Q&A: The Jewish People Forgot the Torah
The Jewish People Forgot the Torah
Question
Hello, in Judges chapter 2 verse 10 it says that the Jewish people forgot the Torah, forgot the Exodus from Egypt, and forgot the revelation at Mount Sinai.
After that, God sends a judge who will lead the people and remind them of the covenant and of faith in God.
That is, the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) proves to us that one person can come to the people and cause an entire nation to believe in something.
If so, how can one know that nobody came along 2,000 years ago and caused the entire people to believe in his personal doctrine?
I am asking specifically about Rabbi Judah the Prince, who finalized the Mishnah. My claim is that he wrote the Mishnah according to his own personal outlook and perspective, solely in accordance with his own interpretation.
Thank you.
Answer
What a marvelous faith in the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh)! The moment the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) tells us something, that proves it. So then why, when the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) tells that the Holy One, blessed be He, revealed Himself, does that not inspire the same confidence in you?
The people did not forget the Torah or the revelation at Mount Sinai. They abandoned them because of their evil inclination. And in such a situation, a person can indeed come and bring them back to the right path.