“I bear the burden of treating the gentiles”:: Jewish Halakhic Authorities’ Attitudes towards Treating Muslims in the 12th–18th Centuries

The paper focuses on the religious, social, and historical aspects of the ancient Jewish prohibition against treating non-Jews. It discusses the attitude of rabbinic authorities towards providing medical service to Muslims in medieval and pre-modern times. It points out that circumstances did not en...

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Publié dans:The review of rabbinic Judaism
Auteur principal: Shemesh, Abraham Ofir (Auteur)
Type de support: Électronique Article
Langue:Anglais
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Publié: Brill 2018
Dans: The review of rabbinic Judaism
Année: 2018, Volume: 21, Numéro: 1, Pages: 108-133
Sujets non-standardisés:B Maimonides Baruch Harofe Ḥekim Yakub idolaters halakhic authorities Jews treating non-Jews
Accès en ligne: Volltext (Verlag)
Description
Résumé:The paper focuses on the religious, social, and historical aspects of the ancient Jewish prohibition against treating non-Jews. It discusses the attitude of rabbinic authorities towards providing medical service to Muslims in medieval and pre-modern times. It points out that circumstances did not enable the public to fulfill these instructions to the letter, and therefore many halakhic authorities in the post-Talmudic period dispensed with the prohibition almost completely. The question of treating Muslims was discussed by halakhic authorities in both Christian and Muslim countries. Stricter views were voiced concerning the treatment of Christians, but the dispensation to treat Muslims and deliver their babies was more pronounced. Halakhic authorities claimed that the original prohibition regarded idolaters, while Muslims do not engage in idolatry. Another major claim supporting the concession was a concern for animosity and harassment within the non-Jewish environment.
ISSN:1570-0704
Contient:In: The review of rabbinic Judaism
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1163/15700704-12341339