Reason 17 - Prophecies in the Torah
Jewish history and destiny, including that of exile, persecution and return are foretold in the Torah
Rabbi Pinchas Taylor in Pillars of Faith says the following on pages 181-2:
Jewish history and destiny is one of the strongest evidences of the Torah’s Divine origin and general existence of G-d and His Divine providence. The difficulty of remaining an eternal nation becomes more difficult when the nation is forcibly separated and scattered throughout the world. The Bible itself warns that this is what is going to befall the nation “when I scatter them among the nations and disperse them over foreign lands”. The Torah describes there and elsewhere, in no uncertain terms, that the Jewish people will be dispersed throughout the world at the aggressive hand of all of the nations and face constant persecution. “Among the nations, you shall find no respite; no rest for your foot, for there the L-rd will give you an anguished heart and wasted eyes and a dismayed spirit. You will live in constant suspense, and stand in dread, both by day and by night, never sure of your existence”. The Torah also relates that they will remain small in number, saying, “You will remain few in number, whereas you could have become as numerous as the stars of the heavens, because you would not obey the voice of G-d, your L-rd”. It stresses that the Jews will persevere despite the overwhelming odds against them, that they will continue to have attachment to the Land of Israel throughout their dispersal, and that they will one day ultimately return to their homeland. There could not be a more accurate depiction of how Jewish history has played out. Cf Insight 15 above |