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Every October multiplied millions of Americans remember the discovery
of the New World by Christopher Columbus. Yet few know of a painfully
degrading event in history that preceded this great discovery; the
expulsion of the Jews of Spain by the Christian King & Queen!
Tisha b'Av & Expulsion From Spain
It seems to be more than coincidence that Columbus was set to sail
on the day that all of the Jewish people were to be expelled from
Spain, August 2, 1492. This day also happened to be Tisha b'Av (the
9th of Av), a day of infamy on the Jewish calendar. The destruction
of both Temples, the expulsion of the Jews from England in 1290,
the massacres carried out during the Crusades in 1298, the martyrdom
of many great Rabbinic sages, among many other painful events that
have occurred on that infamous day. It is a day of fasting &
mourning by observant Orthodox Jews.
On March 31, 1492, King Ferdinand V and Queen Isabella signed an
edict ordering the expulsion of "all Jews and Jewesses, of
whatever age they may be, shall depart from all our said kingdoms
and dominions by the end of July next, of the present year."
The following is an eyewitness account of the awful event by Andres
Bernaldez, a Christian writer of the 15th century:
Within the terms fixed by the edict of
expulsion, the Jews sold and disposed of their property for a
mere nothing. They went about asking Christians to buy, but found
no buyers. Fine houses and estates were sold for trifles; a house
was exchanged for a mule and a vineyard for a little cloth or
linen.
Those who were rich paid the expenses
of the departure for those who were poor, practicing toward each
other the greatest deeds of charity, so that, except for a very
few of the poorest of the poor, they would not become converts
to Christianity.
In the first week of July, they took the
hardship of the road upon themselves and left the land of their
birth; children and adults, the very old and the very young, on
foot or mounted on donkeys, other animals or riding in carts;
they continued their journeys, each on to the ports to which they
had to go.
They went along the roads and through
the fields with great travail and misfortune. Some collapsing,
some dying, others falling ill; so that there was no Spaniard
who did not feel sorry for them. So great was the concern of those
who beheld this tragedy that they would invite the Jews to be
baptized so as to avert this terrible suffering. Some because
of the unbearable hardship did convert and remain, but those were
very few.
The Rabbi's strengthened their resolve
and made the women and young people play on pipes and tambourines
to cheer the people until they arrived at the ports of the sea.
As soon as they glimpsed the sea at the port of Cadiz, they let
out loud shouts, both men and women, the old and the children.
In their prayers beseeching G-d for mercy and for miracles, that
He might open a path for them in the sea."
The Spanish Inquisition
The Spanish Inquisition was initated by King Ferdinand V and Queen
Isabella. It began in 1478. The initial purpose was to discover
and punish any newly converted Jews (Conversos) who showed any signs
of insincerity or the Marranos (Swine) who secretly practiced their
Jewish faith. It was believed that the Jews were at the root of
all heresy and disobedience to the faith. Once again Hasatan hatched
a plot in the minds of the spiritually ignorant, but religiously
rigid in another attempt to destroy the children of Abraham. The
Jewish communities of Spain were so ravaged by the Inquisition that
no one felt safe or secure, even if they had openly converted to
Christianity.
The Inquisition established 37 Jewish customs forbidden to be practiced
by anyone who was called a Christian. If anyone failed to eat pork
or shrimp on command, to work on Saturday, or to wear their best
clothes to Church on Sunday they would be accused of being a heretic.
Anyone who observed a biblical feast, lit Shabbat candles, said
a Jewish prayer, ate Jewish food, associated with unconverted Jews
or even married another Jewish convert, would be brought to trial
for heresy.
Those who publicly confessed and repented were saved from death,
but still faced public humiliation and were forbidden for the rest
of their lives from holding public office, having honorable employment
or owning anything of any value. To be reconciled to the Church
penitents were forced to endure an act of penance called Verquenza
(Shame). This public humiliation meant to be paraded through
the streets, stripped to the waist (whether male of female) bareheaded
and without shoes (in any type of weather). They were continuously
flogged and mocked during the procession through the city; while
holding an unlit candle (indicating that they were still in spiritual
darkness) until they reached the Cathedral.
At the Cathedral the Priest would make the sign of the Cross on
their foreheads reciting these words, "Receive the Sign of
the Cross which you denied and which being deluded, you lost."
They would be forced to repeat the entire process every Friday for
6 weeks of penance, paying 1/5 of their net worth into the Church
coffers. Any subsequent failure to stringently uphold all of the
edicts of the Church would result in an immediate and painful death.
If someone confessed but did not repent - they were burned alive
to teach other Conversos to fear the authority of the Church. If
they claimed innocence and refused to confess - they were tortured
until they feigned confession, and then burned at the stake as an
example for the others. The Church authorities justified this behavior
by misquoting John 15:6, "If any man abide not in me, he is
cast forth as a branch and is withered; and men gather them and
cast them into the fire and they are burned.
These are just a few of the horrific terrorist activities perpetrated
in the name of Christ. It is no wonder that there are such immense
historic and emotional barriers that exist between the Jewish people
of the 21st century and the proclamation of the Good News of Y'shua
(Jesus) as the promised Messiah.
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