A Jew is therefore required (1) To avoid Christians; (2) To do all he can to exterminate them.

CHAPTER I - CHRISTIANS MUST BE AVOIDED

Jews are required to avoid all contact with Christians for four reasons: (1) Because they are not worthy to share in the Jewish way of life; (2) Because they are unclean; (3) Because they are idolators; (4) Because they are murderers.

Article I. —Christians Must Be Avoided—Because They Are Unworthy to Share Jewish Customs

A Jew, by the fact that he belongs to the chosen people and is circumcized, possesses so great a dignity that no one, not even an angel, can share equality with him.(1) In fact, he is considered almost the equal of God. "He who strikes an Israelite" says Rabbi Chanina "acts as if he slaps the face of God's Divine Majesty."(2) A Jew is always considered good, in spite of certain sins which he may commit; nor can his sins contaminate him, any more
than dirt contaminates the kernel in a nut, but only soils its shell.(3) A Jew alone is looked upon as a man; the whole world is his and all things should serve him, especially "animals which have the form of men."(4)

(1) cf. Chullin, 91b
(2) cf. Sanhedrin, 58b
(3) cf. Chagigah, 15b
(4) "Thus on the Sabbath day Jews celebrate with wine, meats, fish and all the delicacies made for men; for them it is a full holiday; they abstain from all kinds of work and will not lift a finger to do anything that has the appearance of labor or that involves work of any kind. Thus if there is need to light a fire in winter, to light or blow out a candle, to cook or heat food, or to milk cows, they employ poor Christians to do such work. Hence they glory in the fact that they are masters and Christians are their servants who must minister to them while they rest at their ease. Christian rulers should see to it that this should be stopped and that others should not minister to Jews in this way on their Sabbath and other festivals. And it must be admitted that we, to the detriment of our Christian liberty, aid them too much in upholding their superstition to avoid all kinds of work on the Sabbath." Buxtorf in Synag. Jud. p. 382.

Thus it is plain that they regard all contact with Christians as contaminating and as detracting from their dignity. They are therefore required to keep as far away as possible from all who live and act as Christians do.(5)

(5) "They are diligently warned not to have any contact with Christians, not to play with their children, nor to eat or drink with them, nor to have anything to do with them socially. And parents tell their children the conversation of Christians is so horrible and vicious that they conceive an implacable hatred of Christians from their very cradle." Ibedem, ch. VII, p. 136.

1. A JEW MUST NOT SALUTE A CHRISTIAN

In Gittin (62a) it says:

"A Jew must not enter the home of a Nokhri on a feast day to offer him greetings. However, if he meets him on the street, he may offer him a greeting, but curtly and with head bowed."

2. A JEW MUST NOT RETURN THE GREETINGS OF A CHRISTIAN

In Iore Dea (148,10) it says:

"A Jew must not return the greeting of a Christian by bowing before him. It is good, therefore, to salute him first and so avoid having to answer him back if the Akum salutes him first."(6)

(6) Urbanity is therefore not the reason why Jews appear so amiable in bowing down so humbly before Christians.

Rabbi Kohana says that when a Jew salutes a Christian he should say "Peace to my Lord," but intend this for his own Rabbi. For the Tosephoth says: "For his heart was turned towards his own Rabbi."

3. A JEW MUST NOT GO BEFORE A CHRISTIAN JUDGE

In Choschen Hammischpat (26,1) it says:

"A Jew is not permitted to bring his case before Akum judges, even if the matter is judged by the decisions of Jewish law, and even if both parties agree to abide by such decisions. He who does so is impious and similar to one who calumniates and blasphemes, and who raises his hand against the Law given us by Moses, our great law-giver. Hagah says 'The Bethin has the power to excommunicate such a one until he release his Jewish brother from the hands of the Gentile.' "

4. A CHRISTIAN CANNOT BE USED AS A WITNESS

In Choschen Ham. (34,19) it says:

"A Goi or a servant is not capable of acting as a witness."

5. A JEW CANNOT EAT CHRISTIAN FOOD

In Iore Dea (112,1) it says:

"The Elders forbade the eating of the bread of the Akum, lest we would seem to be familiar with them."

And in Abhodah Zarah (35b) it says:

"The following things belonging to the Goim are forbidden: Milk which a Goi takes from a cow, in the absence of a Jew;(7) also their bread, etc."

(7) "For fear he would mix the milk of swine or of some other unclean animal with it"—Surenhusius Mischnah Ab. Zar. p.6.

6. A JEW MUST NEVER ACT IN ANY WAY LIKE A CHRISTIAN

In Iore Dea (178,1) it says:

"It is not permitted to imitate the customs of the Akum, nor to act like them. Nor is it permitted to wear clothes like the Akum, nor to comb the hair as they do...neither must Jews build houses that look like temples of the Akum."

Since, however, it is not possible to observe all these rules in every place, the Hagah says that they can be overlooked to a certain extent when, for instance, it is to the advantage of a Jew to do so; for example, if a Jew would profit by a trade which requires a certain kind of dress.