Slavery Reparations

Why don’t you donate to a black cause rather than make people who had no one to do with it pay. Maybe Jews should get it for getting turned away before the Holocaust.

Why should Unites States do it? Did Unites States own a slave?

UJM no it wasn’t the US government who emancipated them. Do you read? And the money comes from the Treasury — public funds — from you and I. If you want to help a black person, donate to one of their causes.

Who would want to publicize that their ancestor’s owned slaves. Even if they could do they have proof as most records were probably destroyed during the war or in the over 160 years since the end of the civil war. It’s not like the WWII that ended just 77 years ago and there are still people that lived through it
Most people are children of emigrants who came after the civil war and even the ones who lived in the south very few were rich enough to afford slaves and probaly died out.

There’s a machlokes if goyim can have a kinyan in other goyim as avadim; the government would have a “kim li” on those shitos, to retain their status as muchzak. You can’t be motzi mamon from them to the descendants of slave owners. Also, the slave owners didn’t expect reasonably to be reimbursed, so they were mochel even on the tzad that they’re entitled to it.

As was pointed out, melech poretz geder applies here – the government can take what it wants, when it wants, and doesn’t even have to reimburse you (according to manu shitos)

Abba,
Not sure where you are but I’m in Maryland and most people wouldn’t be embarrassed about their ancestors owning slaves as it wasn’t them and it was a different time. It’s like all the people here that are proud of their ancestors that fought for the Confederacy. I’m not sure why you think records are gone. The historical society often posts bills of sale for slaves. There’s also no reason most got destroyed. 160 years is not that long. I have a Shas that started being printed in 1865. So if that’s around and in pretty good shape from the year the Civil War ended there’s no reason other documents aren’t.

Turns out a simple google search reveals that slaveowners received compensation for their loss of property after all..around 300 for each (which was a lot back then, obviously)

I just can’t believe people wasted brain cells responding. I always have this dream that people will let the stupid threads die empty

Before we litigate what happened a century and a half ago, why don’t we start with more recent history? How about when the government decreed that tenants could squat on a citizens property without paying rent, and the owner couldn’t evict them?

Huju – truly immoral; very stupid to quote halacha sources regarding a question of monetary law. How sad that issues of morality are…decided by… Hashem… disgusting, truly so.

Yes this was a troll thread, but it was also an interesting question. The point of the trolling is to trigger copy/paste goyishe responses like yours.

” The point of the trolling is to trigger copy/paste goyishe responses like yours.”

but if you find this explanation to be more comfortable for you, please, do tell where in this heilige reason there is an ounce of Torah.

Huju,
According to those that lived then you’re quite mistaken. In New York there was a Rabbi Raphall (who talked himself up to be bigger than he was) while supporting the Union said according to Judaism Slavery was OK. Baltimore had a Rabbi Illowy that supported the status quo on Slavery and backed the Confederacy. He was the biggest Talmud Chochem in America and we hold like some of his psaks today. The first Ruv in America was also in Baltimore. He didn’t say anything pro or against Slavery but I’d imagine if it was as immoral as you say he would of spoken up. 2 other middle of the road Rabbis spoke in general about peace even if it meant slavery continuing. There was one Rabbi in Baltimore that spoke out strongly against Slavery. That was the ultraliberal, ultraleftist Reform Rabbi. It seems from the Rabbis of that era your inline with the Reform Rabbi. You might want to reconsider

edited

Halevi, it’s been discussed here before. It’s the highest madrega rhat an aino yehudi can hope for, as they keep mitzvos. It’s also a klalah representing ratzon Hashem for certain people who are uncontrollable and violent otherwise.