G-d and Nimrod

                                                                                     B-H

Abraham, a man of flesh and blood is bargaining with the Creator of the Univerese in an attempt to save the cities Sdom, Amora, Adma and Seboim from destruction. Sodom and Gomora are the two that are most known from this account.

We Jews, know this conversation very well.

Those who attend any kind of services on Sundays or Saturdays, know this story as well. At this moment, we can talk about it without the risk of overexaggerating, that most of our fellow Americans know this story.

I would even take a risk and say that some self-declared atheists may know this story as well.

In the world, in philosophical literature (but not limited to) some of the events that are described in the Bible are considered to be fundamental in human history for developing ideas of justice. This particular conversation may be familiar to most of humanity.

We do not judge, or even worse, harm the majority on the account of deeds or beliefs of the minority. This is the moral teaching coming from this dialog.

But there is a part of this story that is not known to public.  I will describe a quiet different chat, which I imagine, took place before G-d came to our father Abraham.

Nimrod the First known also as Amraphel, was the emperor of Babylon, the first city and government organized in a way that later in history was described as Hegemony.

Nimrod the First was killed by Abraham in the battle of the four kings by supernatural means described in detail in the Midrash.

After the death of his father, Nimrod the Second approached G-d with a complaint against his enemies from the Valley of Shittim. Which is where Abraham came to rescue and save his nephew Lot, and in process killied the first Nimrod - Amraphel.

Nimrod the second called:                           

-          G-d?

-          Yes, my servant Nimrod.

-          Oh, you call me a servant now but you allowed my father to be eliminated by this enemy of social order Abraham?

-         Don’t you know? Lev Hamelech be yadaim Hashem. Your heart is in my hands so of course you are my servant like all the other Nimrods in the future – Cesar, Napoleon, Hitler. Those are the big ones but there are pages of the future filled with names of all small Nimrods. Anyhow we will not talk about what is to become of history now and why I allow them to act in the way they do. What is you Issue Nimrod?

-         G-d, did you hear about the evil perpetrated in the cities of the Valley of Shittim? The lack of hospitality, their laws against any immigration that would undermine the wellbeing of the citizens, and then cardinal sins against the first commandment in your Torah, that about marriage? I think they deserve to be eliminated from the rest of the healthy society for they may endanger the rest of us with their misdeeds, it is potentially danger her in Bavel and for my relatives in Canaan.

-         Yes, something came to me, but I can’t eliminate such a large population on the account of some bad individuals…How many bad people do you think live there in the five cities of Shittim Valley?

-         I don’t know but let me ask you G-d, if there would be 10 evildoers then would you consider eliminating them?

-         Nooo …can’t destroy human lives on account of 10 bad individuals. You talking about my creation and well… if I created them that means I love them and it would cause me tremendous suffering if I would have to harm them in any way.

-         What about 20 bad guys, would it be enough for You to act?

-         Of course not, I can’t do it.

-         What if 30 are evil?

-        Where is this going Nimrod? What are you trying to achieve? Of course, my Justice Love would not allow Me to harm the population on the account of 30.

-         What about 40, would you send angels of destruction then?

-         No.

-         45 G-d, 45 bad guys and You say it would not justify the elimination of those cities’ populations?

-         No, Nimrod! I said No!

-         Let me tell you G-d. I’m quite sure that there is at last 50 bad individuals in those cities, that makes 10 bad guys per city. I appeal to your Justice to destroy the lives of the inhabitants of those cities.

-         It will not happen Nimrod, the only condition is that all the members of those societies must be evil to be eliminated, otherwise My Attribute of Chesed will not allow to harm those people.

-         But G-d they are pagans, they don’t believe in You, is this not enough to destroy them and erase them from under the heaven?

-         Nimrod! Enough! They are mistaking perhaps with their intellect, while you and your father rebelled against me in action, and I still allowed you to exist. I myself will go and learn what are you crying about and then I will ask my friend Abraham what he thinks about whole thing. Then I will make my decisions.

I wonder, did I make this story up from scratch or some people already heard it before and are siding with Nimrod?

By Matys Weiser