HUMAN EQUALITY: AS CLEAR AS BLACK & WHITE—Part II

Rabbi Moshe Ben-Chaim

As a follow-up to my response to claims that blacks are an inferior race, it behooves an intelligent person to study the words of our greatest Torah teachers, starting with Maimonides. I quote him verbatim below where he states that every human being has equal potential in God’s eyes. This is not to be taken lightly, and one must have great respect for great minds, as the saying goes, “From Moshe (Moses) to Moshe (Maimonides) none have risen on par with Moshe.”

Not only the tribe of Levi, but every person from anyone who enters the world whose spirit generously moves him, and he understands from his own thinking to separate himself to stand before God, to serve Him and to worship Him, to know God, and he walks uprightly as God made him, and he breaks off from his neck the many calculations that people seek, this person is holy of holies and God is his portion and his inheritance forever and eternally. And he merits in this world a means to sustain him just as the priests and Levites. Behold, King David, peace be upon, said, “God is my portion and my cup, You support my lot” (Psalms 16:5). (Maimonides, Laws of Sabbatical Year & the Jubilee 13:13)