The Loneliest People in the World

Why G-d Can Never Abandon Us!

Two American citizens were killed in Israel in September. The killing of one led to widespread international condemnation, while the other’s death was met with complete silence about those responsible. Can you guess which one was Jewish?

We were getting so comfortable in our civilized world—lulled into the belief that we Jews were finally perceived as equals to other nations. But alas, this war has shocked us into the realization that we stand alone, just as we always have.

In a stunning declaration, the Talmud (Tractate Shabbos 89a) identifies the reason that Jews are treated differently to all other nations—because we’re Chosen. Just like the favored child is hated by his siblings, some of the nations of the world have a deep-rooted hatred against Jews because they cannot make peace with the fact that, 3336 years ago at Mount Sinai, we became the Chosen People.

The Talmud clarifies that the mountain was named “Sinai” because Sinai is a homophone; Sinai in Hebrew sounds the same as sinah—the Hebrew word for “hatred.”   “Why was the Torah given on a mountain called Sinai?” asks the Talmud. “Because the great sinah—the tremendous hatred aimed at the Jew—emanates from Sinai.” Just days after Israel captured Gaza, all of the “West Bank” and the Golan Heights in the stunning victory of the Six Day War against impossible odds, the Rebbe delivered a sermon in Brooklyn. New York on Thursday, July 20, 1967. In this sensational speech, he spoke about the unbreakable bond that G-d has with the Jewish People—how he will never abandon us, no matter how bleak our prospects might seem.

He referred to the extreme suffering of European Jewry during the Middle Ages at the hands of the Church. Though the Christians accepted that G-d had chosen the Jews, they claimed that G-d had divorced us, because of our alleged sins. This, they self-righteously declared, was the reason for our suffering!

Divorcing one’s wife is perfectly allowed in the Torah portion this week (Devarim 24:1-4). When necessary, it’s a mitzvah to undo the marriage and allow the spouses to walk their separate ways.

The struggles of the Jews in those dark times were so acute that they were even ready to believe their tormentors. Though they were once chosen, they reasoned, they had become “unchosen.” Until a great rabbi from Mainz, Germany, Rabbi Gershom (960-1040) arose and profoundly impacted the faith of worldwide Jewry.

Rabbi Gershom explained that the Torah’s permission to divorce one’s wife only applies with the wife’s approval. Divorcing a woman against her will is forbidden by the Torah. He also declared a ban on polygamy, allowing a man to marry just one wife.

Applying this principle, the Jews were finally able to respond to their passionate persecutors by saying that though G-d might not be happy with the Jews’ behavior, He cannot divorce us without our consent! “At the very least,” proposed the Christians, “G-d has chosen the Christians as his Chosen People, taking us a second wife, in addition to the Jews that were formerly chosen!”

“This too is impossible,” the Jews triumphantly retorted, “as G-d is subject to the laws of his Torah that forbid a man from marrying more than one wife!”

Rabbi Gershom’s Torah rulings on the laws of marriage and divorce had profound implications for the spiritual well-being of world Jewry in the face of crushing persecution and suffering. Thus the Rebbe explained that his impact was so meaningful, that the Jews awarded him a title that no Jewish leader in history has ever been given—Rabbeinu Gershon Meor HaGolah: Our Rebbe, Gershom, who illuminated the Diaspora!

Awareness of the cause of the problem makes it easier to bear. Knowing that we’re hated because we were chosen makes a lot of sense—it’s simply sibling rivalry. Thus, 3300 years ago, long before any territories were occupied or businesses were Jewish-owned,  the Torah (Bamidbar 23:9) prophesizes:

“Behold a nation set apart, not recognized by the other nations.”

It’s clear that we were meant to be alone. It’s nothing personal. It’s just that the consequence of rising to great stature is the inability to any longer stand shoulder to shoulder with everyone else. Whether she likes it or not, Princess Kate can never again be viewed as an ordinary citizen. Being chosen means that we’re not like the rest of the nations, we’re here on a mission—empowered to transform this world into a holy place!

So, instead of feeling sorry for our plight, we ought to feel proud of who we are! Let’s focus less on how they treat us and more on why we’re treated this way; less on who rejects us and more on who chose us; less on who hates us and more on who loves us.

If we could spend less time worrying about what others think about us and spend more energy on how we’re called upon to influence their thinking, we’d be fulfilling our purpose without fear. When our job is nothing less than inspiring the world, how can we possibly expect them to always understand us?

The laws of divorce are clear. Once He chose us to be his bride on Mount Sinai, we are forever united with G-d and He can never leave us without our consent. We’re here to stay and we’re not going anywhere. He is with us always and that’s why we cannot die. With G-d on your side, there’s nothing we can’t overcome!

L’Chaim to a New Year celebrating being one and only, instead of lonely!

Rabbi Dovid Vigler
Chabad of Palm Beach Gardens
6100 PGA Blvd, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33418
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