Sunday, November 13, 2016

Is it racist?

I learned this Rashi in my first year of BT yeshiva and was pretty shocked by it in part because I don't find anything more attractive about white skin or Caucasian people. But I wonder if most people feel that way. Is it racist for one race to be more of something or is racism when we don't treat people as being created in G-d's image because of their race. I'll allow for the possibility that one race in general is smarter, or taller, or prettier, or more athletic. It's hard to prove such things but it could be true. Is that racist in the sense of bad? It's racist in the sense of facts based on race but that's not what we mean when we charge someone with racism. Maybe we can take rashi to mean that Sarah's looks were different and different means exotic which can mean attractive. I might be apologizing for him there but I still put it out there.

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