The war in Ukraine has forced millions of people to flee. Many of them are fleeing to Western Europe, others to Israel. What does the Torah actually say about dealing with refugees? Raphael Evers, the former chief rabbi of the Jewish community of Düsseldorf, offers some insights.
By: Rabbi Raphael Evers, Translation and editing by Dana Nowak
We are now in the fourth week of the war in Ukraine. It seems far from over. In Western Europe, we are confronted with ever-increasing numbers of refugees.
During Purim, the Jewish festival of lots that originated about 2,500 years ago, the Jews had nowhere to go. They were trapped within the vast empire of the Persian king Ahasuerus, which at times stretched from India to Ethiopia and encompassed 127 provinces (Esther 1:1). According to the Book of Esther, Haman, the highest-ranking official in the government, ordered that all Jews be killed. Eventually, they were rescued from Haman's clutches. After the Babylonian exile, they returned to Israel. They had received permission from the Persian king Cyrus to rebuild the Temple.
3,334 years ago, we Jews left Egypt. After ten plagues, Pharaoh had had enough of us. We were expelled from Egypt. Every year, we commemorate this exodus by re-enacting several key elements of the historical event. On the first night of Passover, we eat unleavened bread, matzah, to remember the slavery and oppression, but also the liberation. The liberation was so abrupt that the Jews didn't have time for the dough to rise: "You shall not eat any leavened bread with it. For seven days you shall eat unleavened bread, the bread of affliction—for you fled from the land of Egypt in haste—that you may remember the day you left Egypt all the days of your life." (Deuteronomy 16:3) We eat maror, or horseradish, because everything was so sad and bitter. But on the Seder night, we also drink four cups of wine because we are grateful to be free and to live a Jewish life. It seems it's important to remember from time to time that we're all a bit of a "refugee" sometimes. Then we see the negative aspects, but don't forget that there are also bright spots.
The current refugee problem
The current European refugee crisis has evoked both great compassion and fear. Western European countries have opened their borders and promised genuine help, unlike during the Holocaust for our grandparents. Has Western Europe finally learned something from history and from the Torah? How do we as Jews deal with the refugee crisis? There is undoubtedly a clear guideline in the Torah: “You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 22:21) We must not wrong refugees. We must not abandon them to their fate. We must help them and shelter them.
But the Torah is also very sensitive to the psychological well-being of refugees. In the Talmud, "oppression" is also explained as "crushing with words." Hurting, insulting, or dismissing refugees as hidden criminals is out of the question. It is not permitted to insult refugees. Yet, unfortunately, this happens far too often. The unknown breeds unlovability. The refugee crisis is a moment of humane truth in European history. It is an enormous moral challenge.
Ultimately, it's about our compassion and our self-sacrifice. Tiny Israel has always taken in many refugees. People feared economic decline. But miraculously, the Israeli economy is still growing.
Is it permissible to investigate refugees for potential terrorist or other nefarious intentions? Yes, absolutely! Once initial emergency aid has been provided, every country has the right and the duty to ensure its own security. Background checks are perfectly acceptable. “If someone asks for food, give them something to eat immediately. Perhaps they are truly starving. Then investigate so that you are not deceived.” (Talmud)
Moral demands
Can we make demands of refugees? Yes, absolutely, including moral demands. When the Jews were taken into exile in Babylon five centuries before our era, the prophet Jeremiah, in God's name, gave them a well-intentioned message: “Seek the welfare of the city to which I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.” (Jeremiah 29:7)
This means: being welcome, participating, integrating, but preserving one's own identity. Communicating one's feelings, but not speaking in a rebellious manner against the host country. Becoming part of society, enriching one's new homeland with the beautiful cultural aspects one brings with them, and participating in the development of one's new environment.
The biblical principle of combating poverty among all financially secure citizens implies a proportional distribution of refugees across Western Europe. However, Western Europe is a single entity, and proportional distribution is a moral obligation. Ultimately, the refugee problem is a question of our hospitality and self-sacrifice.
Rabbi Raphael Evers was the chief rabbi in Düsseldorf. After his retirement in the summer of 2021, he and his wife made Aliyah to Israel.
