What about non-Jewish patients?

I then asked The Rebbe, “What about non-Jewish patients? ”I can still be a psychologist without a doctorate“, the following is a fascinating encounter with the Rebbe that Noted South African psychologist and novelist Dr. Ruth Benjamin had with the Rebbe in the winter of 1972. It’s an excerpt from the new Book on the Rebbe ”The Rebbe Inspiring a Generation“ to see more about the book visit: www.inspiringageneration.com

Dr. Ruth Benjamin Relates:

”In Sivan 1972 I had my first audience with the Rebbe. I took my daughter Devorah Chana with me. I had written the Rebbe in advance a note, a somewhat lengthy note. Someone had told me I could only write one page, so I had written everything on one legal-size page in block lettered printing so small that the Rebbe took a magnifying glass to read it.

There were many matters about which I wanted to ask the Rebbe: I was busy with my master’s thesis on the psychology of Judaism and had sent to the Rebbe a copy of what I had done so far. I also asked if I should continue, after completing this, with my doctorate.

My husband was a psychiatrist and I was a clinical psychologist in Johannesburg. We saw many non-Jewish patients. I asked the Rebbe: should we steer them towards Christianity or should we let them build up their faith in G-d within themselves? I had also brought in a letter from someone who was questioning the value and meaning of life.

After the yechidus, I wrote down everything I could remember. (Bear in mind, this was a long time ago, and today I would never have addressed the Rebbe so casually.)

Part of our discussion concerned my graduate work.

“Finish your thesis,” the Rebbe advised. “It is ninety percent finished.”

“Shall I do a doctorate?” I asked him. “What about on taharat hamishpacha (laws of family purity)? It is psychologically brilliant, of course.”

“Do your doctorate,” the Rebbe said, “but not in religion and not in philosophy.”

I was surprised. “Not in religion?”

“Neither in philosophy,” the Rebbe answered. “Don’t study apikorsis (heresy), as it will lead others to study apikorsis. Do it in something else. You need it to help you in your work.”

“I can still be a psychologist without a doctorate,” I offered. “It would just mean that I cannot call myself ‘Dr. Benjamin.’ Is that important?”

“It is important for prestige,” the Rebbe answered.

“But isn’t prestige a bad sort of motivation?”

“I mean prestige for Yiddishkeit. If you have a doctorate and a woman comes to you and you tell her about taharat hamishpacha, she will listen to you.”

I then asked him, “What about non-Jewish patients?”

“They have seven laws,” the Rebbe answered. “Lead them to these laws, to all of them. This is part of our duty.”

He then enumerated the Noahide Laws: no idolatry, no blasphemy, no illicit relations, no murder, no theft, no cruelty to animals, the importance of law and order.

“These people need something,” I continued, thoughtfully. “One man tried to commit suicide a couple of times and came to my office. I got him to the hospital in time. He then came to me and said, ‘You are responsible for my being alive. Now give me something to live for.’”

“Tell him he is part of G-d’s world and he has a responsibility to Him,” the Rebbe replied.

“Have we a responsibility to the non-Jew?” I countered.

“We have a responsibility to the Jew first and then to the non-Jew,” the Rebbe answered.

We drifted to the discussion of suicide, which the Rebbe sternly addressed: “Suicide is exactly the same as murder. Our bodies do not belong to us. We cannot do what we like with them. They are not ours. Get them to understand this. We cannot even hurt our own bodies in any way.”

The Rebbe then mentioned the person whose letter I had brought to him, the gentleman who was questioning the worth of life.

“You should tell such people that they have a double duty to perform after the last war, when so many Jews were murdered. They had to live not only for themselves but for all these.” The Rebbe was emphatic. “They must live to draw people to Judaism. In doing this they will find their own turmoil will pass away.”

The Rebbe made sure that I would convey this message. The Rebbe ended with a blessing saying that he was awaiting the rest of my thesis.