Is the Torah Racist? Understanding Jewish Views on Non-Jews and Human Equality

According to the Torah, every human being is created in the image of G-d. Every person has the right to live, to be treated with dignity, and to experience well-being. Many Jewish laws are rooted in this fundamental belief and the concept of equality is built on it.

And yet, the Torah does assign a unique status to the Jewish people. While all people have intrinsic human value, a Jew has greater responsibilities toward fellow Jews. The Torah doesn’t lower the nations below the level of human dignity, but raises the expectations and obligations among Jews toward each other.

In a legal system, everyone is equal under the law, but members of parliament or diplomats have some form of immunity. While this does not mean that they are above the law, the process to prosecute them is more complicated. Perhaps it's necessary to wait until their term ends, or officially lift their immunity. The reason for this is because they were chosen by the people for a mission, and to fulfill it properly, they need certain protections, even if eventually they will be held accountable.

The same is true for the Jewish people. Human beings are flawed and fallible, but G-d holds every person and every nation accountable. The harsh language in the Torah and rabbinic literature about other nations often reflects the reality that many societies have done serious wrongs. Indeed, there is also plenty of criticism of the Jewish people’s wrongdoing, but there is a difference:

The Jewish people are on a mission from G-d. He holds off on punishing them because of the covenant they accepted with Him. Even when they sin, they continue to carry that covenant, and He gives them time and opportunity to return.

This is not racism, but a result of roles, responsibility, and the reality of moral imperfection in human societies, ours included.