Does Torah Discriminate Against Foreigners?
A translation is not the words of God but the words of man. When you read a translation, you read the opinion of the translator. And the surest way of misunderstanding Torah is to read a translation. The greatest confusion comes when a Hebrew word is poorly or even intentionally translated to read what it actually does not. Such an example is the Hebrew word often rendered in foreign translations as “stranger”, “foreigner, “alien”. The choice of these words in the translation of verses such as in Numbers poses a difficulty. We read from King James’ version of the Bible,
And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down: and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. (Num 1:51 KJV)
A question still arises, for similarly, KJV translates verse 10 in Chapter 2 “the stranger who comes near shall be put to death” seemingly implying that a non-native is meant in the Torah,
And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest’s office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death. (Num 3:10 KJV)
Note: For comparison, JPS renders the same verses as “common man”. Other translations may read “foreigner” or “alien”. We will return to it to explain.
What exactly is being described here? Regrettably, this translation, like most others, is easy to read nonetheless extremely inaccurate. The Hebrew language does not allow, not does it tolerate these translations and interpretations, which will make more sense to the critical reader, as we will explain below. We will explain that this is a wrong way to translate and interpret these verses, and that there is no good ground for thinking, nor is there any ground for understanding that the Torah establishes discrimination.
It is therefore the object of this work to explain the Hebrew texts of Numbers 1:51 and Numbers 3:10, whose translations arise to create an erroneous opinion, to which we now turn in order to remove all difficulties. For the purpose of this study and considering the unique standing of the converts, it becomes thus our duty to explain these passages, since so many people are confused regarding them. The reason why we will give our translation and interpretation, which will become quite clear below, is that there is a common error made when it is asserted that Torah discriminates against the strangers, and that the Eternal had set double standards: ones for the native and others for the converts. Let it not be! Besides, if we suggest that these translations read what they claim they read, we would be faced with a total contradiction to Torah that states in numerous occasions that there is one law for the native and non-native, a law for ever.
These verses therefore call aloud for an explanation, for their translations incriminate a foreigner of being near to the Tabernacle, which violation deserves a capital punishment. Perhaps, the last thing we would expect the Torah to do is to discriminate against not-natives. A reader, who takes these translations and alike by their face value without questioning them, will assume that a non-Israelite, who just left Egypt with Israel, entered into covenantal relationship with the Eternal at Mount Sinai, and accepted Torah as a guide in his/her new life, and thus became a part of covenantal nation, is meant here. But as we will explain in the following, this is not the case, and Torah does not discriminate against anyone who has taken the yoke of heaven.
“God is in the details”. (Jewish saying)
This Hebrew word זוּר zur is often translated as “stranger” or “foreigner” thus adding confusion. The root זוּר zur can have one of two meanings. It can mean (1) one who has turned aside, hence, to be estranged, as found in Job 19:13, Psa 58:3, and Eze 14:5, or it can mean (2) one who is gone (away), as found in Isa 1:4. The noun זוּר zur comes from the primitive root “to turn aside” (especially but not only for lodging), which explains the former meaning; hence to be estranged. The latter meaning in Isa 1:4 is to become profane, to commit adultery, or to become “fallen man”.
But this word has another meaning, as found in Lev 22:10. At this point in the discussion, it is necessary to understand what this verse legislates. We read,
And no zur eats the sanctified (food). A sojourner (toshav) with the priest, or a hired servant, does not eat the sanctified. (Lev 22:10)
Here זָר zur (a variant of זוּר) is used in general to mean a non-priest, or any person who was not a part of the household of the priest. However, if a priest hires a servant, then the servant may, as a permanent part of the priest’s household, eat of the meat of the offering.
Therefore, when read in the entire context of the Torah, what this law in Numbers 1 and 3 prohibits is that anyone, who is not from the tribe of Levi, is not to approach the Tabernacle. The reason for this prohibition?
The Tabernacle and the set-apart objects in it, sanctified for the service in it, and particularly the Ark of the Covenant, require different level of access. For instance, ordinary Israelites (common men) are not allowed in the court of the Tabernacle or the Temple on account of separation (holiness). The Levites are allowed in the court but not in the Tabernacle. The priests can enter the Tabernacle but not the inner chamber where the Ark is. And only the Hight Priest is allowed and only once a year (on Yom Kippur) to enter the Most Set-apart Place and where the Ark is. These are the levels of separation or sanctification (holiness), which the Torah establishes regardless of origin, ethnic groups, etc. In other words, Torah differentiates and does not discriminate against. When we keep all these considerations in mind, we will also understand the literal and plain translation of our verse. This verse hence can be retranslated as follows,
When the Tabernacle is set to travel, the Levites shall dismantle it. And when the Tabernacle camps, the Levites shall erect it. Any outsider [non-Levite] who approaches shall be put to death. (Num 1:51)
In other words, anyone (whether native or non-native, who is not of the seed of Aharon) who has no business around the Tabernacle is considered an outsider is banned from approaching it. This translation is supported by other laws, such as in Num 16:40, as we explain further below. We read,
… a reminder to the children of Israel that no outsider, who is not of the seed of Aharon, should come near to offer incense before the Eternal … (Num 16:40)
If the Torah had only written “no outsider should come near to offer incense”, a non-native would not have known what it legislates. But in order to make this clear to the reader, Torah here comes to explain what zur means: “outsider” is one who is not of the seed of Aharon. When the word “stranger” is used as “proselyte” then the word ger is used, as in Num 19:10. A closer examination of the text shows that the Torah is not merely being informative here, but that the phrase “who is not of the seed of Aharon” refers to any member of the nation, native or non-native, who is not a descendant of the High Priest Aharon, i.e., anyone who is not a priest. This phrase is inserted here primarily in order to show the reader how important that consideration is in the eyes of the Torah. In a similar way, one must translate and interpret all the verses where the Hebrew word zur appears, according to the context. We can refute all mistranslations of zur by quoting many verses, but we will not prolong our argument and preclude the matter hereafter.
Hence, the proper translation in the context of the Torah would be: “as a reminder for the children of Israel that no outsider, who is not of the seed of Aharon”. The Torah goes on to include even the natives. In other words, only the priests are to burn incense before the Eternal, not even the Levites, much less commoners; all others are considered outsiders who have no business in the Tabernacle, whether native or non-native. The correctness of this view is placed beyond all doubt by the contents of what is legislated in the Torah. As for any outsider, who approaches [to participate] in the work of the Tabernacle, shall be put to death, the Sages have ruled a death at “the hands of heaven”, not at the hands of men (i.e., but the court of law). Thus, this addresses and resolves the difficulties we raised in the beginning of our study. We will have no more to say upon this point presently.
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