StranGER

For the first time in history, a Jewish majority faces a Christian minority.

By DAVID NEKRUTMAN
Cave of the Patriarchs 465 (photo credit: American Colony-Jerusalem-Photo Dept.)
Cave of the Patriarchs 465
(photo credit: American Colony-Jerusalem-Photo Dept.)
After six decades of living in Israel, Abraham makes his first purchase of the land in order to bury his wife Sarah.
The real-estate transaction between our first Patriarch and Ephron the Hittite is especially revealing.
Abraham approaches Ephron in front of the community and declares: “I am a ger and a toshav among you” (Genesis 23:4).
In most translations the word ger is rendered “stranger,” and toshav “sojourner.” Accordingly, both words denote a short-term residence in the land, with the former term being more transitory than the latter. However, this translation is not true to the Hebraic origins of these terms.
Ger derives from gargir, a berry that is detached from its original source. An example of this can be seen in Genesis 12:10, when Abram needs to leave Israel to “live” (in Hebrew lagur, which derives from ger) in Egypt, due to the famine. Toshav is a term that denotes permanency. The “a ger and a toshav” expression appears again in Leviticus 25:23 – “And the land shall not be sold in perpetuity; for the land is Mine; for you are gerim and toshavim with Me.”
Therefore, I would translate ger as “immigrant” and toshav as “permanent resident.”
Abraham’s introductory remarks to Ephron are quite perplexing, since they are contradictory in terms. Is Abraham an immigrant or a permanent resident? Isn’t it impossible to be both? What is interesting is that Abraham chooses to identify himself as an immigrant first, despite having lived almost half his life in the Land of Israel. I would have expected him to first say he is a resident, who happens to have immigrant origins.
Blessed by God, Abraham is the successful immigrant. He achieves permanence, but not a sense of belonging. Abraham is an outsider; the “other.” Being separate and different, an outsider, appears to be a necessary experience in forming the national consciousness of Israel.
Facing otherness in Egypt would become the essential ingredient in reminding us how we should treat people afterward, when living in our own land. Exodus 22:30, 23:9 and Leviticus 19:33, as well as other biblical sources on not oppressing the residents in Israel, all come under the banner of knowing the heart of an immigrant, seeing that you yourselves were immigrants in the Land of Israel.
Communal protection is needed for the most vulnerable elements of society, including the orphan, widow and the immigrant.
We are the spiritual immigrants of our forefathers and carry the painful memories of the past. Will these harrowing recollections teach us to be more sensitive to others when dealing with the people in the Land of Israel, or will we harden our hearts and continue the cycle of abuse? The Bible is very clear about our covenantal duty and, in fact, commands us 36 times (!) not “to oppress the stranger in the land.”
In the last five years the Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation (CJCUC) has been involved in advancing the rapprochement between the two faith communities. During this time, we have had the honor of working with the local Christian Arab community in creating opportunities of dialogue and helping those whose are financially challenged by providing food packages and clothing.
Chief among the issues facing 30,000 Christians living in east Jerusalem and around Efrat are unemployment and poverty. This year, in partnership with Pastor Steven Khoury of the Bethlehem Ministry and the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, CJCUC created a food voucher assistance program for the local Christian Arab community. Together, we are striving to assist those who find themselves in need of basic food necessities. We are beginning to raise the spirits of Christian Arab families and letting them know that Jews and Christians care about them.
For the first time in history, a Jewish majority faces a Christian minority. It is easy, due to the past history between the two faiths, to overlook the specific needs of this community; however, covenantal land comes with covenantal responsibility. As an institution dedicated to better relations between Judaism and Christianity, this initiative hopes to bring comfort and assistance, while at the same time not making the Christian community feel like a stranger in the Holy Land.
The writer is the executive director of Ohr Torah Stone’s Center for Jewish-Christian Understanding and Cooperation in Efrat. Comments should be directed to info@cjcuc.com