Barbaric behavior

The following story found in PT Bava Metzia (2:5, p8a) shows that Jews are to treat every human being, not just fellow Jews, with justice:

שמעון בן שטח הוה עסיק בהדא כיתנא אמרין ליה תלמידוי ר' ארפי מינך ואנן זבנין לך חדא חמר ולית את לעי סוגין.  ואזלון זבנון ליה חדא חמר מחד סירקאי ותלי ביה חדא מרגלי.  אתון לגביה אמרין ליה מן כדון לית את צריך לעי תובן.  אמר לון למה אמרין ליה זבנינן לך חד חמר מחד סירקיי ותלי ביה חדא מרגלי.  אמר לון וידע בה מרה אמרין ליה לא א"ל לון איזל חזר.

 מה אתון סברין שמעון בן שטח ברברין הוה.  בעי הוה שמעון בן שטח משמע בריך אלההון דיהודאי מאגר כל הדין עלמא.

Shimon ben Shetach worked hard preparing flax. His disciples said to him, "Rabbi, stop. We will buy you a donkey and you will not have to work so hard." They went and bought a donkey from an Arab, and a pearl was found hidden in its saddle. They came and told Rabbi Shimon that he did not need to work anymore because he could sell the pearl and live off the profit. When he found out that the Arab did not know about the hidden pearl when he sold the donkey, he immediately told them to return the pearl to its rightful owner, the Arab.

 

To their argument that he need not return the pearl because the Arab was a heathen, he responded, "Do you think that Shimon ben Shetach is a barbarian? He would prefer to hear the Arab say, "Blessed be the God of the Jews," than to possess all the riches of the world. It is written, "You shall not oppress your neighbor." Now your neighbor is as your brother, and your brother is as your neighbor. Hence you learn that to rob a Gentile is robbery."

According to Rabbi Aharon Soloveichik, the rabbinic leader and Talmud scholar, Shimon Ben Shetach in the above story gives a remarkable definition of a barbarian:

Anyone who fails to apply a uniform standard of mishpat (justice) and tzedek (righteousness) to all human beings, regardless of origin, color, or creed, is deemed barbaric.

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