Inclusion and Exclusion in the Mishnah: Non-Jews, Converts, and the Nazir

Exclusion from a community almost always implies the continuity of both cultural preservation and social inequalities within that community. In Judaism, exclusion and inclusion as constructed by the Mishnah reinforces the distinctiveness of the Jewish community. The Mishnah imagines a community that is not homogeneous, by not being exclusively Jewish and by not being completely “holy.” Is it relevant to understanding the community to know who is included and excluded in the community that the Mishnah constructs? To help in addressing cultural and inequalities issues, this study assesses how the groups that are included fit into the social class and communal hierarchy of the community. An outline is developed of the differential social and religious obligations of those who are included, the “in-group” and those excluded, the “out-group.” In so doing, it is possible to highlight that exclusion for the out-group does not necessarily imply exclusion on all dimensions: some exclusions are temporary and others are more permanent; some deny access to resources and others do not. Understanding better the existing emphasis on inclusions and exclusions directs analytic questions to identify how generational continuities are conceptualized and what are the possibilities of transition to inclusion among those who had been excluded. Our illustrative focus is on two core “ideal typical” types-the Nazir and the Non-Jew-who are at opposite ends of the exclusion spectrum.