- Anti-Semitism
-
- Moshe Ben-Chaim
-
- Question: My wife and I have been trying to figure out the
answer to a question for some time. The question is: Why do so many
hate the Jewish people so much? What is your view on that? Thanks
-
- Mesora: The Rabbis stated that
anti-Semitism has it's source at Mt. Sinai. They ask, what does
"Sinai" mean? They answer that it comes from the root
"sinah", hatred. The Rabbis conclude "from Sinai hatred
came forth". The reasoning is that Mt. Sinai is where God
demonstrated His preference of the children of Israel as the chosen
people. This undoubtedly creates jealousy in all other "abandoned
children" of God. The rest of the nations have a problem with God
selecting the Jews. This problem has never been resolved, and is
constantly expressed in the form of anti-Semitism. Eventually, when
God brings his messiah, the world as a whole will recognize Judaism as
the only authentic religious system, and they will see the clarity of
the Torah universally, abandoning all other religions.
-
- But post Sinai wasn't the only era where Jews were hated. Even
before there was a Sinai and a Judaic system with a Torah, there was
hatred against the founder of Judaism, Abraham. He was called Abraham
the Ivri. Ivri comes from the root "ayver" which means limb.
They would say that all the world is from one limb, and Abraham is
from another. As Abraham's approach to life was honesty and analysis,
he discovered the absolute truth of monotheism and discovered
confirmation in the world of a single God, greatly disturbing the rest
of the world steeped in idolatry and polytheism. Abraham was
threatened with his life and had to move as his teachings of
monotheism caused havoc. Once relocated, he commenced his teachings
again. His concern for mankind was inspiring, and it all stemmed from
his inability to tolerate fallacy, and the pure desire that man not
miss out on his one chance at life, to discover why we are created,
and how we should live.
-
|