Spanish Jews Baptized? Rabbi Singer Reveals What Really Happened in Medieval Europe

We're going to enjoy this. It is extremely unlikely that you will forget what you're about to hear. This is very tight, very deep. I need you to stay with me on this one cuz this is looking at Jewish history in a radically different way than you have until this point. Jews of Persia got back converted to Islam. So, what what happened? Why did they? After all, you say I wouldn't have done it. >> Uh we were faced with the choice of convert to Christianity. We we chose Marxism. >> Yes. >> What happened in Spain in the 1300s, 1390s? Why did so many Jews [clears throat] in that era? And >> where is your accent from? >> London. >> London. It's so striking you as me that with a British accent because I when I think [snorts] of our good friends in England. What a prime minister you have. Your big I envy everybody in England so much. What a what a thing. I almost want to move to Canada. It's a very good thing. [laughter] How pleasant it is to live in England. What did you ask me? No, I know what you're asking me. [laughter] you no one in my life ever asked me that question like why did so many Jew the year he's talking about is 1391 the place Spain the catastrophe the Jews were forced to convert to Christianity many of them died rather than convert but there were Jews who baptized in great numbers in order to not to live another day I got news for you we can go to Spain but go there in the in 1492. So when Ferdinand and Isabella made a gazer, a decree that the Jews would have to be baptized or leave, so there were many Jews who left Spain, including the Sukara, the many, he was a little boy at the time, but there were Jews including rabbis in Spain that converted to Christianity. Why? So, you all know what I'm going to say, but you don't need me to tell you you're going to be killed in 1391 or you're going to lose everything. That be I'll get that. Why do you need that? I mean, I can think of the modern period. I can think of a great musician and composer, Mueller. Why did he convert to Roman Catholicism? He converted because he would never he would never be able to stand in front of an orchestra with if he didn't get baptized. Hey, all these guys converted in mass. So if people are losing every these are people who just want a job, who just want to get into Harvard? I don't know why someone would want to do that today, but if then good luck to you, but there was a time when Harvard had major quotas not allowing Jews in. People converted to Christianity just to get into Yale. That's just the way it is. So I But what I'd like to do, because I don't think you need me to tell you that. I think that was that's really rudimentary. What I'd like to do, if with your permission, is saturate this picture in light of what we've learned tonight of why people might have converted in in the medieval period that you've heard. I'd like to we're going to enjoy this. It is extremely unlikely that you will forget what you're about to hear. This is very tight, very deep. I need you to stay with me on this one because this is looking at Jewish history in a radically different way than you have until this point. Jews of Persia got back converted to Islam. So what what hap why did they? After all, you say I wouldn't have done it. Okay, let's say you say to yourself, you know what? A gazer goes out in March of 1492. Jews get baptized or not. If you get baptized, you stay. If not, you leave. And by tishabove, you left. I think it was August 12th, 1492. Why did they get baptized? What I would like to do with you with your permission is examine the world in the medieval period in light of what you've heard tonight. If what I shared with you earlier, we're living in a time where is under the control of Jews. The half of all Jews in the world and known to us are living in today. You could not say that since the days of Hezekiah, since no, we're speak the Hebrew language being spoken here in that wasn't the case since the first temple period. But if the church father said that the Jews would always be living in a degraded state because they rejected Christianity or Islam and what was it like to be a Jew in medieval Europe? It seemed at the time that the church fathers were right. It would seem that that filthy anti-semite Augustine the bishop of Hippo was almost I no actually I could say it was like a novi I could say it because in Tanakh Naveim who are false prophets are also called naveim because the word novi just means to speak so it's okay you have to understand so in order to understand history it doesn't have to be Jewish history just in order to really learn understand history you have to divorce yourself from your world and step into another world completely. That's the only way you can marshall history. So we this what's very is a barrier of risk. Why would they convert? I would never do. Of course you're in your and there are Jewish soldiers everywhere. Of course not. But imagine living in a time when [snorts] the plight of the Jew was neck was low down. We was spit on. We're a weak people. We had no power. You were Jews here in Jerusalem. But it was a nightmare under the Muslims, under the Christians. It was a nightmare. We were here, but it we were low low down. So it looked at the time the church is so grandiose. In fact, if we study the debates between Christians and Jews, the famous one between the Ramban and Pablo Christian of 1263, that was a big argument that Pablo Christiani used in his debate with the Ramban. He said, "Look at the church here. Look at the Jew." low low down what do you look at history look at the world around you that was a big argument of of Pablo Christianity what a Russia he was but the key is so therefore now you have the answer in the you don't have to go to the ancient world in the medieval world whether in England there were no Jews in England in 1391 they were Jews were gone already but in England wherever wherever you were in Spain in which was western Europe or Portugal western Jewish life was miserable the church was in charge and they were powerful. They controlled it all. So at that time the church fathers Irenaeus and Ignatius Sham who predict the Jews would be low down they seem like these must have been prophets Christianity must be true Islam and Judaism false it made it plausible for Jews to convert just based on the plight of the Jew. But now we're living in time just the opposite. And now that's why the nations are going to do chuva because of the building of the temple. Ezekiel 37:20. It's a very insightful question. Thank you. Yes, sir. >> If you enjoyed this program, please like and subscribe. [singing] [music] [singing] >> [music] [singing]