{"id":73651,"date":"2020-04-22T13:54:14","date_gmt":"2020-04-22T10:54:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/?p=73651"},"modified":"2020-04-22T13:54:14","modified_gmt":"2020-04-22T10:54:14","slug":"the-problematic-truth-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/the-problematic-truth-test\/","title":{"rendered":"The Problematic Truth Test"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[281],"tags":[],"acf":{"old_id":"73651","type":"no","iframe":"","writer":72765,"related_cahpter":"465","type_929":"2","show_author_image":false,"old_create_date":"","old_url":"","post_main_content":{"description":"How can we know whom to follow?\r\n\r\n","content":"

Imagine you are living in Jerusalem in the early 6<\/span>th<\/span> century BCE. The mighty Babylonian army is approaching the city, but now, the city walls are intact. The Temple of the Lord is standing and a scion of King David sits on the throne.<\/span><\/p>\n

A ferocious debate breaks out between two groups of prophets regarding the city. One group, led by Jeremiah and Ezekiel, counsels surrender to the Babylonians and submission to exile. The other group, following \u201ctheir hearts\u201d, recommends sitting it out and waiting till the threat passes. There will be peace, they say. (This policy has actually saved the city once before, when the besieging army of Sennacherib dissipated overnight).<\/span><\/p>\n

Which group do you believe? The Torah provides a simple \u201ctruth test\u201d for determining who is a genuine prophet: \u201cIf the prophet will speak in the name of God and that thing will not occur and not come about–that is the word that God has not spoken\u201d (Deuteronomy 18:22). The problem with the \u201ctruth test\u201d however, is that one can\u2019t apply it until after the fact. What does one do while the issue is still in doubt? How does one know whom to follow?<\/span><\/p>\n

Ezekiel castigates the prophets of the peace camp. He reserves special scorn for the female prophets. These prophetesses are glimpsed engaged in domestic chores like crocheting cushions, while doubtless speaking in soothing, maternal tones to their onlookers. Everything will be alright, they say. Who would trust such women?<\/span><\/p>\n

As Yoel Bin Nun points out, it was precisely the more \u201creligiously\u201d inclined among the population, the most possessed of \u201cemunah peshutah\u201d (simple, childlike faith), who were most likely to be persuaded by the peace camp. After all, what person of faith could fathom that God would permit His city to be breached, His temple to be destroyed, His beloved Davidic dynasty to be cut off?<\/span><\/p>\n

Ezekiel punctuates each section of his denunciation of the opposing prophets with \u201c\u2026and they shall know that I am the Lord.\u201d He doesn\u2019t say \u201cand they shall know that I, Ezekiel, was correct.\u201d God will prove His existence by NOT stepping in to rescue His people, and by letting history run its course, and punishment be meted out.<\/span><\/p>\n

That sounds very close to saying that God \u201cproved\u201d His existence during the Holocaust by letting 6 million Jews die!<\/span><\/p>\n

So, what guidance do these chapters provide for us in future generations? Should we ALWAYS believe in the doomsayers over the Panglossians? Are science and reason always correct? Does the mightier army always win?<\/span><\/p>\n

Should we believe in Jabotinsky who tours the Jewish communities of Europe on the eve of WWII, urging the Jews to flee? Or the rabbis who urge them to stay put? Do we listen to the CDC who tell us not to congregate in our synagogues, or follow the callings of our hearts to communal prayer?<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe righteous man will live by his faith\u201d said Habakkuk (2:4). But was Habakkuk being \u201ctruthful\u201d?<\/span><\/p>\n","image":{"ID":73652,"id":73652,"title":"ez13-truthmeter","filename":"ez13-truthmeter.jpg","filesize":0,"url":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ez13-truthmeter.jpg","link":"https:\/\/wp.929.org.il\/en\/the-problematic-truth-test\/ez13-truthmeter\/","alt":"","author":"7","description":"","caption":"","name":"ez13-truthmeter","status":"inherit","uploaded_to":73651,"date":"2020-04-22 10:54:01","modified":"2022-04-25 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