Anti-Semitism
 
Moshe Ben-Chaim
 
Question: My wife and I have been trying to figure out the answer to a question for some time. The question is: Why do so many hate the Jewish people so much? What is your view on that? Thanks
 
Mesora: The Rabbis stated that anti-Semitism has it's source at Mt. Sinai. They ask, what does "Sinai" mean? They answer that it comes from the root "sinah", hatred. The Rabbis conclude "from Sinai hatred came forth". The reasoning is that Mt. Sinai is where God demonstrated His preference of the children of Israel as the chosen people. This undoubtedly creates jealousy in all other "abandoned children" of God. The rest of the nations have a problem with God selecting the Jews. This problem has never been resolved, and is constantly expressed in the form of anti-Semitism. Eventually, when God brings his messiah, the world as a whole will recognize Judaism as the only authentic religious system, and they will see the clarity of the Torah universally, abandoning all other religions.
 
But post Sinai wasn't the only era where Jews were hated. Even before there was a Sinai and a Judaic system with a Torah, there was hatred against the founder of Judaism, Abraham. He was called Abraham the Ivri. Ivri comes from the root "ayver" which means limb. They would say that all the world is from one limb, and Abraham is from another. As Abraham's approach to life was honesty and analysis, he discovered the absolute truth of monotheism and discovered confirmation in the world of a single God, greatly disturbing the rest of the world steeped in idolatry and polytheism. Abraham was threatened with his life and had to move as his teachings of monotheism caused havoc. Once relocated, he commenced his teachings again. His concern for mankind was inspiring, and it all stemmed from his inability to tolerate fallacy, and the pure desire that man not miss out on his one chance at life, to discover why we are created, and how we should live.
 


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