Certain
members of the European Jewish community have, both in the past and now, base the concept of the accursed state of black/dark-skinned
people on an intentional misinterpretation of Genesis 9:20-27. However, this passage of scripture itself contains none
of the slanderous characteristics found in any Jewish fable. It reads: "Now Noah started off as
a farmer and proceeded to plant a vineyard. And he began drinking of the wine and
became intoxicated, and so he uncovered himself in the midst of his tent. Later Ham the father of Canaan saw his father's
nakedness and went telling it to his two brothers outside. At that Shem and Japheth took a mantle and put it upon both their
shoulders and walked in backwards. Thus they covered their father's nakedness, while their faces were turned away, and
they did not see their father's nakedness. Finally Noah awoke from his wine and got to know what his youngest son had
done to him. At that he said: 'Cursed be Canaan. Let him become the lowest slave to his brothers.' And he added: 'Blessed
be Jehovah, Shem's God. And let Canaan become a slave to him. Let God grant ample space to Japheth. And let him reside
in the tents of Shem. Let Canaan become a slave to him also.'"
One can clearly
see that there is no mention of the skin color of any of the individuals noted in this passage of scriptures. Furthermore,
there is no specific reference of the sin that was committed against Noah, nor any reference to the person who committed
the sin against Noah.
Some bible scholars hold that the prophecy of God's curse
on Canaan was fulfilled when the Gibeonites, a subgroup of the Canaanites, became servants to the Jews. Even in the scriptures
that recount the events leading to the covenant relationship between Joshua and the Gibeonites, there is no mention of skin
color.
That Jehovah, the God of the Torah never intended to use skin color to distinguish a "cursed"
group of people is clearly apparent when one sees the racial dissimilarities between Jewish people. There are African Jews,
like the Lemba (or Lembe) of South Africa who are very dark. There are also brown-skinned Jews like the Mizrahim of the Middle
East and North Africa. There are lighter-skinned Asian Jews. Lastly, there are European Jews. Even among European Jews there
are dissimilarities in skin color -- from blond-hair, blue-eyed, very fair skin to dark-hair, dark-eyed olive skin. The Jewish
community, as with any other group of people, intermarried with individuals of other ethnic groups and bred in or bred out
skin color.
Skin color can never logically be an accurate indicator of a bloodline. However, while the Torah
says nothing about the skin color of any of the individuals discussed in the scriptures, it does say a thing or two about
slander. One of the original ten commandments states: "You must not testify falsely as a witness against your fellowman."
Leviticus 19:16 reiterates this commandment when it says: "You must not go around among
your people for the sake of slandering. You must not stand up against your fellow's blood."
Deuteronomy 19:16-21 is even more serious as it not only prohibits the practice of slandering for the purpose of shedding
blood, it also authorizes punishment for the slanderer. It says: "In case a witness scheming violence should
rise up against a man to bring a charge of revolt against him, the two men who have the dispute must also stand before Jehovah,
... and if the witness is a false witness and has brought a false charge ... you must also do to him just as he had schemed
to do ... and you must clear away what is bad from your midst. So those who remain will hear and be afraid, and they will
never again do anything bad like this in your midst. And your eye should not feel sorry, soul will be for soul, eye for eye,
tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot."
The Torah's laws did not make
a distinction between Jews and non-Jews. The laws for slander, as well as all other laws were made to apply to all. Number
15:15-16 says: "You who are of the congregation and the alien resident who is residing as an alien resident will
have one statute. It will be a statute to time indefinite for your generations. The alien resident should prove to be the
same as you before Jehovah. There should prove to be one law and one judicial decision for you and for the alien resident
who is residing as an alien with you."
Even in the event that a Jew saw or heard of a case of slander
or any other flagrant disregard for the law, he was required to make it publicly known. Leviticus 5:1 says: "Now
in case a soul sins…and he is a witness or he has seen it or has come to know of it, if he does not report it, then
he must answer for his error."
Slander can sometimes result in the victim being robbed or
defrauded. The Torah holds out stiff penalties for individuals who engaged in robbing or defrauding one's fellowman. Leviticus
6:1-5 says: "And Jehovah went on to speak to Moses, saying: ‘In case a soul sins in that he does behave unfaithfully
towards Jehovah and does … a robbery or he does defraud his associate, … then it must occur that in case he
sins and indeed become guilty he must return the robbed thing which he has robbed or the extorted thing which he has taken
by fraud … and he must make compensation for it in its full amount, and he will add to it a fifth of it. The one whose
it is he will give it on the day his guilt is proved.’"
Not only does the
Torah prohibit slander, it provides stiff penalties to the slanderer. It also requires the slanderer to make reparations to
the victims of slander.
The European Jewish community, many of whom are familiar with the Torah,
should understand the African community's righteous demand for the restoration of the African community's international
reputation, as well as to make reasonable financial compensation to replace the wealth Africans lost as a result of the promulgation
of the slanderous Jewish myth regarding the curse of Ham/black/dark skin.
