those traits to pass through the milk into the child. Given this discussion, the Rama in Shulchan Aruch, Y”D 81:7 rules that one should be stringent and refrain from allowing Jewish children to nurse from non-Jewish women unless there is no alternative.
Conclusion:
Anyone who spent any significant time learning Gemara or Halacha is aware of the mountain of odious statements and attitudes that permeate our holy books when it comes to interacting with non-Jews. Modern Orthodox people often do their best to pretend these ideas do not exist. But These attitudes are alive and well in the frum community. Rabbonim are pragmatic people, and when it comes to blood transfusions and organ donation, they figured out how to “hold their noses” allow people to receive vital aid from non-Jews. Nevertheless, disgust and hatred are blood brothers, and teaching Jews to be revolted with the bodies of non-Jews quickly dehumanizes and “otherizes” them.
The problem here is that whenever anyone outside our camp acknowledges the existence of these xenophobic attitudes, Modern Orthodox people tamp down, huddle together, and howl “anti-Semitism” to the four corners of the earth. Please stop it. Maybe your Twitter followers cannot read Hebrew, but we can. Us OTD people spent many years absorbing these ideas and marinating in an environment that viewed “goyim” as “less than.” You cannot pretend these attitudes do not exist. Scream and rage all you want, the fact remains that this Nurses episode, for all its wonkiness, accurately depicted the anguish that a yeshiva bocher from Beni Brak would feel when hearing that he must be injected with a piece of a non-Jewish body.
Perhaps you will call me an anti-Semite. I am not. I am part of the Jewish community, and I love my people. I do not know if the people who made the Nurses episode are anti-Semites. Honestly, it does not matter. When you feel the instinct to react with blind rage, I ask you, instead of pointing fingers at other people – take stock of your kitchen. Use your anger to call out these rabbonim who wrote such incendiary statements, dehumanizing non-Jews. Ask the ultra-Orthodox to reassess their admiration for the Ponevezher Rav. Repudiate the authorities that clutter our books with morally abhorrent laws and practices. Maybe, just maybe, these “goyim” are picking up on something real.
Bonus round: If you believe that Jewish elitism only goes one way, here is a ruling from Rav Menashe Klein forbidding Jews from donating holy blood that might be put inside the body of non-Jews.
א. משנה הלכות (ח"ד סי' רמ"ה אות ז', "ואם יטען הנותן דבל תשחית עכ"פ ליתא שהרי יתנו דמו להצריך, איברא דודאי איכא שהרי הכא ע"פ רוב יתנו מדמו לעכו"ם וליכא צורך כלל אדרבה עובר עוד בלאו דלא תחנם לא תתן להם מתנת חנם, וגם עובר באיסור דאסור לרפאותם בחנם והכי ודאי מרפאהו, ועיין ע"ז דף כ"ו ע"א סבר ר"י למימר אנוקי בשכר שרו משום איבה א"ל אביי יכלה למימר והכ"נ יכול למימר כמובן. לבד כי אין מן הראוי ליתן מדם ישראל שיש בו נפש נשמת רוח ה' כדכתיב כי הדם הוא הנפש ובישראל שנתקדש דמו וחלבו בקדושת ישראל ולהעבירו בגוף טמא בעכו"ם ר"ל וקול דמיו צועקים מן העכו"ם שמסרו במקום טמא ומטומא"), לא תחנם (פרק ב' סעי' ט"ו).
One may argue that there is no prohibition of wasting (בל תשחית) [when donating blood] because one is giving the blood to someone who needs it. However, this logic is flawed, and [it is wasteful to give blood] because most blood [donated to a blood bank] is given to non-Jews, and such a giving is not considered “for a purpose.” In fact, [by providing blood to a blood bank] one commits the sin of showing mercy to non-Jews (לא תחנם) which includes giving [a non-Jew] a present without remuneration. [By giving blood] one also violates the prohibition of healing non-Jews for free, for giving blood certainly heals them (See the Gemara in Avoda Zara 26a which says that [even when it is permitted to cure a non-Jew, one should not treat a non-Jew as long as one can create an excuse. Here one certainly can make an excuse for not donating blood.])
Furthermore, it is inappropriate to take blood from a Jew who is imbued with the spirit of God (as the verse says, “for the blood is the spirit”). For a Jew whose blood and fat are sanctified with the holiness of a Jew to pass [his blood] into the defiled body of a non-Jew- may God spare us! The voice of the blood will cry out from within the non-Jew, for it has been given over into a place of utter defilement.