Why are Jews not allowed to associate with Gentiles?

Answer 1

Answer 1

The premise of the question in incorrect. Jews, and adherents to Judaism, often and daily associate with 'Gentiles'.

Answer 2

The term "associate" is nebulous. The vast majority of Jews are more than willing to converse, work alongside, eat meals with, and form friendships with non-Jews, especially in today's era of globalization. However, on the flip side, most Jews are averse to religious intermarriage, burial in mixed cemeteries, and, among the more religious, social groupings.

There have historically been numerous reasons, both from the Jewish Side and from the Gentile Side, as to why Jews have not completely assimilated in their methods of association.

Jewish Side:

This is a contentious issue within Judaism itself. Most Jews openly reject the idea of Jews being unable to join in celebrating neutral events with non-Jews as well as livelihoods and careers. There is a strong issue in Judaism as concerns the preservation of the faith. Judaism is a faith that is primarily spread vertically (in families as opposed to horizontally which is through conversions). As a result, many Jews take a particular interest in having their children grow up in a Jewish family with Jewish morals and ideals. Intermarriage with non-Jews and, for the very religious, strong friendships with non-Jews will serve to erode the long-term viability of the faith. Given that Jews have historically been persecuted, this is a very touchy subject.

As concerns burials, taking care of the dead is a touchy subject regardless of faith and Jews prefer to be buried with their communities and families which have historically been Jewish. There is also the Messianic Prophecies about how the Jewish graves will be summoned to Israel by the Messiah at God's command.

Among more religious Jews there is also the idea of separate races. Jews have a special spiritual ability which they must refine in the presence of other Jews who are expressing this spiritual nature. The Gentiles, in this mindset, have also been gifted with the ability to build massive empires, cities, and technologies and to effect great change in the world. Each side balances the other, with the Jew providing spiritual harmony and the Gentile providing an Earthly domain. When the two are forced to engage in the activities of the other, this would go against their "Ricardian Equivalence" and thus be undesirable.

Gentile Side:

Until about the 1700s, the Jews, except the small populations in India and China, lived in ghettos, segregated communities, or uniquely Jewish villages at the insistence of non-Jews. In many cases it was because they believed Jews to be impure or unsaved. Either way, they were seen as detestable if permitted and worth killing if not.

Many Gentile leaders endorsed the old Catholic position that Jews were corrupt, thieving, merciless, demonic, and numerous other adjectives that are indicative of the strong anti-Semitism in those days. In the Arab World, Jews "knew their place" and while that was a better one than what they had in Europe, the jizya and kharaj taxes made it clear that they were a secondary group, not an equal one.

In the Western World today, there are few barriers if any preventing Jewish-Gentile interaction. In the Arab World today, the Jews have mostly fled to Israel citing growing concerns over their health and well-being in these countries where anti-Semitism is common and rampant. In those places, it is not that the law specifically precludes their association, but that the unbalanced system has not engendered their willingness to reach out.