Hi!
Are nations like the Chinese, Southeast Asians, Hindus, North and South American Indians, the Eskimos, or the Sami in Lapland written about in the Torah? Is there specific mention of these nations in the Talmud/Torah, and what is their role in the world ?
Great question!
G-d created seventy nations descending from Noah and each nation definitely has a unique potential and purpose in this world. The problem is, these nations have moved around and mixed together over the millennia, so we no longer know for sure who anyone is or whether they even exist in their pure form.
I do know that Rashi quotes a Midrash about Abraham’s sons from Ketura (whom he married after Sarah passed on) who were sent to the east after they received certain mystical teachings from their father (see Rashi on Genesis 25:6). It could be that the mystical traditions of the far east (like meditation) come from there. But we don’t know for sure.
What we do know for sure though is that every nation today definitely does have an indispensable purpose in Creation and possesses a powerful potential to contribute to the world in a unique way. G-d didn’t put all these people on this planet for nothing. When the Temple stood in Jerusalem, non Jewish nations could bring offerings there to G-d, which shows they have a potential for spiritual connection.
What is the unique potential of every nation today? Of China and Japan and Lapland…? We don’t possess prophesy today, so we don’t know for sure. But I’d say that by looking at what each nation seems very adept at accomplishing (when they choose to focus their energies positively) we can come up with some clue as to what their contribution is meant to be. In the meantime, there is definately something we can learn from everything in this world; and a wise person tried to do just that.
Shlomo Shulman
JAAM CT
Waterbury, CT