Are non-Jews allowed to read Jewish books?

Answer 1

Answer 1

Allowed by whom ? Judaism certainly has nothing to say about what an individual's

interests are and what he chooses to read, most especially a non-Jewish individual.

If there's any prohibition floating around, it's much more likely to be the authorities

of the non-Jewish faith who prohibit their adherents from reading works from Judaic

sources, perhaps out of fear that they might come to understand too much of what it's

all about.

Answer 2

There are some Jewish leaders who are less than excited when non-Jews read complex Jewish philosophy or analysis. The most commonly cited example is when Madonna read Kabbalistic Texts and proclaimed herself knowledgeable in Kabbalah (note that she does not even pronounce the word correctly - it's Kabalá not Kábala). The higher level Jewish philosophy books require an incredible amount of context to be understood properly and that takes time. Therefore, it is recommended that a person who wishes to read Jewish books either read the basics before moving up to more advanced material, or to study these books in tandem with a religious Jew to have the proper context provided. This is the same advice that a devout person of any religion would give to those who would wish to truly understand the books of his faith.

As for actual physical impediments or cultural faux pas, Judaism and Jews have never objected to others reading their materials, provided that they bring the reverence to the material that it deserves.