וְדִבַּרְתִּ֤י מִשְׁפָּטַי֙ אוֹתָ֔ם עַ֖ל כָּל־רָעָתָ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר עֲזָב֗וּנִי וַֽיְקַטְּרוּ֙ לֵאלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים וַיִּֽשְׁתַּחֲו֖וּ לְמַעֲשֵׂ֥י יְדֵיהֶֽם׃
Et je ferai valoir mes griefs contre eux à propos de tous leurs méfaits; car ils m’ont délaissé pour encenser des divinités étrangères et se prosterner devant l’œuvre de leurs mains.
Depths of Yonah
The Exception of the Jews
One may ask, then, why Jews are treated differently. For example, the primary reason for Churban Bayit Rishon (the destruction of the first Temple) was Avodah Zarah (see, for example, Yirmiyahu 1:16). Why didn’t Hashem classify the Jews as Tinokot SheNishbu regarding this sin as Hashem did regarding Nineveh? The Abarbanel answers that the presence of Neviim and other proper spiritual guides precludes this possibility. One might also answer that such a negative cultural legacy does not exist amongst our people as it did for the remainder of the residents of the ancient Near East.
One may ask, then, why Jews are treated differently. For example, the primary reason for Churban Bayit Rishon (the destruction of the first Temple) was Avodah Zarah (see, for example, Yirmiyahu 1:16). Why didn’t Hashem classify the Jews as Tinokot SheNishbu regarding this sin as Hashem did regarding Nineveh? The Abarbanel answers that the presence of Neviim and other proper spiritual guides precludes this possibility. One might also answer that such a negative cultural legacy does not exist amongst our people as it did for the remainder of the residents of the ancient Near East.