A Muslim reader emailed me asking, if G-d is really with the Jews today, why was there a Holocaust? G-d did choose Israel in the past, he noted, but this was only because they observed Torah. Since most Jews living today, he reminded me, are no longer so observant, how can Jews be still G-d’s people? I will try to answer these questions in this post.
Why did G-d choose Israel?
The answer to this question can be found in the Torah and it’s very straightforward if unsatisfactory to some. In His reasoning G-d doesn’t even begin justifying His love and choice of the Jewish people by any inherent superiority on their part, nor does He place them above any other people based on their merits. Such love would be conditional and temporal, quickly discarded once the desired quality fades. G-d gives us His true reasons in His Torah:
“The L-RD did not set His love on you nor choose you because you were more in number than any of the peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples, but because the L-RD loved you and kept the oath which He swore to your forefathers, the LORD brought you out by a mighty hand and redeemed you from the house of slavery, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt.” (Deuteronomy 7:7-8)
So, the reason G-d chose Israel is because He already loved them and has promised their forefathers that He will take care of them. Does it make Jews somehow better than any other people? Not at all and it’s not the reason behind G-d’s love for Israel. After all, one parent’s child is not inherently better than a child of another parent. Your child is no more deserving of love than someone else’ – she is just yours. G-d loves Israel not because He has some grand plan and purpose for Israel (even though He does) or because Israel will proclaim her G-d and His Torah to all nations (which she certainly will). Neither did G-d set His affections on Israel because, as Christianity claims, “Israel was chosen to give birth to Jesus” and “to give nations the Gospel”, a useful tool that can be discarded once the chief purpose has been accomplished. No, these are all conditional reasons. G-d didn’t set His love on Israel because Israel was somehow capable of earning G-d’s love by her performance. Instead, G-d loves Israel because He loves Israel – that’s all there’s to it.
If G-d is with Jews, why did the Holocaust happen? Is He still with them or did He reject them for lack of obedience?
Countless philosophers, theologians and rabbis have wrestled with the immense evil that orchestrated the Holocaust and so far no one seems to have found satisfactory answers. I am not going to purport to out-best them nor claim any special insight, but I will simply relay my current understanding. Humanity, when completely unbound by G-d’s Laws, when unrestrained by fear of Him, when it starts viewing their fellow human beings not as created in G-d’s image but as unprofitable animals, pests to be destroyed, is at its absolute worst. Unshackled from the divine, humanity is driven to satisfy the desires of its lower, animalistic nature. In such a state, human beings have the capacity to do much evil in their rebellion against the Almighty. Since there’s nothing they can do to G-d Himself, evil people can only resort to rejecting, despising and destroying everything that G-d loves and holds dear. This is why, I believe, Jews have suffered so much during the Holocaust and have been an object of hatred everywhere they went and to this very day. Their identification as the people loved and chosen by G-d has made them the perennial target for the worst humanity has to offer.
However, untimely, the enemies of the Jews will not succeed, as much as they may try. Here’s what G-d says about Israel’s future and that of her enemies:
“He [G-d] will bring you to the land that belonged to your ancestors, and you will take possession of it. He will make you more prosperous and numerous than your ancestors. The L-RD your G-d will circumcise your hearts and the hearts of your descendants, so that you may love him with all your heart and with all your soul, and live. The L-RD your G-d will put all these curses on your enemies who hate and persecute you.” (Deuteronomy 30:5-7)
Notice a few things in the prophecy above:
1) G-d will bring Jews back into their own land, the land which their ancestors were given by G-d Himself. The land of Israel belongs to the Jewish people by a divine decree. And when G-d wants Jews in the Land, it doesn’t matter how many armies and great nations try to fight to dislodge them – they will all fail.
The L-RD appeared to us in the past, saying: “I have loved you with an everlasting love; I have drawn you with unfailing kindness. I will build you up again, and you, Virgin Israel, will be rebuilt. Again you will take up your timbrels and go out to dance with the joyful. Again you will plant vineyards on the hills of Samaria; the farmers will plant them and enjoy their fruit. (Jeremiah 31:3-5)
2) Jews don’t need to be perfect for G-d to be on their side – G-d already loves them as His own people and nothing can ever change it. No doubt, He has disciplined us when we sinned, and He did that many times. However, at the same time, He’s very merciful. He promised that He will not be angry with us forever (Isaiah 57:16). As that Deuteronomy prophecy promised us G-d Himself will “circumcise” the hearts of all Israel after He brings them to the Land. When He does, all Jews will be Torah-observant, to the last one.
3) The enemies of the Jewish people will by no means go unpunished. They will repay for everything they inflicted on Israel while Jews were at their most vulnerable. G-d promises to curse the enemies of the Jewish people – all the evil they once did will befall on all enemies and haters of Israel, turn back on their own heads. As Deuteronomy 30:7 shows us, G-d has warned that Jews will be hated and persecuted by their enemies. He also comforted His people that such a state of events will no go on forever.
Daily Minyan 
Leave a comment