The Eternal People: Seeing G-d in the Pages of History - Rabbi Benzion Shafier

[Music] sometimes a person wonders where is God can I see God in the world could I see him in my life and I'd like to share with you a perspective perspective of history the history of the Jewish people and let's begin with a little bit what you may consider a strange beginning but here we go Adolf Hitler began his career speaking in the beer pubs in Bavaria typically at a meeting there'd be maybe 200 people and you could see Hitler in the front of the room ranting and raving the problem with Germany is the Jews it's the Fatherland of the Jews and I choose the Fatherland on and on he would stre the story is told that at one such meeting in the back of the room is an old man obviously Jewish and after his hour long long ter raade the audience leaps to its feet in adoring Applause and the old man is clapping along with everyone else Hitler notices it and when everyone files out Hitler walks over to this old man and says don't you believe that what I say I intend to keep don't you think I'm serious when I mean that I will rid Germany of the Jews as The Story Goes the old man unded looks at Hitler and says oh I believe you but you have to remember that we're an old people we've been around for much much of History hundreds thousands of years ago there was an evil king Pharaoh he enslaved our people when God saved us from Pharaoh what a beautiful holiday we have Passover the family gets together we celebrate long after that came an evil man hmon he tried to annihilate the Jewish people when God saved us from him what a beautiful holiday we have purm celebration merry making Along Came the Syrian Greeks they tried to oppress us when God saved us from them we have the beautiful holiday of Hanukah but you Hitler you hate us more than all of them and when God Saves us from you what a holiday what a celebration there'll be there is no celebration that marks God's saving us from Hitler there are no family gatherings there are no joyous occasions but there is an interesting reality and that is that we are still here we the ancient people we the only people are still around and we still celebrate Passover we still keep puim we still have Hanukah after thousands of years Every Nation on the planet had its moment in the Stars had its moment of glory and then it disappeared of all the ancient peoples the only one still around is the Jewish people keeping its Traditions keeping its ways and despite the Nazis attempt to annihilate this people we still are here but you have to understand that it's been a rocky 2,000 years since the destruction of the second temple almost 2,000 years ago we live through Crusades Spanish inquisitions blood lials pums persecutions mass murders gassings if there was ever a diabolical means of a man killing another man know that it was used in full measure on the Jews if there was ever a man's way of torturing another human being know that it was used full measure on the Jews we've been gassed shot hung beaten tortured to death and yet ironically we are still around still keeping our ways still the same nation and all of our enemies of the past are no longer here the Egyptian Empire is no longer the Romans the Persians the Babylonians their empire Rose it was here for a moment and it is no longer and yet the Jewish people is still here and if you want to see the hand of God if you want to see God's hand actively involved in the running of the world study Jewish history open a page of Jewish history and you'll see his people being protected being ushered from exile to Exile but always being guarded and you'll see God actively involved in the world actively involved in keeping his Nation now maybe you'll say I'm biased I'm Jewish so I have a Prejudice in this but I want to share with you something from a very completely objective standpoint I want to share with you a quote from a secular historian not Jewish and not religious in any sense it's an article called the Jewish dispersion by linski and these are his words for 19900 years from the destruction of the second temple to the establishment of the modern state of Israel the Jewish people have wandered around the world this wandering was precipitated by intolerable spiritual and physical persecution and the scope of the Jews wandering is only reflected in the lands from which he was expelled and now linski will give us a catalog of the lands that we the Jewish people were expelled from in the 3rd Century they were expelled from Carthage North Africa in the fifth century from Alexandria Egypt in the sixth from France in the 7th Century from the vosic empire in the n9th century they're expelled from Italy in 11th from Main Germany in the 12th from France in the 13th from England the 14th from Switzerland Hungary Germany in the 15th from Austria Spain Lithuania Portugal Germany would you like a catalog of every nation that existed Bohemia Austria Papal States of Netherlands Ukraine Lithuania North Africa if you'd like to study Jewish history all you have to do is look at the globe as a matter of fact I'll give you a little exercise would you like to see God in the world would you like to see God guarding his people go to Manhattan on a nice sunny day and look out at the United Nations building and study all of those beautiful colorful Flags furling in the wind and I give you a challenge find me a flag of a nation that didn't expel us find us a nation that didn't murder us that didn't Exile us and you'll only find such a flag if there were no Jews in the country at the time or the country didn't exist when they were there because we've been expelled from every single continent every single nation generation after generation and those Mighty Empires those powerful dynasties that stood against us are no longer and we alone are the visic Empire is no longer nor are any of those but I want to share one last perspective the final address Adolf Hitler from the bunkers this was 45 the war was lost there was no hope and he knew it but in one last radio address from underneath the ground deep within the bunkers he broadcast his final message and these were his words above all I charge the leaders of the nation and those under them to the scrupulous observance of the laws of race and to the merciless opposition to the Universal poisoner of all people's International jewelry his Third Reich was set up to last at least 1,000 years it didn't last and yet astonishingly the one loone sheep amongst the 70 wolves is still here all the great Nations all the great Powers rose up to destroy us and they are in here never to be heard from never to be seen again and astonishing the Jew is still here and if you'd like to understand where God is read Jewish history if you want to see God see him protecting his people ushering him his unique special people and when you see this people banished and exiled yet always protected you're seeing God you're seeing God's people you're seeing the Jew who is not just the symbol of Eternity the Jew has a purpose has a plan and the Jew is [Music] eternity