Parasha Shemot (Exodus 1-6) 12-31-17

http://lukeford.net/blog/?p=119549
* Dennis Prager: “The Jewish nation was unique in that it took converts. You couldn’t convert to being Greek or Egyptian [but you could become a Roman]. Can you imagine a black showing up in Alexandria and saying I’d like to become an Egyptian? That’s ludicrous. It’s like a man showing up and saying I’d like to be a woman.”

“Jewish assimilation is a problem for host peoples. It is the old issues of dual loyalties — are you an American or are you a Jew? Jews are both. There’s no problem with that. Why would they conflict? Are you first a Christian and then an American?”

“For all of us, our religious values should come before our blood-based values.”

“Jewish assimilation is a problem. The Jews would be plentiful, do well, and yet retain their distinct identity, which if they wanted to give up, they couldn’t because the Egyptians wouldn’t let them. When Jews assimilate, they are called a Fifth Column. When they don’t assimilate, they’re called insular and tribal and parochial and provincial. That’s why Zionism was founded — let the Jews normalize and live in their own country like every other nation. The world is not ready, said Theodore Herzl, for having an Other in its midst. Egypt was not ready to have an Other in its midst. We have no inkling that the Jews were disloyal or bothering them in any way.”