‘Abdu’l-Baha’s conversation with a Jewish rabbi

This morning, ‘Abdu’l-Baha went down stairs, and for nearly an hour He was walking in front of the hotel, watching the crowds of Jews who were selling cucumbers. Then a Jewish Rabbi, noted for His learning, called on Him, and he invited Him to come up and sit on the veranda.

After a few preliminary questions about his own health and that of his relatives, ‘Abdu’l-Baha asked him point-blank: "How long are you Jews going to wait for the coming of the Messiah? Day and night you are praying in your Synagogues to hasten His coming. Is He deaf that He does not hear your invocations? Do you imagine that His hands are tied? He came two thousand years ago, but you were then sound asleep and are yet afflicted with the same disease. Why do ye not open your eyes?"

The Rabbi replied: "The Christians claim that Jesus was the Son of God. Now if that was really so, would we have crucified Him?"

Then ‘Abdu’l-Baha answered:

"The title of sonship is first claimed by the Israelites. There are many references in the Old Testament as to their being the sons of God. In the Psalms the title of the Son is given to David. Nay, rather, if you read Exodus, Chapter 4, v. 16, Chapter 32, v. 1-23, Chapter 7, v. 1, you will realize that the appellation of 'God' is given to persons and things. In the Book of Job you will read also that 'there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord.'

Now you who claim to be the sons of God and the first-born of Israel rose first in rebellion against God, Moses and Aaron. For we read in Numbers, Chapter 14, v. 2: ‘And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron; and the whole congregation said unto them: Would God that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would God that we had died in this wilderness! and Wherefore hath the Lord brought us unto this land…’ Chapter 11, v. 4 and 5: ‘And the children of Israel also wept again, and said: Who shall give us flesh to eat? We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt; the cucumbers and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions and the garlic.’

 And when Moses and Aaron tried to remonstrate with you: ‘All the congregation bade stone them with stones.’ Moreover, you cut to pieces Isaiah the prophet, and beheaded John the son of Zechariah.

All these facts go far to show that you must not consider it an impossible thing for the Jews to crucify the Son of God."

Then with warmth and eloquence He presented to him the irrefutable proofs concerning the validity of Christ, as He did in the Synagogues of America, and how divine education is essential for the progress of any nation.

The Rabbi was dumbfounded, and could not say a word to contradict the arguments of ‘Abdu’l-Baha.

(From the Diary of Ahmad Sohrab; Star of the West, vol. 8, no. 5, August 1, 1914)