Background: This story comes from Der Giftpilz,an anti-Semitic children’s book published by Julius Streicher, the publisher of Der Stürmer.For further information, see my book Julius Streicher (New York: Cooper Square, 2001). This chapter cites numerous supposed passages from various Jewish religious writings, not paying particular heed to accuracy or context.
Solly is thirteen years old. He is the son of the livestock-Jew Blumenstock from Langenbach. There is no Jewish school there. Solly therefore has to go to the German school. His schoolmates don’t like him. Solly is fresh and insolent. There are always fights. And Solly is always responsible for them.
Today Solly doesn’t have to go to school. He has to visit a rabbi in the city. A rabbi is a Jewish preacher. And this Jewish preacher wants to see if Solly has diligently studied the teachings of the Jewish religion. Solly has gone to the synagogue. A synagogue is the church of the Jews. The rabbi is waiting for him. He is an old Jew with a long beard and a genuine devil’s face. Solly bows. The rabbi leads him to a reading table where there is a large, thick book. It is the Talmud. The Talmud is the secret law book of the Jews.
The rabbi begins the examination.
“Solly, you have a Gentile teacher in school. And every day you hear what the Gentiles say, what they believe, and the laws by which they live . . .”
Solly interrupts the rabbi.
“Yes, rabbi, I hear that every day. But that doesn’t concern me. I am a Jew. I have laws to follow that are entirely different from those of the Gentiles. Our laws are written down in the Talmud.”
The rabbi nods.
“Right! And now I want to hear what you know about them. Give me a few sayings or proverbs that you have heard in the Gentile school!”
Solly thinks. Then he says:
“A proverb of the Gentiles is: ‘Work is no disgrace.’”
“What do the Gentiles mean by that?”
“They mean to say that it is no disgrace when one has to work.”
“Do we Jews believe that?”
“No, we don’t believe that! In our law book the Talmud it is written:
Work is noxious and not to be done.
Therefore we Jews don’t work, but mostly engage in commerce. Gentiles are created to work. In the Talmud it also says:
The rabbi teaches: There is no lower occupation than farming. A Jew should neither plow the field nor plant grain. Commerce is far more bearable than tilling the soil.”
The rabbi laughs.
“You’ve learned very well. But I know another Talmud passage that you must learn.”
He opens the Talmud. Solly must read:
The Gentiles are created to serve the Jews. They must plow, sow, weed, dig, reap, bundle, soft, and grind. The Jews are created to find everything ready.
The rabbi continues his examination.
“Tell me several more principles or proverbs of the Gentiles!”
Solly answers:
“The Gentiles say: “Be ever loyal and upright. Honor is the surest defense.”
“What do the Gentiles mean by that?”
“They mean that one should always be honest in life. One should not lie and cheat. That’s what the Gentiles say.”
“And what do we Jews do?”
“We may lie and cheat Gentiles. In the Talmud it says:
It is permitted for Jews to cheat Gentiles. All lies are good.
And furthermore it is written:
It is forbidden for a Jew to cheat his brother. To cheat a Gentile is permitted.
When we loan the Gentiles money, we must demand usurious interest. For in the Talmud it is written:
Concerning robbery it is taught: Gentiles may not rob each other. The Gentile may not rob the Jews. But the Jews may at any time rob the Gentiles.
It further says:
If a Jew has stolen something from a Gentile and the Gentile discovers it and demands it back, the Jew should simply deny it all. The Jewish court will stand by the Jew.
It is also permitted for us Jews to buy stolen goods from a thief, when they come from Gentiles. We Jews may also be fences without sinning before our God. Smuggling and tax evasion are also permitted for us Jews. In the Talmud it is written that we may cheat Gentile authorities of customs and taxes. It says:
Smuggling is permitted, for it is written: You need not pay what you owe.
Also thievery is permitted for Jews. But we may steal only from the Gentiles. The Talmud says:
The words ‘Thou shalt not steal’ in the text refer only to thievery from Jews. Stealing from Gentiles is not meant.”
“What does that mean?” the rabbi asked.
“That means that we cannot steal from or cheat Jews. But we can cheat Gentiles at any time. That is permitted for us.”
The rabbi is satisfied.
“Excellent! In conclusion, give me several more laws from the Talmud.”
Solly is delighted with the rabbi’s praise. Solly says: “In the Talmud it is written:
Only the Jew is human. The Gentile peoples are not called people, rather they are named animals.
And because we see Gentiles as animals, we call them goy, it is also permitted for us at any time to perjure ourselves before a Gentile court. In the Talmud it is written:
The Jew is permitted to swear falsely before a Gentile court. Such an oath is always to be seen as compelled. Even when a Jew swears by the name of God, he is allowed to tell a lie, and in his heart to reject the oath he has made.
Furthermore, in the Book of Sirach it says:
Terrify all the nations, 0 Judah! Lift up your hands against the Gentiles! Incite the wrath of the Gentiles against each other and pour out anger! Shatter the princes who are enemies to the Jews.”
“Enough!” interrupts the rabbi. He comes up to Solly and shakes his hand. Then he says:
“You are a fine Talmud student. You will become a real Jew. Always think about what the Talmud demands of you. The teachings and laws of the Talmud are more important and more to be obeyed than the laws of the Old Testament. The teachings of the Talmud are the words of the living Jewish god. He who breaks the laws of the Talmud deserves death. You should think about that throughout your whole life. If you always follow the Talmud laws diligently, you will join our biblical fathers in the Jewish heaven. Amen!”
Murder, thievery, and lies
Robbery, perjury, and cheating
These are all permitted for the Jews,
As every Jewish child knows.
In the Talmud it is written,
What Jews hate and what they love,
What Jews think and how they live,
All is ordained by the Talmud.
[Translation copyright © 1983 by Randall Bytwerk. No unauthorized reproduction. My e-mail address is available on the FAQ page.]
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