{"id":75714,"date":"2020-06-09T13:06:48","date_gmt":"2020-06-09T10:06:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=75714"},"modified":"2020-06-09T13:06:48","modified_gmt":"2020-06-09T10:06:48","slug":"establishing-the-absolute-equality-of-the-foreigner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/establishing-the-absolute-equality-of-the-foreigner\/","title":{"rendered":"Establishing The Absolute Equality of the Foreigner"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[],"acf":{"old_id":"75714","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":64460,"related_cahpter":"499","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"A radical example of prophetic universalism\u00a0\r\n\r\n","content":"

In the last chapter, we saw how Ezekiel\u2019s vision of the role of the post-restoration leader shows a concern that the egalitarian ethos of the Torah\u2019s system of land ownership might be disrupted by the prince\u2019s greed. In the 47th chapter of Ezekiel, we find, rather than a conservative impulse regarding that system, a surprising reform \u2014 one with radical implications for Israelite identity.<\/span><\/p>\n

Political belonging in the Israelite commonwealth is defined primarily by descent. The people as a whole claims descent from the Patriarchs, and are further defined by a tribal identity derived from their descent from one of the twelve sons of Jacob. The sense that a familial bond grounds the political structure of the nation is strong; fellow Israelites are referred to as \u201cbrothers.\u201d Alongside natives (<\/span>ezrachim<\/span><\/em>)<\/span><\/i>, born into the Israelite people, many places in the Bible speak of a class of people called <\/span>gerim<\/span><\/em>,<\/span><\/i> variously translated as strangers or sojourners. These are apparently people who are not of Israelite descent but, for economic or other reasons, find themselves living in the Israelite commonwealth. Because they are not Israelites, they lack access to the basic means of maintenance which are available to Israelites living in the patriarchal clans which are the basic social units of this society; the stranger is habitually mentioned alongside other classes of vulnerable people, such as windows and orphans, for whom special care is commanded. A number of texts (e.g. Exodus 12:49, Numbers 15:16) indicate that the distinctions between such \u2018permanent residents\u2019 and native-born Israelites ought to be deemphasized or minimized. Nevertheless, the distinction apparently remains in some sense indelible; the <\/span>gerim<\/span><\/i> simply cannot acquire different ancestors.<\/span><\/p>\n

A moment in our chapter seems to call the finality of this distinction into question. After detailing the boundaries of the tribal territories (in a manner which is strikingly different and apparently much more equal than the division detailed in Joshua), Ezekiel says: \u201cThis land you shall divide for yourselves among the tribes of Israel. You shall allot it as a heritage for yourselves and for the strangers who reside among you, who have begotten children among you. You shall treat them as Israelite citizens; they shall receive allotments along with you among the tribes of Israel. You shall give the stranger an allotment within the tribe where he resides\u2014declares the Lord GOD\u201d (47:21-23).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The incorporation of people of non-Israelite heritage into the system of tribal land tenure, a system apparently inextricably bound to descent, is a remarkable reform, one which would seem to destabilize the principles on which the system is founded. This moment is one of the most radical examples of prophetic universalism, sitting alongside Isaiah\u2019s vision of a Temple in which non-Israelites serve as priests. The idea, eventually radicalized by Christianity, that God\u2019s covenant with Israel could be expanded to include the nations, that in the words of the Apostle Paul, gentiles could become \u2018grafted\u2019 into Abraham\u2019s family tree, may have its source in moments like this.<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":75715,"id":75715,"title":"ez47-equality","filename":"ez47-equality.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/ez47-equality.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/establishing-the-absolute-equality-of-the-foreigner\/ez47-equality\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"ez47-equality","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":75714,"date":"2020-06-09 10:06:07","modified":"2022-02-07 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