Majority Rules?
Rabbi Yonatan Eibashets was the chief rabbi of Prague some 300 years ago and a major spokesman for the Jewish people.
This was not an easy task in those days; all of Europe was either Catholic or Protestant and as the saying goes, they worshiped a suffering Jew and tried to make as many Jews suffer as possible. Rare was the day that did not see trouble.
For instance one day the Bishop of Prague stopped Rabbi Yonatan in the street and asked him a question.
"Rabbi, I have just been thinking. In fact, I've been thinking of this for several days…. You Jews certainly believe what it says in the Old Testament that we must go after the majority; (Ex. 23:2) correct? Well then, why do you not comply with your own rules and follow the vast majority who follow the Gospels? Why, I would estimate that your opinion is outnumbered over a hundred to one; hundreds of millions think you are wrong to not leave your Bible and accept our belief!!"
The Rabbi knew he was in trouble; if he didn't give an answer it would be interpreted as defeat and forced conversions could result. But if he angered the Bishop by saying one wrong word against their religion it could bring a wholesale massacre.
He pretended to ponder over the question as he prayed to G-d for help. Suddenly he had an idea! He took a deep breath and replied.
"Your highness, action speaks louder than words. You have asked a very wise question and I will try to give a befitting answer. Please let us go to the town square."
They walked together until they were standing in the middle of the open market place. Only a few people were there when the Rabbi turned to the Bishop and said quietly, "Now, your Excellency, please do as I do; look up and don't stop pointing to the sky".
The Bishop did so and in a short time people, seeing these two honorable men pointing to the clouds began to gather around and look up as well. "What do you see, your highness?" One of the braver members of the crowd asked.
"The arch-angel Michael" whispered the Rabbi in feigned awe, "There he is in the clouds."
"The Angel Michael!!" Whispered the man in reply as he crossed his heart, squinted even harder on high and fell to his knees in trepidation.
In seconds the word spread and thousands of people were crowded in the square in various poses of submission. Women were holding up their babies, old people were weeping; grown men stood transfixed, hands raised in supplication, children were bowing. All were pointing to the clouds and echoing, "The Angel Michael!! The Holy Angel Michael.
"Now" said the Rabbi to the Bishop, "let us leave them and move to the Jewish sector".
The Rabbi led the way through the twisting streets into the Jewish ghetto and soon they were again standing in the middle of the much smaller Jewish marketplace.
This time the Rabbi pointed heavenward until a small group of people gathered around. "What is the Honorable Rabbi pointing at? Someone asked the Rabbi politely.
"The Archangel Michael" he answered. "There he is in the clouds!"
In no time a crowd of Jews had gathered with heads craned upward. "What is it?" someone asked. "What are we looking at?" "Dunno" someone else answered, "The Rabbi says he sees an angel up there. Do you see anything? All I see is clouds." "Maybe he just has a stiff neck" someone whispered jokingly. "I already have one" quipped someone else.
People were scratching their heads, shrugging their shoulders and squinting at the sky until finally someone got up the courage to go up to the Rabbi and ask,
"Excuse me Rabbi but are we supposed to see something up there? I mean, is the Rabbi sure he sees something? Is the Rabbi feeling all right?"
The Rabbi stopped looking up, apologized for the error and, motioning to the Bishop, walked away toward the nearest synagogue with the Bishop following at his heels.
"Please try to understand, your highness, I'm not trying to be rude but," he turned to the Bishop as they reached the door of the Shul, "But I'll have to ask you to please hide that cross around your neck before we enter."
The congregation was just about to begin the reading of the Torah. (The Torah is read publicly four times a week) and when everyone saw the Rabbi they stood in honor, although they were surprised to see him accompanied by the Bishop.
The Rabbi asked if he could read publicly from the Torah. Of course, no one objected, indeed they were honored. He took his place upon the podium, the first man was called up, made the blessing, (The reading was 'Yisro', just like this week and it begins with the words 'Vayishma YISRO') the Rabbi opened the scroll and began to read loud and clear in the ancient melody:
"Vayishma MISRO.."
Immediately the entire crowd yelled out in unison to correct the obvious mistake. "Yisro! Not Misro…… YISRO! YISRO!"
When things quieted down the Rabbi again began:
"VaYishma FISRO…"
And again the crowd yelled "YISRO!!, RABBI, IT'S YISRO!! NOT FISRO!!" Three people ran up to look into the Torah scroll for a spelling error and when they saw that there was none they politely and quietly asked the Rabbi if he would please let someone else read.
The Rabbi stepped down, excused himself and motioned for the Bishop to follow him outside.
"You see, your Excellency" he said to the Bishop, "This is why we don't follow your 'majority'.
These people are for the most part simple folk and they revere me as their Rabbi and leader. Every word I say to them is holy. But when I made just one small mistake in the Torah reading or lied to them about an angel, they refused to accept it.
"But as you see, your followers don't care so much. Just as they just now bowed to a non-existent angel so too they believe a person can be G-d and can change not just one letter but the entire Torah!
"So how can we leave G-d's Torah which we have been reading publicly four times a week for three thousand years without one change just because we are outnumbered by humans?
So that is why we can't follow your majority."
