President Putin Told Rav Yitzchak Yosef Why The Jews Have Survived While All Others Have Vanished
(Friday, June 24th, 2016 09:30 AM)
Rishon L’Tzion Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef Shlita during a recent shiur explained to participants that a period of time ago, he attended a rabbinical conference in Moscow. He stated he was asked to give a shiur, which he did, and following the event, he was told he and a number of others were being taken to meet with President Putin.
“I thought he would shake our hands and that would be it” he explained, “but the meeting lasted for an hour and a quarter”.
Rabbi Yosef quotes President Vladimir Putin saying “The Egyptians with the magicians are gone, as are the Greeks with their culture as are the Romans. The only ones who survived are the Jews. Can you tell me why this is?” President Putin is quoted adding “Permit me to respond. You survived in the merit of your Torah and your rabbis”.
Rav Yosef:
I heard what he said and asked him to repeat it. שניים מקרא ואחד תרגום. Listen rabbosai, he is a president who is from one of the Nations of the World. He is not a Jew and did not convert. Nor did he say: שלא עשני גוי.
(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
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