Editing Gentile (section)

=== Tannaim ===
{{See also|Tannaim}}
[[Tannaim]] were the rabbinic sages whose views are recorded in the [[Mishnah]], from approximately 10–220 CE.

It was this [[rabbinic literature]] of the first centuries CE that developed the concept of the gentile as we understand it today - as "any individual who is not a Jew, erasing all ethnic and social differences among different others".<ref name=Zvi /> {{blockquote |text="Mishnah-Tosefta makes no clear distinction among the various types of non-Israelites. Romans, Greeks, Syrians, Egyptians, and the like are classified merely as gentiles, ''goyim'' or ''nokrim''" "The rabbis... had one term for all non-Israelites, whether idolaters or farmers, liars or trustworthy, Greek or Roman." |multiline=yes |author=Gary G. Porton, 2020<ref name=Porton>{{cite book |first=Gary G. |last=Porton | title=Goyim: Gentiles and Israelites in Mishnah-Tosefta  | chapter=The Gentiles as Non-Israelites | publisher=Brown Judaic Studies | date=2020 | doi=10.2307/j.ctvzpv4vp.17 | pages=285–308|s2cid=241062166 }}</ref>}}

However, the attitudes of the Rabbis to gentiles were not simple or uniform. Porton argues that the Mishnah-Tosefta discusses gentiles for two quite different reasons: firstly, practically, to guide the relations between Israelites and gentiles who were living alongside each other in Palestine. Secondly, at a theoretical level, gentiles are discussed because, in order to define the people of Israel and its symbols and institutions, it was necessary to define who lay outside that group.<ref name=Porton />

Some Tannaim show a positive attitude towards the gentiles. [[Joshua ben Hananiah]] believed that there are righteous men amongst the gentiles who will enter the world to come. He believed that except for the descendants of the [[Amalek]]s, the rest of the gentiles will adopt [[monotheism]] and the righteous among them will escape [[Gehenna]].<ref name="jewishencyclopedia.com"/>

Other rabbinical writings show more hostility towards gentiles which needs to be understood in the context of frequent persecution of the Jews in this period. The most famous and extreme of the anti-gentile teachers is [[Simeon bar Yochai]]. He is often quoted by [[antisemites]]<ref name="jewishencyclopedia.com"/> in his sayings: "The best among the Gentiles deserves to be killed", "The most pious woman is addicted to sorcery" and "The best of snakes ought to have its head crushed".<ref name="jewishencyclopedia.com"/> Such extreme views can be explained by the sage's life experience: he witnessed his teacher being tortured to death,<ref name="Schwarz2008">{{cite book|author=Sidney Schwarz|title=Judaism and Justice: The Jewish Passion to Repair the World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dnUTcPa3YwQC&pg=PA73|year=2008|publisher=Jewish Lights Publishing|isbn=978-1-58023-353-8|page=73}}</ref> and became a fugitive after speaking out against Roman oppression.<ref name="Cohen1987">{{cite book|author=J. Simcha Cohen|title=Intermarriage and Conversion: A Halakhic Solution|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=pq3tOK5rdYYC&pg=PA77|year=1987|publisher=KTAV Publishing House, Inc.|isbn=978-0-88125-125-8|page=77}}</ref> Later commentators have limited this teaching to idolators and only at times of war.

[[Eliezer ben Hurcanus]] writes that the mind of every gentile is always intent upon [[idolatry]].<ref name="jewishencyclopedia.com">{{cite web|url=http://jewishencyclopedia.com/articles/6585-gentile|title=GENTILE - JewishEncyclopedia.com|website=jewishencyclopedia.com}}</ref> He believed that gentiles only perform [[animal sacrifice]] to make a name for themselves. He further believed that gentiles have no share in the [[world to come]].

[[Eleazar of Modi'im]] wrote that Jews, when guilty of the same sin as gentiles, will not enter [[Hell#Judaism|hell]] whereas the gentiles will.<ref name="jewishencyclopedia.com"/> [[Eleazar ben Azariah]] believed that the rulings performed by a gentile court are not valid for Jews. [[Rabbi Akiva]] believed that Israel's monotheism is far superior to the ever-changing beliefs of the gentiles. [[Jose the Galilean]] criticizes Israel for inconsistency compared to the faithfulness of the gentiles to their ancestral beliefs. He believed the good deeds of the gentiles will be rewarded as well.