The Seforno to Bereishit 46:3, in commenting on the verse, "Fear not to go down into Egypt" writes:

If you remain here your children will intermarry and become absorbed by the Caananites, but in Egypt they will not be able to do so, 'because the Egyptians may not eat bread with the Hebrews' (Bereishit 43:32), therefore they will be a separate, distinct people, as our Sages state, "The verse, 'and he became there a nation' (Devarim 26:5) teaches us that they were distinctive there".


It seems to me this a is a powerful vindication of those who erect invisible walls of purity and a repudiation of those who laud living among the religiously tolerant.

Indeed, it is also the reason that the Alter Rebbe sided with the Evil Russian Czar in his battle against Napoleon who offered relative freedom to the Jews...
He tained that the level of assimilation that would occur under Napoleon far made the oppression of the Czarist regime preferable...

Right. I was thinking about that specifically [as well as a number of other examples].

Oiy was that a machloikes.

mosheshmeal
.

Why does chabad sing La Merseillaise?

They don't. Rather, the Rebbe taught Ha'aderet Ve-ha-emunah during hakafot on Simchat Torah 5734 to the tune of La Marseillaise. There is deep significance to everything the Rebbe did. I'm sure a search on the Internet for "la marseillaise and lubavitch rebbe" will provide some clues, however superficial.

Ever read this book?

http://books.google.com/books?id=MeBt58RGv...z3H2fYg#PPA1,M1

See Page 3

Can you cite a Renaissance Rabbi as a source for this view?

Why not?




No.


Thank you.

I don't think this was his reasoning.

Because the example of his life is a counterpoint to isolationism.

Nuance was never my forte.

Oh, okay.

(Why can't I message you? Can you message me? Or email me? Please?)

On the other hand, far be it from me to suggest that geopolitical considerations influence a peirush on chumash, but the Seforno lived during the Expulsion from Spain and during establishment of the first ghettos in Italy and he may possibly have been providing comfort to his readers and finding precedent for the upheavals in his time. Not just in the comment on the verse I cited in the opening post, but take a look for example back at Bereishit 27:29 where the Seforno suggests that there is religious significance to living under the rule of the Catholic countries [ie Eisav]. (I'm totally guessing, but maybe he's giving re-assurance to the Jews of Italy when so many were moving to the Balkans from Spain).
As for the Seforno's humanistic views or views regarding universal man, as would be expected from a Renaissance Rabbi, maybe take a look at Shemot 19:5 where the Seforno talks about the importance of Man, but that the Jews are more special, and that there are Righteous Gentiles [I'm going to guess that Reuchlinn guy whom I think the Seforno taught or something].
Nuance, my friend.

Nuance? I know not what this nuance you speak of is.

It's certainly not a Jewish concept since there's no biblical hebrew word for it.

That's strong proof.

I'm not trying to be fair.

At least it's a sufficiently frum proof.

Bravo.