Are the Jews to remain an eternal scapegoat, even now, 80 years after Auschwitz?
To be that goat, sent into the wilderness, or designated as the eternal “Wandering Jew’
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Leviticus 16:20
. . . . the live goat shall then be brought forward.
וְסָמַ֨ךְ אַהֲרֹ֜ן אֶת־שְׁתֵּ֣י יָדָ֗ו עַ֣ל רֹ֣אשׁ הַשָּׂעִיר֮ הַחַי֒ וְהִתְוַדָּ֣ה עָלָ֗יו אֶת־כׇּל־עֲוֺנֹת֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאֶת־כׇּל־פִּשְׁעֵיהֶ֖ם לְכׇל־חַטֹּאתָ֑ם וְנָתַ֤ן אֹתָם֙ עַל־רֹ֣אשׁ הַשָּׂעִ֔יר וְשִׁלַּ֛ח בְּיַד־אִ֥ישׁ עִתִּ֖י הַמִּדְבָּֽרָה׃
Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat and confess over it all the iniquities and transgressions of the Israelites, whatever their sins, putting them on the head of the goat; and it shall be sent off to the wilderness through a designated agent.
וְנָשָׂ֨א הַשָּׂעִ֥יר עָלָ֛יו אֶת־כׇּל־עֲוֺנֹתָ֖ם אֶל־אֶ֣רֶץ גְּזֵרָ֑ה וְשִׁלַּ֥ח אֶת־הַשָּׂעִ֖יר בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃
Thus the goat shall carry on it all their iniquities to an inaccessible region; and the goat shall be set free in the wilderness.
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Ezekiel 20:10: — uh oh:
וָאוֹצִיאֵ֖ם מֵאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרָ֑יִם וָאֲבִאֵ֖ם אֶל־הַמִּדְבָּֽר׃
I brought them out of the land of Egypt and I led them into the wilderness.
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Of note, and for our consideration, the 49-night and 50-day period from the Slavery of Egypt to the Torah of Sinai as understood through the ‘Counting of the Omer’ does appear, more than somewhat, as . . . harsh.
Ruth’s trek, from Moab to Bethlehem, appears painful, and is understood both physically and emotionally, as . . . harsh.
And now, after all is said and done, as a People, are we to remain ‘sent out’ to eternally wander (i.e., the wandering Jew) . . . as a scapegoat?
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As a reminder, for Ruth, Bethlehem, Judea, was not that far, seemingly a small journey, just beyond the Dead Sea and a Land that sacrificed its young.
