The True Meaning of the Word Adam
In my article The Word Goy and Its Many Meanings, we discussed a line from the Bava Metzia (a Talmudic tractate concerned with property law and usury) that to the untutored or biased ear sounds like the Talmud considers only Jews as human beings and therefore that Gentiles must be animals. Here is the text:
The graves of Gentiles do not defile, for it is written, "And ye my flock, the flock of my pastures, are men; only ye are designated 'men'."Anti-Semitic websites point to this verse to prove that Jews are racists. However the word 'men' used here is same Hebrew word 'adam' which was used in Genesis 1:27 - God created men in his own image. If only Jews are men, as some contend, does the Torah mean God only created Jews? Obviously not. Jews did not exist until Abram became Abraham.
But then one may ask what did the Talmudic rabbis mean when they wrote that Gentiles are not 'adam'?
First let's understand that the word 'adam' does not mean human; in Hebrew 'yetsoor' is the word for human. 'Adam' in the Talmud, a collection of legal texts, means a person with certain responsibilities and obligations as to Jewish Law which do not apply to non-adams. Indeed, Jews are obligated to perform 613 commandments while all of humanity must obey only the Seven Laws of Noah. Any non-Jew who adheres to these seven laws is regarded as a righteous gentile, and is assured of a place in the world to come [Wikipedia].
'Adam' in the Talmud is also used to mean 'man' in the same sense as the website askmen.com uses in their article The 10 Best Indicators You're A Man (1). That is to say, askmen.com is not asserting that if you are not reliable or industrious or have other traits mentioned in their article, that you are a subhuman or base animal. In the askmen context you are not a real man unless you possess certain qualities and have certain responsibilities.
Likewise in the Talmud, when the Rabbis attach the word 'men' to Jews they mean those men have different legal obligations than Gentiles - studying the Talmud, acting righteously, etc. For example, a Jewish boy does not become an 'adam' until he is 13 at which age he can legally sign a contract and testify in a court proceeding. But does that mean that Jewish boys are sub-human animals because they are not men until age 13? Obviously not.
The Talmud also states that one is not a real man if he does not have a wife or own land (2). Does that mean the Talmud considers unmarried or unlanded Jews as subhuman animals? Obviously not.
In modern Israel, if a Jew says to you that you are not a ben-adam (a son of Adam), he is not calling you a subhuman, he is asking you to man-up or be a man or to be a decent person.
To conclude: Gentiles and in certain circumstances even Jews are not 'adam,' which term is only used to distinguish individuals, both Jew and non-Jew-alike, as to certain obligations under Jewish law. There is nothing racist or personal, just legal.
ENDNOTES
(1):
askmen.com, Traits Of A Real Man
There have been many changes in the roles of the sexes over the past 60 years. As a result, the expectation of men and the standard we are held to has morphed a little. But one thing is for sure: There are certain traits that define masculinity that most men and women would still agree upon.
This isn't a question of backwards thinking or outdated sensibilities. This is the type of stuff that points to the fundamental characteristics that most men still hold dear. Strength, reliability and action are all still core parts of what makes a man's man. This doesn't mean that you're failing if you aren't achieving some of these aspects, but rather, they're goals to keep in mind as you forge through your quest to become better.
(2):
Halakhah.com, Babylonian Talmud: Tractate Yebamoth
Folio 63a:
R. Eleazar said: Any man who has no wife is no proper man; for it is said, Male and female created He them and called their name Adam.
R. Eleazar further stated: Any man who owns no land is not a proper man; for it is said, The heavens are the heavens of the Lord; but the earth hath he given to the children of men (bnei adam).
