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Parshas Vaeschanan: Judaism - Beyond A Shadow Of A Doubt

By BJLife/Moishy Pruzansky

Posted on 07/26/18

Parshas HaShavua Divrei Torah sponsored by
Dr. Shapsy Tajerstein, DPM - Podiatry Care.
(410) 788-6633

When describing the monumental event of the giving of the Torah at Har Sinai, this week’s Parshah makes a point to repeatedly state, after every detail, the words “which YOU have seen”. Why is the Torah, which is precise and never wastes a single extra letter, repeatedly stating this seemingly superfluous detail?


R’ Daniel Mechanic, a world-renown outreach Rabbi, was once asked by Princeton University to represent Judaism to a philosophy class. He was told that each day of a particular week, someone representing a different religion would address the students and try to prove why his religion is correct. The other religions that would be represented included Christianity, Mormonism, and Islam. R’ Mechanic, at his request, was given the last day’s slot.


By the time R’ Mechanic’s day came, the Princeton students were already weary from hearing so many presentations on religion. R’ Mechanic got up and asked the class “does anyone here know how the religion of Judaism was established beyond a shadow of a doubt?”. An intelligent Asian girl, who sat at the front of the class, answered, her boredom apparent “Yeah Rabbi. Moses said that the L-rd spoke to him. Just like everyone else. Every religion is the same; one man ‘spoke to G-d’, and there just so happened to be no witnesses. Everyone thinks that ‘their G-d is the real G-d’”. “Who taught you that Judaism is based on the testimony of only one man??”, R’ Mechanic asked incredulously. Everyone’s eyes turned towards the professor. R’ Mechanic said to the class “now, I can understand your skepticism if one man says he saw something. One man’s words are little proof whatsoever of anything. At the same time, any information that you know, which you haven’t seen with your own eyes, is based on witnesses. For example: how do you know that there was really a man named George Washington? How do you know that there is a state called Wisconsin, if you have never been there? How do you know any historical fact whatsoever is true? Witnesses, and the fact that it’s virtually impossible to fabricate a fact and claim that there were witnesses who saw it.


Now, if 1,000 witnesses attest to something; Would you believe it then?”. Slowly, a couple of students began to nod. “Well, how about if 100,000 normal and healthy people state they saw something?”. A couple more students, their interest piquing, nodded their heads. “Well, how about if 3 million men, women, and children all say that they witnessed the same thing? What if ‘this thing’ was something that wasn’t easy, and it required a lot of effort to accomplish, yet, still, 3 million people attested that they saw it. Would you have reason to believe it then?”. By now, the entire class was nodding their heads.


At this point, R Mechanic took out a projector and began showing slides with p’sukim (verses) written on them, from this week’s parshah. “Well my friends, then we just proved that Judaism is absolutely true. Take a look at this; when Moshe spoke to the Jewish people regarding Hashem’s revelation at Har Sinai, Moshe did NOT claim that Hashem spoke only to him. He said Hashem spoke to ALL of YOU - the ENTIRE Jewish nation. As it says explicitly in the Torah: 'Hashem spoke to YOU from the midst of the fire' (4:12)…'He told YOU of His covenant that He commanded YOU to observe; the Aseres Hadibros (10 commandments)' (4:13)…'from Heaven He caused YOU to hear his voice in order to teach YOU, and on earth he showed YOU his great fire, and YOU heard His words from the midst of the fire' (4:36)…'Not with our forefathers did Hashem seal this covenant, but with US - WE who are here, all of US alive today' (5:3)…'Face to face did Hashem speak with YOU on the mountain' (5:4)…'These words Hashem spoke to YOUR entire congregation on the mountain' (5:19)…'it happened that when YOU heard the voice from the midst…that YOU - all the heads of YOUR tribes and YOUR elders - approached me. YOU said ‘Behold! Hashem, our G-d, has shown US His glory and His greatness, and WE have heard His voice from the midst of the fire; this day WE saw that Hashem will speak to a person and he can live’" (5:21).


Judaism is not based on the words of Moshe. It’s based on the testament of the ENTIRE Jewish nation - which consisted of about 3 million men, women and children who had nothing to gain by attesting that G-d gave them a difficult but extremely fulfilling Torah. Do you know why no other religion in the history of the entire planet ever tried claiming that there were even 100 witnesses when their leader ‘spoke to G-d’? Do you know why they never made the claim to 100 people saying ‘YOU witnessed this’? If any other religion could manage to say these things, wouldn’t they do so? What did they have to lose by at least claiming that there were witnesses there? The answer is because it would be too risky. No one would have accepted it. You can’t convince a group of people that they themselves spoke to G-d, if it didn’t really happen, no matter how convenient that religion would be. Even more so, those parents would never try to convince their children to spread such a ridiculous ruse, nor would those children believe it enough to spread it to their own children. Indeed, only the Jewish people, who witnessed with their own eyes that Hashem gave the Torah to Moshe on Har Sinai, could do so. In fact, even the Christians and Muslims never dared to dispute that the Torah was given to the JEWISH people in front of MILLIONS of people. They never could have, because it was such an indisputable fact and there were just too many witnesses. Rather, all they claim is that G-d mysteriously ‘changed His mind’ (and told this to only one single witness. See the problem??). Judaism and the Torah is the only religion which is true and real”.


At that point, R’ Mechanic received a standing ovation from many of the Princeton students, who were dumbfounded by the truths of Judaism.


Living Inspired


How lucky we are to have the Torah shel emes - the one true Torah, which Hashem openly gave us at Har Sinai. While we know the Torah is true because of many more reasons than what was just discussed, it is important to be aware of these obvious proofs.


May we all fulfill the Torah with all of our hearts and with absolute conviction.