Mincha Minyan Destroys the Kuzari Argument!

Ok, so maybe I'm exaggerating a little. But hey, I got your attention.

I recently received a call asking for my help in making a mincha minyan. I trotted over to shul, but was in no mood to pray and picked up the nearest sefer: Melachim.

Melachim Bet, Perek Kaf Bet contains one of the more interesting stories in Nach:

8. Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, "I have found the Book of the Law in the temple of the LORD." He gave it to Shaphan, who read it. 9. Then Shaphan the secretary went to the king and reported to him: "Your officials have paid out the money that was in the temple of the LORD and have entrusted it to the workers and supervisors at the temple." 10. Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king, "Hilkiah the priest has given me a book." And Shaphan read from it in the presence of the king. 11. When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his robes. 12. He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king's attendant: 13. "Go and inquire of the LORD for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the LORD's anger that burns against us because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us."

So What?

For now I’m going to stay away from the usual arguments over these verses (i.e. “Oh, so that’s where Devarim came from!”). Instead I’ll try and take what I think is a fresh approach to the passage:

These verses from Tanakh directly contradict the Kuzari argument.

1. The Book of the Law (later referred to as the Book of the Covenant) is found by a single person

2. The king and the nation were not familiar with the book

3. The nation was worshipping idols and had installed pagan priests. The verses in Kings 23 demonstrate that the Jews were only really “Jewish” as a people, not as a religion. The previous generation hadn’t followed (known?) the contents of the new book, which included Pesach, a holiday that commemorates the exodus from Egypt

4. Nevertheless, the king, and therefore EVERYONE else, accepts this book. The king rids the nation of all idolatry. Poof! Judaism! (Again?)

People simply weren’t that skeptical.