Our Gemara on Amud Aleph distinguishes between renting a field to a gentile versus a Samaritan (Kuthite). It may be permitted to rent to a gentile, as he can be instructed not to work the field on Shabbos or Chol HaMoed, avoiding maris ayin. However, it’s prohibited to rent to a Samaritan because he does not accept the laws of Chol HaMoed and will disregard the instruction.

Why isn’t it sufficient to instruct the Samaritan not to work, as with the gentile? The Gemara answers: the gentile accepts Jewish religious expectations; the Samaritan thinks he knows better and disregards them.

This is a fascinating insight into human nature: internal disputes and sibling rivalries are often harsher than external conflicts. A famous story about Rabbi Abraham Twersky illustrates this: a Jewish woman criticized him harshly for his religious appearance, blaming people “like him” for antisemitism. He calmly replied, “Lady, I’m Amish.” She immediately reversed course, expressing admiration for his commitment to tradition.

In yeshiva, I remember seeing the non-religious Jewish contractor walk into the beis midrash without a yarmulke, while his non-Jewish workers wore visitor skullcaps. It is often easier to show patience and respect to strangers than to family—even though family deserves it more.

This dynamic can also be understood through the Dunning–Kruger effect, a cognitive bias where people with limited competence overestimate their expertise. The less one knows, the more confident they are in their assessments. A layman may think he sings like Pavarotti, lacking the skill to recognize his mediocrity. In contrast, the experienced musician sees his flaws. The wise are humble; the ignorant are arrogant.

In our Gemara, the gentile lacks Torah knowledge and defers to his landlord. The Samaritan, with partial knowledge, believes he knows better—and thus disrespects the Jewish tradition. His small dose of Torah creates the illusion of expertise and makes him dismissive.