Dear Ronen,



We have written about prophecies in a special essay, Prophecy; see there.

Outreach professionals not only exhibit an amazing lack of knowledge in the role of the prophet, they try to bring proof of a prophecy come true from the Torah texts themselves.

For example, one of the examples of a prophecy come true is brought by the Rosh Yeshiva who wrote the pamphlet “To the Anonymous Wonderer.” He wrote: “And there will be a plague amongst the people if you count them through means other than the half shekel [coin]; this came to pass in the time of David.”

See something strange which is customary amongst religious people. They prove their faith through other bits of faith.

The Torah states that a plague will ravage the Jewish people, and this did indeed happen in the times of David. But the times of David themselves require proof as something other than a made-up tale.

If a contradiction is found between the Scriptural text and reality, they will distort and change the text.

An example: there are two commandments in the Torah for which a reward of long life is promised.

A. Honor your father and your mother so your life will be long upon the earth (Exodus 20:11)

B. Send away the mother and the young take for yourself so it will go well for you and your days will be long (Deuteronomy 22:7)

But many honor their parents yet do not live long lives. Their answer would be that the Torah meant a long life in the World to Come. This is also their answer to those who fulfill the commandment of sending the mother bird away yet who do not live long lives.

But look at something amazing: in the Mishnah it is explicitly written that the reward is in this world. “These are the precepts, the fruits of which man enjoys in this world while the principle reward is preserved for him in the World to Come, and they are honoring father and mother, performing deeds of kindness, making peace between fellow men — and the study of Torah is equal to them all” (Peah 5:1).

Anyone who looks at reality with open eyes will see the world goes on in its own way — in contrast to the Torah’s promises — and there is no distinction drawn between people nor between people and animals, as is written in Ecclesiastes: “For in respect to the fate of man and the fate of beast, they have one and the same fate: as one dies so dies the other, and both have the same life breath; man has no superiority over beast, since both amount to nothing” (Ecclesiastes 3:19).



Sincerely,



Daat Emet

If you insist on the plain meaning of the Scriptures, take the words of Ibn Ezra there (Ibn Ezra on Exodus [the long commentary] 20:11).

“And it is said upon the earth, because when Israel keeps this commandment they will not be exiled from it, and it is written ‘Fathers and mothers have been humiliated within you'” Ezekiel 22:7.

The term “upon the earth” points to salvation from exile.



David

Dear David,



We have brought an example of how religious people distort and change the Scriptures, all in an effort to support their illusionary faith.

Chazal explain that the verse “so that your life may be long” means the World to Come. Do you admit that Chazal distorted the plain meaning of the text?

Even according to Ibn Ezra “so that your life may be long” refers to longevity in this world for one who fulfills the commandment of honoring one’s father and mother.

This is the full commentary: “And your life will be long (ibid., 22:7). Because of the commandment you have a long life. And it is said ‘upon the earth,’ for when the Jews keep this commandment they will not be exiled from it” (Exodus 20:11).

David, try to focus in on the main issue and deal with that. This topic is the ways and means through which religious people deal with contradictions which exist between the text and reality. The most common of these ways is to distort and change the Scriptures to make them match reality.



Sincerely,



Daat Emet