Duty to Non-Jews
Question
What is our duty to stand up and speak or act when we see oppression and injustice being done to non-Jews? It seems that many Jews of previous generations concerned themselves with global injustice, bigotry, etc given what has happened to us, but many of us today seem to feel that it is dangerous and unwise to concern ourselves in the affairs of others. I wonder if there is guidance on this? Thank you
Answers
Your question is extremely apt for today’s volatile climate. In theory, a Jew has an obligation to be a “light unto the nations”. This means that oppression and injustice should bother us and we should do what we can to try and alleviate them. However, it is applicable only when intervention will not cause any kind of negative backlash against Jews of Jewish communities. Therefore, the correct approach for anyone wanting to try to right wrongs in the non-Jewish world would be to seek out advice from an Orthodox Rabbi who is known to have a keen and penetrating insight into the particular circumstances and would thereby be able to give guidance on what the Torah would want the person to do.
Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team