Making Coffee for Arab Workers

I made 4 cups of coffee for Arab workers who were hooking up the water, and electricity lines in a local park; I was told that I had transgressed a severe Torah infraction. 

Taken literally, I had indeed done so. The Torah states "Lo techonem," which is interpreted in three yet similar ways; you are not allowed to give non-Jews a permanent dwelling place in our ancestral land, you are not allowed to bestow excessive favor on non-Jews, to the detriment of your Jewish kin, and you are not allowed to give a free gift to a non-Jew. The latter is the one in question. 

I had no connection to the workers, hoped to gain no benefit from them, and wanted to just do a kind deed. According to the letter of the law, it would seem to be forbidden; at the same time, given the fragile state of affairs in our country and how soft power, diplomacy of deeds, seems to out-joust hard power, in my humble opinion, it is certainly something even recommended or praiseworthy. 

Thus, as a public citizen, in Israel, it would seem that it behooves everyone to do his small part to ameliorate tensions, preempting future conflict; every act here, perhaps, as opposed to in exile, can have much more far-reaching ramifications. It could be that nowadays, in Europe, America, or even worldwide, an act done by a Jew is considered reflective of the entirety of the Jewish people, but with the relationships in Israel so fraught between the Israeli majority and the Arab minority, and the latter's willingness to resort to terror to achieve their nationalistic goals, and otherwise, it would seem that a cup of coffee here and there, with milk and cream, or just black as most Arabs like it, could go a far way, more than any summit or accord, or anything else the White House can throw at us!

Comments

  1. kaballah99May 28, 2023 at 11:15 AM

    b"h

    you know, yoav gedaliah, that i am more than a bit harsh when it comes to dealing with the putrid, stinking, cancerous, barbarian arab and bedouin muslim scum and vermin, who live amongst us.

    the only time i would make a cup of coffee for arab workers is when they acknowledge that the jewish people rule eretz israel. and they get down on their knees, and kiss my feet,

    in the gemara it brings down that when one shows chesed to evil people, that chesed will boomerang, and the evil will rule over us.

    as rav meir kahannah said - it is time for them to go.

    and if you really want to know how i feel about this, please reply to me. LOL

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