In the days when the Temple stood in Jerusalem, a vast Court of the Gentiles welcomed those drawn from the nations. This outer courtyard formed part of Hashem’s design. Sincere seekers could bring offerings to any Israelite citizen standing there. That Israelite would take the offering past the soreg (the boundary wall), through the chel (the inner terrace), into the Ezrat Yisrael (the Court of Israelites), hand it to a kohen (priest), and declare its purpose on behalf of the one who brought it.

Israel lived as a nation of priests—not a closed caste, but a kingdom of intermediaries. The priest does not exist for himself. His corporate identity is to stand between Hashem and those who seek Him, to bridge the distance, to carry the offering upward and bring blessing down. When Hashem called Israel a mamlechet kohanim (kingdom of priests), He did not bestow a privilege of exclusion. He assigned a responsibility of mediation. The entire nation was to do for humanity what the kohen did for Israel: reveal the path to the Holy One, present the sincere before Him, and make manifest His profound love for all the families of the earth.

That model did not vanish with the Temple’s destruction. It waits for fulfillment today.

The prophets spoke clearly of this moment. Non-Jews would take the initiative. They would grab the kanaf (corner of the garment)—specifically the tzitzit (ritual fringes)—and declare that God is with the Jewish people. Many Torah-pursuant non-Jews today begin with genuine discovery of the Hebrew Bible. Their hearts awaken to a desire to draw closer to Hashem through obedience. As they study, they recognize that the Jewish people hold the living tradition and teaching. They decide to visit Jewish communities in humility, seeking guidance and connection.

Yet across synagogues in the United States and beyond, sincere seekers encounter closed doors. They hear suggestions to observe the seven laws and seek their own path, or receive instructions not to return. After enough rejections, many walk away carrying disappointment and negative judgments about the Jewish people.

This outcome stands as the direct opposite of the world Hashem seeks........

© The Times of Israel (Blogs)