Testimonies for how the Jews were chosen to represent God - opinion

• Published date: 15 March 2024
• Author: MOSHE TARAGIN
• Publication title: Jerusalem Post, The: Web Edition Articles (Israel)

It also voiced a testimony. The Torah designates the sanctuary as mishkan ha'edut, or a house of testimony. Beyond enabling religious rites, it attested to truths that previously had been unclear or under dispute

We were selected by God to represent Him in a dark and confused world. After two centuries of brutal slavery and merciless persecution, we were liberated through supernatural miracles. A few weeks later, we stood beneath a blazing mountain, receiving His word, and pledged to live by His will.

Shockingly, just a few weeks later, we betrayed our faith and fashioned a golden calf. After months of prayer and penitence, God forgave us and requisitioned the construction of His house. The Mishkan sanctuary testified to the possibility of forgiveness. We take this concept for granted, but ancient man could not imagine divine forgiveness. The sanctuary confirmed that God desires penitence and accepts human apology. It testified to mankind that God would forgive their failures.

Furthermore, the sanctuary produced testimony about Jewish history. It announced that God had not forsaken His people and that we were still chosen, despite our horrible misconduct. The sanctuary testified that Jewish selection is enduring and capable of outlasting our moral betrayals.

Historical testimony

Often, epic events reshape the arc of history, irreversibly affecting the human condition. Some events, however, aren't just dramatic and historically impactful but are also testimonial. These moments don't just relandscape history but also message humanity and message history. They aren't merely historical shifts but are historical testimonies which discredit popular perspectives and introduce new paradigms.

Legal testimony is registered in court and alters our prior perceptions of innocence or guilt. Historical testimony is registered in the human imagination and refutes faulty historical assumptions. At several crucial junctures, events in Jewish history testified against preconceived ideas. The sanctuary was the first historical testimony, and it signaled that even after moral collapse, we were still chosen.

The second testimony

Nine hundred and fifty years later, the Purim episode provided a second historical testimony. A student of history, Haman understood that we were chosen by God and had been privileged with extraordinary divine providence. He took a brave gamble, though, wagering that after our first exile, we had forfeited that chosen status and were now similar to...