Nissan Dovid Dubov Proof of the Existence of G–d
Proof of the Existence of G–d
By Nissan Dovid Dubov
Posted by Yahuda101
“Prove to me that G–d exists”
is a challenge as old as religion itself. Religion is defined as a belief in
the existence of a superhuman controlling power, and when we give Judaism as
our religion our belief in G–d is axiomatic. Yet so many Jews still question
this very foundation.
It is still more difficult to articulate a
convincing response. Furthermore, any answer is usually followed by a torrent
of protest questioning such a belief, like the questions, “if there is a G–d,
where was He during the Holocaust?”, and, “why do bad things happen to good
people?” In this chapter, we shall focus on the core issue.
Before doing so, we shall state briefly the
Jewish belief in G–d. Many Jews recite daily the Thirteen Principles of Faith,
based on the commentary of Maimonides to Mishnah Sanhedrin 10:1. The first four
principles are:
1. I believe with complete faith that the
Creator, blessed be His name, is the Creator and Guide of all the created
beings, and that He alone has made, does make, and will make all things.
2. I believe with complete faith that the
Creator, blessed be His name, is One and Alone; that there is no oneness in any
way like Him; and that He alone is our G–d – was, is, and will be.
3. I believe with complete faith that the
Creator, blessed be His name, is incorporeal; that He is free from all
anthropomorphic properties; and that He has no likeness at all.
4. I believe with complete faith that the
Creator, blessed be His name, is the first and the last.
Prove the existence of G–d? In truth we must analyze
the question before we attempt an answer. What is considered a proof? How does
one prove that anything exists? Take, for example, a blind man. Does color
exist for the blind man? He cannot see color yet it still exists. That fact is
established by others who can see. The blind man believes and trusts that his
fellow men can see that color does exist although it is beyond his personal
experience.
For a further example, take electricity. When we
turn on a light can we see electricity? The answer is no, we see only its
effect. Take gravity. When an object falls we cannot see, hear, feel, taste or
smell gravity – we see only its effect. All agree that gravity is an undisputed
fact of nature – since we see its effect. Scientists today are still baffled as
to exactly what is the “stuff” of gravity.
In short, the proof of existence of any matter
does not necessarily mean that we must sense it in any way. It exists because
we see its effect or, as in the case of the blind man, we believe others who
can see it. G–d, we believe, does not have a body or form of body. He is
everywhere and creates time and space. By definition, we cannot transcribe any
physical description to G–d. By definition, man cannot actually see G–d. In
order, therefore, to prove the existence of G–d we must rely either on seeing
His effect ourselves, or on others who have seen His effect (like the blind
man).
To summarize, proving the existence of G–d may
be done in two ways. First, by examining whether anyone has actually witnessed
something Divine or, secondly, by extrapolating proof of existence from His
effect. To express it slightly differently, by tradition or by metaphysical
proof. We shall also examine proof of existence by studying Jewish history and
the fulfilment of prophecy.
Before we examine all these avenues it must be
mentioned that the great Jewish philosophers disagreed as to which is the
strongest proof. Rabbi Yehuda Halevi in his book Kuzari (2:26) argues that,
“the highest faith is that derived through tradition alone, in which case
metaphysical proof should only be used as a last resort to preclude disbelief.”
Maimonides (Moreh Nevuchim 3:51) disagrees. He argues that, “our faith begins
with the traditions that have been transmitted to us by our ancestors and in
our sacred literature. This is alluded to in the verse, ‘Hear O Israel, G–d is
our L–rd, G–d is one.’ However, the highest level of faith comes from
philosophical proof, and those who have the ability are required to prove the
foundations of our faith.”
In this essay we shall examine all avenues. Our
approach is that, through a combination of traditional, philosophical, and
historical proofs, any thinking Jew will be led to a firm faith in the
existence of G–d.
The traditional proof
In a court of law the strongest proof that
something happened or existed is a witness statement. Seeing is believing. You
cannot compare something seen to something heard.
Any historical fact is proven by those who
witnessed and recorded the event. It follows that the more witnesses to that
event, the more bona fide the fact.
One of the most celebrated holidays in the
Jewish calendar is Passover. On Seder night Jews all over the world gather in
family groups to recall the Exodus from Egypt. The evening is full of ritual
and the Haggadah is our guide. One thing common to all is the eating of matzah
– the bread of affliction. The Zohar (an early Kabbalistic work) calls matzah
the bread of faith. It reminds us that the Jews ate matzah upon leaving Egypt.
Although customs may differ, the basic story of the Exodus remains the same.
Jews from Bombay, Birmingham or Belarus all tell the same story.
Ask any Jew how many plagues there were in Egypt
and his answer would be 10. If anyone suggested there were 11, he would
immediately be contradicted, not just by the historical detail, as presented in
the Torah, but primarily because of the yearly re-enactment of the Ten Plagues
at the Seder. We have a custom of spilling some of the wine at the mention of
each plague. We would have remembered if there were 11 plagues. No, there were
10.
In fact, had there been “Chinese whispers”, a
distortion of the story over generations, we would have ended up with different
versions of the story. All agree, however, that the Jews left Egypt and,
forty-nine days later, stood before Mount Sinai and heard the Ten Commandments
from G–d.
This is known, not just because a book (the
Torah) tells us so, but simply by tradition – by the fact that generation after
generation of Jews have transmitted this story, and that it is based on the
actual experience of an entire nation. It therefore remains an undisputed
historical fact. The Jews who left Egypt witnessed the Ten Plagues, the Exodus,
and revelation at Sinai, and transmitted these events down the generations.
Throughout Jewish history there were never less
than approximately a million Jews who transmitted this tradition, and the basic
story remained the same even when the Jews were dispersed and scattered to the
four corners of the earth. At Sinai, 600,000 men between the ages of 20 and 60,
plus women and children (and men under the age of 20 and over the age of 60) –
a total of approximately three million people – heard the Ten Commandments from
G–d Himself. This event, recorded in the Torah, is, at the same time, a
witnessed event of history and therefore an undisputed historical fact. To
discredit it is highly unscientific.
It must be stressed that the revelation at Sinai
was unlike any other revelation claimed by any other religion. In Christianity,
revelation is assigned to one man or to a small group of disciples, and the
same is true in Islam (to Mohammed) and Buddhism (to an ancient Hindu sage, the
Buddha – enlightened one – whose followers adopted his teachings and doctrines
and called themselves Buddhists after him). Not so in Judaism – the revelation
was to an entire nation.
In fact, a great rabbi, Rabbi Shlomo Ben Aderet
(Rashba), explains that the stand at Sinai was necessary because if revelation
had been only to one man – Moshe – it would have been disputed. He explains:
imagine Moshe coming to Egypt and telling the Jews that the time for their
redemption had arrived. At first they doubt him, but once he begins to bring
about the Ten Plagues they realize that there are supernatural powers at work.
Moshe outwits the Egyptian magicians and performs plagues they cannot
reproduce. Even they admit that this is the “finger of G–d” at work. Moshe, in
the name of G–d, constantly gives a warning followed by a plague. After the Ten
Plagues and the Exodus, and especially after the splitting of the sea, the
Torah attests to the fact that the people “believed in G–d and in Moshe His servant.”
However, there would be one problem. The Jews
had been told by a creature of flesh and blood that G–d had sent him with a
message. There was still room for the sceptic – particularly in a later
generation – to doubt. Thus, says Rashba, the stand at Sinai was necessary.
Witnessed by an entire nation, G–d revealed Himself on Mount Sinai and gave the
Ten Commandments. Each Jew experienced the same level of communication that
Moshe received. Thereafter, the Jews were fully convinced that when Moshe transmitted
the word of G–d it was truly Divine in origin.
It must be mentioned that the Children of Israel
at that time were not uneducated slaves who could easily be fooled. Among them
were great sages, priests, architects and builders, professionals who built
pyramids and other structures – wonders of the world – whose architecture still
baffles modern builders. They were a knowledgeable generation – and certainly
argumentative and stiff necked as was displayed on many occasions. If part of
the nation had “dreamt up” a story it would certainly have been rejected by the
others.
The Exodus and revelation at Sinai remain
undisputed historical facts. As previously mentioned, witnesses are the
greatest proof in a court of law – how much more so, the eye witness account of
an entire nation! That is certainly a most scientific proof of the existence of
G–d. Although we cannot see Him – like the blind man who can’t see color – our
ancestors witnessed this revelation and transmitted the fact as both an oral
and a written tradition. It may be for this reason that in the first
commandment G–d says, “I am the L–rd your G–d who brought you forth from the
land of Egypt.” The creation of the world is a much more complex and amazing
phenomenon than the Exodus from Egypt, so why didn’t G–d say, “I am the L–rd
your G–d who created heaven and earth”? One possible answer is that scientists
today still question the origin of the cosmos and some ignore the G–d issue.
When G–d communicated with the Jews, he made the communication very personal.
“I am the G–d you have witnessed taking you out of Egypt, and who now is
talking to you.” The people did not need any philosophical proofs. Their own
eyes saw and their own ears heard. They were witnesses to the stand at Sinai.
That is the greatest proof!
The best known prayer in Judaism is the Shema.
In a Sefer Torah or Mezuzah the letter Ayin (ע) of the word Shema and the
letter Dalet (ד) of the word Echad are written in large bold letters. Together
they spell the Hebrew word Ed (ו) which means a witness. Whenever a Jew recites
the Shema he bears witness to the existence of one G–d, an existence
experienced by our forefathers and passed on to us through an unbroken line of
tradition.
In addition to the traditional proof we may now
go on to look at other philosophical proofs. Many proofs have been cited and we
shall limit ourselves in this chapter to the better known and most frequently
quoted ones.
1. The classic work Chovot Halevovot (1:6)
quotes a beautiful parable. Once a rabbi entered a king’s palace and was
granted an audience with the king. The king asked him the question, “how do you
know of the existence of the Creator?” The rabbi respectfully asked the king to
leave the room for a short while. On the table was a quill, an inkwell and some
paper. While the king was out of the room, the rabbi wrote a beautiful poem on
the paper. When the king returned, he noticed the poem and was amazed at its
poetic style. The ink was still wet and the king praised the rabbi for writing
such a beautiful poem. The rabbi replied that he had not written the poem,
rather, he had taken the inkwell, poured it onto the paper and the letters had
formed themselves. The king ridiculed such a suggestion saying that it was
impossible for the ink to arrange itself into a single letter, let alone a
word, let alone a sentence, and certainly not into a beautiful poem! The rabbi
replied, “there is your answer. If the ink in an inkwell cannot form a poem
without the hand of a poet, then certainly the world, which is infinitely more
complex than the poem, could not possibly form itself without the hand of a
Master Creator!”
A similar fictional story – though more
contemporary – is told about the Americans, Russians and Chinese who got
together and decided to send a manned space ship to Mars. After spending
billions of dollars, roubles and yen, and after years of preparation, a space
ship finally blasts off heading for Mars. A while later an astronaut takes a
small step for man but a large step for mankind and steps out onto the Martian
surface. The cameras beam his every move back to earth. Suddenly, after taking
a few steps, the world is stunned by the sight of a can of Coca Cola lying on a
nearby rock. The astronaut picks up the can, sees it’s the real thing, for
written on the can are the words “Coke trademark – made in the USA”. The
Russians and Chinese are in uproar – the Americans had obviously deceived them
and sent an earlier spaceship. The Americans deny this claim but are baffled by
the appearance of the can of Coke. Finally, the press interviews a professor
from Oxford University who explains the conundrum by suggesting that over
billions and billions of years it is quite possible that, through evolution
etc., a can of Coke was formed, even displaying the words “made in the USA”!
His comments are ridiculed. Even after billions
of years the mathematical probability of these words forming by themselves is
nil. How much more so the creation of this world which is amazingly complex?
Even today, scientists agree that they have fathomed only the tip of the
iceberg of the complexity of the universe. How could it possibly have formed by
itself without a master architect and designer?
A similar story is told of a man who entered a
fully automated car factory and, after seeing an entire car being produced by a
machine from beginning to end, came to the conclusion that cars make
themselves! How ridiculous to think that such a factory was not designed by a
master mechanic and engineer!
2. Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan writes (Handbook of Jewish
Thought 1:1):
The existence of a purposeful Creator is
indicated by the fact that the inorganic universe contains every ingredient
needed to make organic life possible. The world exists as an arena for life,
and the probability that this is entirely due to chance is infinitesimally
small. The essence of the argument is that mathematically the more complex an
ordered structure, the less the probability of its structure being due to
chance. The chemistry of life is by far the most complex process in our
experience, and yet we find that the inorganic matter of the universe can
support this process. Since there is only one type of matter in the universe,
the chances of its having all the chemical and physical properties needed to
support life are remotely small, unless we take into account a purposeful
Creator.
3. The Talmud states that man is a microcosm.
Without even looking at the cosmos we see from the wonders of the human body
that this is the work of a Master Creator, for, even over billions of years,
nothing as complex as this could just have appeared.
Let us take an example from the human eye. A
baby’s eyes, which begin to form in the embryo at nineteen days, will have more
than twelve million screen points per square centimeter; the retina, or light
sensitive portion of the eye, will have more than fifty billion such points.
The composite picture the eyes record is homogeneous because these light
sensitive points blend into a whole. Take a hand lens and examine any picture
in a daily newspaper. You will find it made up of hundreds of points, each
light or dark, which together make up the picture as you look at it from a
greater distance. This is exactly what the eye does, only in much finer detail.
Where do these billions of cells in the nervous
system come from? From the fertilized ovum, which is still dividing after one
month to form the tissues and organs that the child requires. It has been
estimated that all two billion of the specific nerve cells which make any
individual educable are located in the outer covering of the brain, its cortex,
and that these two billion cells could be stored in a thimble. Development
continues in certain parts of the brain, even after birth. By the end of the
first month of embryonic development, none of these parts of the brain, spinal
cord, nerves or sense organs is completely formed, but the foundation for them
all has been laid.
The development of the brain and the nervous
system, and its rule of the integration of all the systems remains one of the most
profound mysteries of embryology.
The eyes alone display such intelligent planning
as almost to stupefy anyone studying them. In the embryonic stage, the eyes are
formed on the sides of the head and are ready for connection to the optic
nerves growing out independently from the brain. The forces that ensure this
integration have so far not been discovered but they must be formidable indeed
since more than one million optic nerve fibers must mesh with each eye.
Think for a moment about what is considered to
be a feat of human engineering – the drilling of tunnels from both sides of the
Alps that must somehow meet precisely and merge into one continuous highway.
Yet any one of the thousands of things the fetus must do as part of the routine
of development is far more wondrous. (The Obvious Proof – CIS p.59)
The same could be said of the wonder of the
baby’s first breath. After receiving oxygen for nine months through the
umbilical cord, in a matter of moments the lungs miraculously open without any
faults. Before the first breath the tubes were non-operative and yet a breath
later all tubes are full systems go. This is truly phenomenal.
We have taken only two out of thousands of
examples of the wonders of nature to demonstrate that these systems are so complicated
it is almost impossible that they formed by themselves and were not designed by
a Master Creator. No wonder the Kabbalists say that one may see the soul
through the eyes, and King David writes in the Psalms that one must praise G–d
for each breath.
This realization is reinforced by the recent
deciphering of the genome – the human DNA chain. The astounding amount of
genetic information contained in these chains makes the mind boggle. Could
these super complex chains just have made themselves?
Conclusion
We may conclude from the very existence of life
and the complexity of the universe that it must have been designed and
sustained by a Master Creator. It was our patriarch Abraham who, through such
logical deduction, came to the monotheistic conclusion – the belief in one G–d;
one unified force that creates a most diverse universe. Abraham converted half
of civilization in his days to this belief and he transmitted that belief to
his offspring. Seven generations later his children stood as a nation at Sinai
where they received the Torah directly from G–d. The undisputed historical fact
of the Exodus from Egypt and the stand at Sinai, coupled with the necessity for
a master designer and architect of the cosmos, “prove” the existence of G–d.
The
historical proof
There is one final proof that we must examine.
This is neither tradition, nor philosophy; rather, proof of the existence of
G–d as the G–d of history. The Jewish people are called the “Chosen People”.
They were chosen by G–d to fulfil a specific purpose – adherence to Torah and
mitzvot, thereby creating an abode for G–d in this world. An in-depth review of
Jewish history will inevitably lead to faith in G–d as the Master of the World.
Rabbi Meir Simcha Sokolovsky writes in his book,
Prophecy and Providence – The Fulfilment of Torah Prophecies in the Course of
Jewish History (Feldheim Publications),
The Torah calls upon us to keep past events in
mind and to study them. A study of the past will necessarily lead to the
conviction that the direction of history was carefully programmed in advance
and that the events of world and Jewish history have unfolded in accordance
with a preconceived plan. Obviously, both the plan and its execution must be
the work of the Creator who dominates history and directs its course.
At great length, he demonstrates in his book
how,
1. The history of the Jewish nation up to the
present time has corresponded in full with all the prophecies of the Torah.
2. According to the laws of nature Jewish
history should have taken a different course from the one it actually followed.
One is led to conclude that only a Creator, who alone controls the forces in
the universe, could have determined beforehand what the future would hold.
3. The events of Jewish history are truly
remarkable and extraordinary. Aside from having been predicted in advance, they
serve as intrinsic proof of the unique and supernatural guidance which Jewry
has always enjoyed as G–d’s Chosen People.
To do justice to the subject matter one must
actually read the book. However we shall give here a brief review which will,
hopefully, encourage the reader to study the subject in more depth.
Before we do so, by way of introduction, it is
well worth citing the famous quote from Mark Twain, “Concerning the Jews”,
To conclude – If the statistics are right, the
Jews constitute but one per cent of the human race. It suggests a nebulous dim
puff of star dust lost in the blaze of the Milky Way. Properly the Jew ought
hardly to be heard of; but he is heard of, has always been heard of. He is as
prominent on the planet as any other people, and his commercial importance is
extravagantly out of proportion to the smallness of his bulk. His contributions
to the world’s list of great names in literature, science, art, music, finance,
medicine, and abstruse learning are always way out of proportion to the
weakness of his numbers. He has made a marvelous fight in this world, in all
the ages; and has done it with his hands tied behind him. He could be vain of
himself, and be excused for it. The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian
rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff and
passed away; the Greek and the Roman followed, and made a vast noise, and they
are gone; other peoples have sprung up and held their torch high for a time,
but it burned out, and they all sit in twilight now, or have vanished. The Jew
saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no
decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his
energies, no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind. All things are mortal
but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his
immortality? (Harper’s Magazine, June 1899)
One of the Principles of Jewish faith is that
G–d grants prophecy to man. When a prophet foretells the future, and everything
he predicts takes place with amazing accuracy, we can be sure that this was the
word of G–d. Nowhere else is this so remarkably demonstrated than in the Five
Books of Moses. There are three passages in particular in which Moshe tells the
Children of Israel what will happen to them in the future. In Prophecy and
Providence, Rabbi Sokolovsky shows at great length how each and every prophecy
was accurate and how it took place in the course of Jewish history. In this
chapter we shall seek to précis his thesis.
Imagine if you were a reporter following the
story of the Exodus of Jews from Egypt. You had been on site in Egypt
witnessing the Ten Plagues and the splitting of the sea. You had travelled with
the people throughout the forty years in the wilderness and you were now about
to enter the Promised Land. You were granted an audience with Moshe – a press
conference – in which Moshe, before he dies, is going to share his last will
and testament with the world. You are expecting that Moshe will bless his
people with good fortune, wishing them well on their entry and conquest of the
land. You would expect him perhaps to admonish them, rather like a father who
reminds his children to keep to the correct path. However, what happens at this
press conference is somewhat different. Moshe proceeds to unravel a document in
which – in the name of G–d – he prophecies exactly what will happen to this
nation from the moment it enters into the land until the End of Days. You are
shocked – how could Moshe possibly know in such detail of the following three
thousand years of Jewish History, particularly when he unravels a tale so
foreboding that one would consider his account a nightmarish tangle of
falsehood that could not possibly occur in real life? How could a human being,
standing on the plains of Moab, have such intimate insight into the future
chronicles of this people? As a sceptic, you may have dismissed Moshe’s
predictions as fantasy.
However, standing today with the advantage of
hindsight you look back at that first press conference and see that Moshe is
true and his Torah is true. Everything that Moshe said came to pass. How could
that be?
There is only one answer and only one
conclusion. Moshe was a true prophet and he received and transmitted the word
of G–d. Only the Master Creator could know of this tale and only He could weave
the fabric of history to make it happen. An honest review of Jewish history
points inexorably to the existence of G–d.
One final point before we start briefly
examining those prophecies. At its inception as a nation the Jewish People
experienced the guidance of Divine Providence. Divine intervention in human
affairs was manifest and tangible. The whole nation clearly saw that there was
a G–d in Israel. But, when the Jews began to stray from the ways of Torah, the
Divine guidance of their fate changed into a different mode; it became hidden
and covert – as the Torah tells us (Deuteronomy 31:17), “And My wrath will be
aroused against them on that day and I shall abandon them and conceal My face
from them.” When “that day” arrived the miraculous aspect of G–d’s overt
intervention in our history ceased, to be replaced by a covert intervention in
man’s destiny. This covert Providence leaves room for error and doubt, for it
sometimes makes it appear as if, G–d forbid, He has abandoned His people.
Thus there began the two oscillating modes of
G–d’s manifestation. Sometimes His presence would be manifest and at other
times concealed. This is, in fact, one of the most striking points of the
Jewish calendar and yearly cycle. On Pesach, Shavuot and Sukkot we celebrate
the fact that G–d delivered us from Egypt, gave us the Torah, and granted us
Divine protection with the clouds of Glory. On Chanukah we celebrate the
victory over the Greeks and light the Menorah to symbolize the spiritual
victory over the assimilative forces of Hellenism. On Purim, we celebrate the
frustrating of Haman’s “Final Solution”.
On all these days G–d’s presence is clear. And
yet on Tisha B’Av we weep and mourn the destruction of the Temples. On the
other national fast days we lament the events which led to that destruction and
other catastrophes of Jewish history. In this generation we are all still
numbed by the graveyard of Jewish history, the Holocaust. At these times, G–d’s
presence was covert.
Yet the Jew celebrates and mourns
simultaneously. He knows that his destiny stands far beyond the rules of nature
and that the trials and tribulations of covert Providence are not merely due to
chance, but rather to a meticulous realization of G–d’s premeditated and
pre-calculated will. It is this very faith that allows the Jew to surf the
waves of anti-semitism and mock our enemies. The Jew knows that he is eternal –
he knows his secret of immortality. G–d has promised him (Jeremiah 5:18), “Even
in those devastating days, says G–d, I will not make a full finish of you”, and
(Leviticus 26:44), “I will not reject them, neither will I abhor them, to
destroy them utterly.”
Let us now have a closer look at those
prophecies. In two passages of the Torah, Moshe gives us a Tochachah (an
admonition) Leviticus Ch.26 and Deuteronomy Ch.28. Nachmanides, in his
commentary on the Bible, explains that these two passages were both fulfilled
consecutively. Leviticus Ch.26 by the destruction of the first Temple and
Deuteronomy Ch.28 by the destruction of the second Temple and the following
arduous exile. A third passage in Deuteronomy Ch.30 speaks of the eventual
repentance and redemption of the Jewish People.
Leviticus Ch.26
“And I will scatter you among the nations.” –
the first exile to Babylon.
“And I will bring the land into desolation.” –
the ruination of the Land of Israel.
“And I will bring your sanctuaries into
desolation.” – the destruction of the First Temple.
“And I will not smell the savor of your sweet odors.”
– the cessation of sacrifice in the first Temple.
“Then shall the land be paid her Sabbaths.” –
the duration of the first exile – 70 years – was commensurate with the number
of Sabbatical years, which were not previously correctly observed.
“And you shall eat the flesh of your sons and
the flesh of your daughters.” – a prophecy fulfilled, as described by Jeremiah
in the book of Lamentations (2:20), at the destruction of the first Temple.
One can ask, How was it possible for Moshe to
know that, over eight hundred years after the Jews entered the Land of Israel
under Joshua, the Babylonians would come and destroy the first Temple and exile
the people for 70 years? How did he know about the cessation of offerings and
the eating of the flesh? Only cognitive dissonance will allow the sceptic to
deny that this was prophecy from the true G–d; the living G–d who creates, sustains
and directs the course of the world.
Deuteronomy Ch.28
“And you shall be plucked off the land.” – the
second exile.
“Your sons and daughters shall be given unto
another nation … and you shall serve your enemy … in famine and thirst.” –
before the exile.
“The Lord will bring upon you a nation from
afar, from the end of the earth.” – a reference to Rome.
“... who will swoop down like an eagle.” – a
reference to the Roman legions whose standard bearers carried the sign of an
eagle.
“And it will lay siege to all your gates, until
your high and fortified walls … are toppled.” – the land is conquered, there is
siege, and the walls fall.
“The stranger that is in your midst shall mount
up above you higher and higher.” – a reference to Herod.
“You shall betroth a wife, and another man shall
lie with her.” – a Roman decree.
“And G–d shall scatter you among all the peoples
from one end of the earth to the other end of the earth.” – the Jew is exiled
to all four corners of the earth.
“And among these nations you shall have no
repose, and there shall be no rest for the sole of your foot … and you shall
fear night and day.” – the situation of Jews in exile.
“Your life shall hang in doubt before you.” – no
financial security.
“And as for them who are left of you, I will
send a faintness into their hearts … and you shall have no power to stand
before your enemies.” – the Jews are easily subdued.
“Each day’s curse will surpass that of the day
before.” – events will happen so rapidly, the Jew will hardly be able to
recover from one incident before another calamity befalls him.
“You will be beset by illnesses and plagues not
even mentioned in the Torah.” – the many sufferings of exile.
“You shall serve gods … wood and stone there.” –
a reference to the fact that, throughout their long exile, the Jew will be
subjected to the god of wood – the cross – burnt at the stake with forced
conversions; and to the god of stone of Mecca and Medina.
“I will draw out the sword after you … and you
shall perish among the nations and the land of your enemies will devour you.”
(see Leviticus 26:33,38) – decrees of forced conversion and pogroms.
“And you shall be left few in number among the
nations whither G–d shall lead you away.” – in fact it is quite amazing that,
particularly during the Dark Ages, the Jew did not disappear totally.
“And you shall become an astonishment.” – the
Jews will become a topic of discussion for all.
“... a proverb and a byword.” – the wandering
Jew shall be the symbol of suffering and persecution.
“And they shall be upon you for a sign and for a
wonder.” – the badges we were often forced to wear identified us as the Jew.
In graphic detail Moshe prophesies the
destruction of the second Temple and the following exile with amazing accuracy.
He was talking about events that took place 1,500 years after he passed on. How
could he possibly have known?
And yet the Jew still survives – and thrives.
“For I am G–d, I do not change, therefore you
sons of Jacob are not consumed.” (Malachi 3:6) – the eternity of the Jewish
people.
“Only if the sun, moon and stars disappear, the
seed of Israel shall also cease from being a nation.” (Jeremiah 31:35)
Amidst great persecution, suffering and exile,
Torah study flourished. There were always Talmudic academies producing Torah
scholars who carried the baton of Torah learning and transmitted it to the next
generation. This fulfils the prophecy, “For it, the Torah shall not be
forgotten from the mouth of their seed.” (Isaiah 59:20-21)
Throughout, the Jew kept Shabbat.
“The Shabbat will be an everlasting covenant
between G–d and Israel.”(Numbers 31:16)
“It is a sign between Me and the children of
Israel.” (Ibid.)
Isn’t it fascinating that, when the other two
main religions picked a day for their day of rest, one picked Sunday and the
other Friday, but Shabbat remained the day of rest for the Jew? Was this not
prophesied?
Most enlightening are the prophecies concerning
the Land of Israel during the time when its people would be in exile:
“And your enemies that dwell in the Land of
Israel shall be desolate in it.” (Leviticus 26:32) The land belongs to us even
when we are in exile. In our prayers we say, “because of our sins we were
exiled from our land.” Isn’t it fascinating that, before the destruction of the
Temples, the land was populous and fertile, and, after the destruction, it
became a desolate land, a land of swamps? Mark Twain on a visit to the land
expressed his surprise – could it be said that this is the Promised Land, a
land flowing with milk and honey? The greatest number of people that inhabited
the land from the time of the second exile until the turn of the twentieth
century was 300,000 – in the times of the Turks – and even then the population
dwindled due to earthquakes. Today, after the return of many Jews to the land,
its population numbers in the millions. What was swamp has been reclaimed and
is again green pasture. It was a land that was awaiting the return of its
people.
Quite amazingly the only remaining wall of the
second Temple, the Kotel Maaravi – the Western Wall – remained standing and was
never destroyed. The rabbis stated that the Divine Presence never moved from
the Wall.
And the story is not over yet. There is a
passage in Deuteronomy Ch.30 that describes the full return and redemption of
the Jewish nation.
It will be that when all these things come upon
you – the blessing and the curse that I have presented before you – then you
will take it to your heart among all the nations where the Lord your G–d has
dispersed you; and you will return unto the Lord your G–d, and listen to his
voice, according to everything that I command you today, you and your children,
with all your heart and all your soul. Then, the Lord your G–d will bring back
your captivity, and have mercy upon you, and He will gather you in from all the
peoples to which the Lord your G–d has scattered you. If your dispersed will be
at the ends of the heaven, from there, the Lord your G–d will gather you in,
and from there He will take you. The Lord your G–d will bring you to the land
that your forefathers possessed and you shall possess it; He will do good to
you and make you more numerous than your forefathers. The Lord your G–d will
circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, to love the Lord your
G–d, with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.
The Lord your G–d will place all these curses
upon your enemies and those who hate you, who pursued you. You shall return and
listen to the voice of G–d, and perform all His commandments that I command you
today. G–d will make you abundant in all your handiwork – in the fruit of your
womb, the fruit of your animals, and the fruit of your land – for good, when
the Lord will return to rejoice over you for good, as He rejoiced over your
forefathers, when you listen to the voice of the Lord your G–d, to observe His
commandments, and His decrees, that are written in this Book of the Torah, when
you shall return to the Lord your G–d, with all your heart and all your soul.
For this commandment that I command you today –
it is not hidden from you and it is not distant. It is not in the heaven, to
say, “who can ascend to the heaven for us and take it for us, so that we can
listen to it and perform it?” Nor is it across the sea for you to say, “who can
cross to the other side of the sea for us and take it for us, so that we can
listen to it and perform it?” Rather, the matter is very near to you – in your
mouth and your heart to perform it.
See – I have placed before you today the life
and the good, and the death and the evil, that which I command you today, to
love the Lord your G–d, to walk in his ways, to observe His commandments, His
decrees and His ordinances; then you will live and you will multiply, and the
Lord your G–d will bless you in the land to which you come to possess it. But
if your heart will stray and you will not listen, and you are led astray, and
you prostrate yourself to strange gods and serve them, I tell you today that
you will surely be lost; you will not lengthen your days upon the land that you
cross the Jordan to come there, to possess it. I call heaven and earth today to
bear witness against you; I have placed life and death before you, blessing and
curse; AND YOU SHALL CHOOSE LIFE, so that you will live, you and your offspring
– to love the Lord your G–d, to listen to His voice and to cleave to Him, for
He is your life and the length of your days, to dwell upon the land that the
Lord swore to your forefathers, to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob, to give
them.
The Talmud is full of amazing predictions that
will take place at the End of Days. These are now fully documented for the
English reader. We refer you to the book Mashiach by Rabbi J.I.Schochet. See
also Chapter 12 below.
Summary
In this chapter we have proved the existence of
G–d
1. through witnessing the revelation of G–d at
Sinai,
2. by philosophical proof,
3. with a brief study of the fulfilment of
Biblical prophecies.
The Talmud refers to Jews as “Believers,
children of Believers”. It is almost as if belief in G–d is hereditary. In
truth, however, innate belief stems from the very core of the Jewish soul. Job
describes the soul as a “part of the Divine”. The simple faith of a Jew comes
from that which he feels the very source of his soul – his very essence. That
essence may often become oblique through the insensitivities and indulgences of
the body. However, the quintessential point remains forever intact and, on
those very special occasions when the soul shines forth, the Jew feels his true
source, his very essence.
Now I’ll add my 2 cents worth
Many people believe that the evil soul burns forever in hell? I
can’t believe that G-d can be so cruel. It does say in many places within the
Tanakh that G-d is a vengeful G-d. But it is also written in the Tanakh that
G-d is also a forgiving G-d. Not that I think that we can go to the Amen
corner, ask for forgiveness and do it all over again!
We must remember
G-d is Omnipresent
G-d is in all places at all times. He fills the universe and
exceeds its scope. He is always near for us to call upon in need, and He sees
all that we do. Closely tied in with this idea is the fact that G-d is universal.
He is not just the G-d of the Jews; He is the G-d of all nations.
G-d is Omnipotent
G-d can do anything. It is said that the only thing that is beyond
His power is the fear of Him; that is, we have free will, and He cannot compel us to do His will. This
belief in G-d's omnipotence has been sorely tested during the many persecutions
of Jews, but we have always maintained that G-d has a reason for allowing these
things, even if we in our limited perception and understanding cannot see the
reason.
G-d is an all knowing, omnipotent, intelligent energy
I believe that G-d is an all knowing,
omnipotent, intelligent energy. G-d not only wrote the Torah and the ten
commandants, but he also laid down the laws of physics. Seeing that the laws of
physics are perfect, G-d can do anything he wants and never violate his own
laws. For example, because G-d is energy, he could turn part of this energy
into any form he wants and appear to Moses. Energy and matter cannot be
destroyed; it can only change itself from energy into matter, or matter into
energy.
The universe indeed had a beginning. To have a beginning then there had to be a creator, a G-d!
Click on photo below to see video
G-d is Omniscient
G-d knows all things, past, present, and future. He knows our
thoughts.
So, he knows our heart, so the Amen corner won’t work!
Let’s take another look at Yechezkel - Ezekiel - Chapter 18
24 And when the
righteous repents of his righteousness and does wrong and does like all the
abominations that the wicked man did, shall he live? All his righteous deeds
that he has done shall not be remembered; in his treachery that he has
perpetrated and in his sin that he has sinned, in them shall he die.
“in them shall he die.” I personally believe that after our death
our souls await the coming of the Mashiach,
resurrected, then judged. If the soul does not enter Olam Ha-ba, it is then put
back to death forever, nothingness.
According to Jewish belief, the Day of
Judgement, or Yawm ad-Din, will occur after the coming of the Messiah.
Jews believe that God judges how good or bad
people have been in order to decide their destiny in the afterlife. This is
often seen as motivation to behave well and obey all of God’s rules.
Some Jews believe that they will be judged as soon as they die,
while others believe that they will be judged by both God and the Messiah on
the Day of Judgement. On this day, some Jews believe that everyone will be
resurrected so that they can be judged, while others believe that only those
who are morally good will be resurrected.
Posted by Julius
Come let us Pray that Hashem's Righteousness shall 'return' to the Har haBayit and the whole of Eretz Israel. | בוא נתפלל שצדקת ה' 'תשוב' להר הבית ולארץ ישראל כולה. |
Free to study all Jewish Scripture: | חופשי ללמוד את כל כתבי הקודש היהודיים: |
| תפילתנו ותקוותנו: כל שערי הר הבית צריכים להיפתח עבור יהודים ולא-יהודים שבעה ימים בשבוע 24 שעות ביממה. ליהודים צריך להיות חופש ללכת עם תפילין, טלית וספר תורה במעלה ההר כדי לשרת את ה' ולקוד קידה .מתוך הפגנת כבוד ליהודים ולכל הדתות האחרות, אבל לא למילים/למעשים/לחטאים הנאמרים נגד תורת משה רבנו. מלמודי רבנים, היהודים חייבים להיות שומרי הר הבית. |
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Ariel, hopefully your Representee | אריאל, מקווה שהנציג שלך |
Click: If you have Prayer Requests
I pray as a Jew when I bring your prayers.
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