Q&A: Sam Harris
Sam Harris
Question
Hello Rabbi Michi, I apologize for writing on the Sabbath, but I am not Jewish and I came across your site by chance and it seemed interesting to me. I found several answers to questions on Judaism, and the answers were refreshing. (I hope I wrote correctly; Hebrew is not my first language, so if there is a mistake, I apologize.)
There is a Jewish American (at least according to Orthodox Jewish law) named Sam Harris, and I’m sure you’ve heard of him and know who he is. He is considered a very harsh critic of religions, especially Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. I’m curious to hear what you think about his claim that the books of Exodus, Leviticus, and Deuteronomy are the most shocking and repulsive religious books of all, even more than the Quran and the books of the New Testament. That surprised me because in my view, for example, in the book of Exodus there is a social and intellectual revolution in the idea that God intervenes on behalf of the persecuted rather than the ruling power, which until then had been viewed as divine in an extreme way in ancient Egypt. The revolution of the Ten Commandments, which are the basis for the idea that there is an external morality not dependent on us—in my view as a non-Jew, the first two commandments (I hope I wrote that correctly) are actually gratitude (again, I hope I wrote that correctly) toward the one who saved you (that is “I am the Lord”), not betraying the one who helped and saved you (that is the commandment of “You shall have no other gods”). Honoring parents is understood by me as respect for elders and for those above us, and preserving society as something functional. Keeping the Sabbath is understood by me as a command of rest that every living creature deserves, which in itself is also a social revolution in a radical form. The idea of “You shall not covet” is simply amazing—to demand that a person control a feeling—that truly is a revolution, because until then every abomination (I hope I wrote that correctly) was interpreted as the will of the gods.
Bottom line: how does a Jew who defines himself as a liberal, in the positive sense of the word, relate to such a statement? I find the phenomenon of Jewish self-hatred surprising; perhaps it is a trauma from 1,800 years of persecution. In any case, I would be happy to know your view of this statement. Thank you for your time and your answer.
Answer
Hello.
I know Sam Harris, but I am not familiar with his writings and arguments in detail. The little I have seen was very unimpressive to me (as with the rest of the horsemen of the apocalypse around him; most of what they say is very demagogic and superficial).
The claim you raised here is too general, and it is impossible to discuss it on its own terms. One has to speak about specific details and ask what the explanation for them is. General evaluations are a subjective matter. In general, there are certain instructions in the Torah that definitely raise moral discomfort, but the overall picture does not seem problematic to me. As for immoral instructions in the Torah, that is an entire discussion, and it is difficult for me to elaborate here. I’ll refer you to column 541: https://mikyab.net/posts/79775/
It should also be remembered that the Torah was written and given in a different period, when the norms were completely different. When the Torah deals with gentiles, it sees before it primitive and cruel people, immoral and inhuman. Therefore, the attitude toward them has to be interpreted against that background, and not like the attitude appropriate toward the gentiles we know today.