Sanhedrin 105 – Has God Divorced Himself from the Jewish People?

Ten people came and sat down before the prophet Ezekiel. He told them “Repent!” They answered, “If a husband divorced his wife, do they have any claim on each other any longer? God has allowed us to be conquered and enslaved by Nebuchadnezzar, and now He has no right to punish us for our sins.” God answered, “Where is your mother's bill of divorce?” It is for this reason that God called Nebuchadnezzar His servant, the title given to the righteous King David – because God knew that the people will make this divorce argument. Even though the Jews were conquered by Nebuchadnezzar, they still belong to God, since everything that the slave acquires belongs to the Master.

Chutzpah prevails even against Heaven, for at first Balaam was told “Do not go with them,” but at the end it was “Arise, go with them.”

Art: Lord Frederick Leighton - The Golden Hours