God on Trial - Handout
Avodah Zarah 2a-3b
Part I
R. Hanina bar Papa, and some say R. Simlai, expounded:
In the world to come, the Holy One, blessed be He, will bring a Torah scroll and set it in his lap, and say: "Let everyone who busied himself with this come and take his reward." Straightaway all the nations of the world assemble and come [before God] in confusion, as it says, All the nations assemble as one (Isa 43:9a). God says to them: "Do not enter before me in confusion. Rather the nations should enter one by one, together with their scribes," as it says, The peoples gather (Isa 43:9a), and people means a kingdom, as it says, One people shall be mightier than the other (Gen 25:23).
Straightaway the Kingdom of Rome enters first. The Holy One, blessed be He, says to them: "With what have you busied yourselves in this world?" They say to him: "Master of the universe. We established many marketplaces. We built many bath-houses. We accumulated much gold and silver. And we only did all this so that Israel could busy themselves with Torah." The Holy One, blessed be He, says to them: "Complete idiots! Everything you made was done exclusively for yourselves. You made marketplaces so that you could place prostitutes there, bath-houses to make yourselves beautiful. I am responsible for gold and silver, as it says, Silver is mine and gold is mine (Hag. 2:8). Are there none among you who speak this?", as it says Who among you declared this? (Isa 43:9b), and this refers to Torah, as it says, This is the Torah which Moses brought (Deut 4:44). Straightaway they depart from Him dejectedly.
The Kingdom of Persia enters after her. The Holy One, blessed be He, says to them: "With what have you busied yourselves?" They say to him: "We constructed many bridges. We conquered many cities. We fought many wars. And we only did all this so that Israel could busy themselves with Torah." The Holy One, blessed be He, says to them: "Everything you made was to satisfy your own needs. You made bridges so that you could collect tolls, cities so that you could impose forced labor. I am responsible for war, as it says,The Lord is a man of war (Exod 15:3). Are there none among you who speak this?", as it says Who among you declaredthis? (Isa 43:9), and this refers to Torah, as it says, This is the Torah which Moses brought (Deut 4:44). Straightaway they depart from Him dejectedly.
The same thing [occurs] with each and every nation.
Part II
They say to him: "Master of the Universe. Did we ever accept [the Torah] and then not fulfill it?" He says to them: "Let us hear of the things that have happened (Isa 43:9b). Those seven commandments that you did accept, when did you fulfill them?"
They say to him, "Master of the Universe. Israel, who accepted [the Torah], when did they fulfill it?" He says to them, "I testify for Israel that they fulfilled the Torah in its entirety." They say to him, "Master of the Universe. Can a father testify for his son, as it says Israel is my firstborn son (Exod 4:22)?" He says to them, "Let Heaven and Earth come and testify for Israel that they fulfilled the entire Torah." They say to him, "Heaven and Earth are not impartial witnesses as it says, If I had not established my eternal covenant, I would not have fashioned heaven and earth (Jer 33:25)." He says to them, "Let those among you come forth and testify for Israel that they fulfilled the Torah. Let Nimrod come and testify for Abraham that he was never suspected of idolatry. Let Laban the Aramean come and testify for Jacob that he was never suspected of stealing. Let the wife of Potiphar come and testify for Joseph that he was never suspected of sin. Let Darius come and testify for Daniel that he never neglected prayer. Let Nebuchadnezzar come and testify for Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah that they never bowed to the idol. Let Eliphaz the Temanite, Bildad the Shuhite, Zophar the Naamathite, and Elihu ben Barachel the Buzite testify for Israel that they fulfilled the entire Torah," as it says, Let them give their testimony and be vindicated (Isa 43:9c).
Part III
They say to Him, "Give it to us anew, that we may do it." He says to them, "Complete idiots! He who prepared on the eve of the Sabbath will eat on the Sabbath. But he who did not prepare on the eve of the Sabbath, how will he eat on the Sabbath? Nevertheless, I have a simple precept, which is called sukkah. Go and do it."
Straightaway each and every one makes a sukkah on the roof of his house, and the Holy One, blessed be He, makes the sun blaze upon them as in the summer season. Straightaway each and every one kicks his sukkah and departs, as it says,Let us break the cords of their yokes (Ps 2:3). And the Holy One, blessed be He, sits and laughs, as it says, He who sits in heaven laughs (Ps 2:4).
Prooftexts
Genesis 25:23
And the Lord said to her, "Two nations are in your womb, and two kingdoms will separate from your innards, and one kingdom will become mightier than the other kingdom, and the elder will serve the younger.
Genesis 9:9
"And I, behold I am setting up My covenant with you and with your seed after you.
Isaiah 1:8
And the daughter of Zion shall be left like a sukkah in a vineyard…
Amos 9:11
On that day, I will raise up the fallen sukkah of David, and I will close up their breaches, and I will raise up its ruins, and build it up as in the days of yore.
Sources
Isaiah 43:
9(a) All the nations are gathered together, and the peoples are assembled;
(b) who among them can declare this, and announce to us former things?
(c) Let them bring their witnesses, that they may be vindicated;
(d) and let them hear, and say: 'It is truth.'
10You are My witnesses, says the LORD, and My servant whom I have chosen; that you may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He; before Me there was no God formed, neither shall any be after Me.
11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside Me there is no savior.
12 I have declared, and I have saved, and I have announced, and there was no strange god among you; therefore you are My witnesses, says the LORD, and I am God.
Psalms 2:
1 Why are the nations in an uproar? And why do the peoples mutter in vain?
2 The kings of the earth stand up, and the rulers take counsel togetheragainst the LORD, and against His anointed:
3 'Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us.'
4 He that sits in heaven laughs, the Lord has them in derision.
5 Then will He speak unto them in His wrath, and affright them in His sore displeasure:
Zechariah 14:
1 Behold, a day of the LORD comes, when your spoil shall be divided in the midst of you.
2 For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, but the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.
3 Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when He fights in the day of battle.
…
16 And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations that came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles (ChagHaSukkot).
I. God Judges the Nations
A In the world to come, God brings a Torah and says,
"Let everyone who busied himself with this come and take his reward"
A' Straightaway, the nationscome in confusion,
All the nations assemble as one (Isa 43:9a)
A2 God says: Complete idiots. Enter not in confusion,
The peoples gather (Isa 43:9b)
B. Straightaway, Rome enters.
B2. God says: With what have you busied yourselves in this world?
B3. Rome answers
1. marketplaces
2. bath-houses
3. silver and gold
B3'. God's rejection
1. Marketplaces for prostitutes
2. bath-houses for self-beautification
3. gold and silver are mine (Hag 2:8)
B2'. God: Are there none who speak this?
Who among you declared this? (Isa 43:9c)
B' Romansdepart dejectedly
C Persia enters.
C2. God says: "With what have you busied yourselves?"
C3. Persia answers
1. bridges
2. cities conquered
3. war
C3'. God's rejection
1. bridges for tolls
2. cities for forced labor
3. war is mine (Exod 15:3)
C2'. God: Are there none who speak this,
Who among you declared this? (Isa 43:9c)
C'. Persians depart dejectedly
[A2'.] The same thing [occurs] with each and every nation.
II. The Nations Dispute God's Justness
- Nations: Did we receive it and not fulfill it?
A'. God: When did you fulfill the commandments you received?
Let us hear of the things that have happened (Isa 43:9d)
- Nations: Did Israel. whoreceived the Torah,fulfill it?
B' God: I will testify that Israel fulfilled the Torah.
B2. Nations: Can a father give evidence in favor of his son? (Exod 4:22)
B2' God: Let Heaven and Earth testify that Israel fulfilled the Torah.
B3 Nations: Heaven and Earth are involved (Jer 33:25).
B3' God: You come and testify
1. Let Nimrod come and testify for Abraham
2. Let Laban come and testify for Jacob
3. Let Potiphar's wife come and testify for Joseph
4. Let Nebuchadnezzar come and testify for Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah
5. Let Darius come and testify for Daniel
6. Let Eliphaz, Bildad, Zophar, and Elihucome and testify for all Israel that they fulfilled the whole Torah,
Let them give their testimony and be vindicated (Isa 43:9e)
- Nations: Give us Torah now and we will do it.
C'. God: Completeidiots! He who prepares on the eve of the Sabbath. ..
III. The Nations Reject Torah
- God: Nevertheless, I have an easy commandment, called sukkah, Go and do it.
A' Straightaway the nations go and make sukkot on their houses.
- God causes the sun to blaze upon them.
B.Straightaway they kick their sukkot and depart,
Let us break the cords of their yokes (Ps 2:3)
- God laughs, He who sits in heaven laughs (Ps 2:4)