Now what about the attitude of Judaism toward other religious faiths?

R' Samson Raphael Hirsch

 

"Now what about the attitude of Judaism toward other religious faiths? Again, Judaism is probably the only religion that does not pre­sume to reign supreme over all other religions. Judaism perceives itself as an instrument working for all mankind but not as a dictate to be obeyed by all men on earth. It welcomes any human, spiritual or ethi­cal advance brought about by other religious faiths; indeed, it hails every such triumph of truth and goodness as a triumph of its own mis­sion on earth. The attitude of Judaism toward other religions may be compared to that of a true mother toward her daughters. A truly good mother will never look with envy upon the accomplishments of her daughters but will consider all the good her daughters have done as proof that her educational work with her daughters has been a success. She rejoices in the reward assured her by every seed of goodness and nobility that her daughters have taken from her hands to scatter bless­ings upon the rest of the world. Similarly, Judaism rejoices, and has a right to rejoice, in the harvest of light and goodness produced by its daughter religions in the civilized world for the benefit of universal human happiness and culture, just as if the accomplishment had come directly from Judaism. Judaism regards these advances as triumphs of the concepts that are to be brought to the rest of mankind by the Divinely-selected Jewish people." Collected Writings, Vol VII, p. 87