Beth HaDerech; Messianic Jewish Congregation, Toronto, Canada

The History of the Star of David

The Magen David Usually, when we think about a "Magen David," we imagine a six- pointed star, the "Star of David". In fact, the Talmudic reference has nothing to do with a star at all. Pesachim 117b; Rabbah b. Shila said: [The formula] in Prayer is who causes the horn of Salvation to spring forth,' while that of the haftarah is the shield of David.' And I will make you a great man, like the name of the great ones [that are in the earth the earth]. (II Samuel 7:9) R, Joseph taught: that alludes to the fact that we say 'the shield of David.' When Theodor Herzl looked for a symbol for the new Zionist movement, he chose the Star of David because it was so well known and also because it had no religious associations. In time, it appeared in the center of the flag of the new Jewish state of Israel and has become associated with national redemption. During the Holocaust, the Nazis chose the *yellow star as an identifying badge required on the garments of all Jews. After the war, Jews turned this symbol of humiliation and death into a badge of honor. Today, the Star of David is the most popular and universally recognized symbol of the Jewish People. In his seminal work entitled the Star of Redemption (1912), Franz Rosenzweig framed his philosophy...