Earlier this week, an
anniversary of sorts came and went with minimal or no coverage on either the
network new or cable newscasts. My kids heard about it in school. My wife heard
about it at her job and I heard about it from a congregant of mine who was asked
to participate. The 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz
took place earlier this week. Of course there was a ceremony. However Russian
leader Putin did not attend. Stephen Spielberg, Treasury Secretary Jack Lew (an
orthodox Jew), hundreds of survivors, representatives from various European
nations, Israel, and Rabbis and priests all attended. The History Channel
marked the occasion by showing the movie “Schindler’s List”. As our children
talked about the Liberation of Auschwitz, they spoke of the Soviets arrival and
what they saw, they talked about the evil perpetrated by the Nazis, they talked
about the rising anti-Semitism in Europe, suggesting that it seems as if the
world hasn’t learned very much since those awful days. One of our kids even
raised the great theological question regarding God’s presence during such
awful days and even during these difficult times amid the rising anti-Semitism
in Europe. I asked them if that meant that God stopped performing miracles well
before WWII and hasn’t really performed any for many decades. All three stopped eating and needed to think
hard. They commented that my question was confusing. I offered my own opinion
and told them that it wasn’t confusing at all; rather it depended upon how we
look at a miracle. I reminded them that many of the older members of our
community are survivors. One gentleman both a survivor of Auschwitz and Dachau
has been invited to participate in the 70 anniversary of the liberation of
Dachau, and he plans to attend. He, like many of my congregants are the
embodiment of miracles and God’s presence in everyday life. I explained that
survival was a miracle. Why some survived and many did not, should only
re-affirm that miracles were and are an everyday occurrence. We need the right
perspective in order to see and appreciate those miracles.
This Shabbat we read from Parsha
Beshallach. It is also known as Shabbat
Shira (Shabbat of Songs) because
of the "songs" or prose in both the Parsha, Beshallach, and in the
Haftarah. In the Parsha Beshallach, B'nai Yisroel finally leaves Egypt. Pharaoh
sends them out and they hurriedly leave. Three days later, B'nai Yisroel
arrives at the Yam Suf, the Reed Sea, which is along the Mediterranean coast. With
Pharaoh's army behind them, and the Sea in front, B'nai Yisroel is trapped.
Then the sea opens up, B'nai Yisroel crosses through and arrives safely on the
other side. The Egyptian army gets caught in the sea - bed as the waters comes
crashing down. Out of joy and relief, B'nai Yisroel composes Shirat HaYam, the Song of the Sea. No sooner are they finished celebrating, then
they begin complaining about the lack of water and food. God provides water and
Manna. However, B'nai Yisroel is still not safe. Now they are attacked by the
indigenous tribe, the Amalekites. B'nai Yisroel must put aside its hunger and
thirst and fight for their lives. They do, and they are victorious. The Parsha
ends with God commanding Moshe to blot out the very existence of the Amalekites.
Miracles are constant throughout
the Parsha. From the crossing of the Yam Suf, obtaining fresh sweet water when
the tree is put into the bitter waters, arriving at Elim where there were
twelve springs of water and seventy date palms; having Manna provided for them
beginning now and continuing everyday (except the Sabbath) for fort years,
receiving fresh meat in the form of quail, deriving water from the rock, to defeating
the Amalekites; one could understand that B’nai Yisroel was the recipient of
numerous miracles. However, prior to each miracle, we read about B’nai Yisroel’s
wavering faith in God and in this new relationship. We read of their
complaints, we read of their desire to return to Egypt. HaMibli Ein Kvarim B’Mitzrayim L’Kachtanu LaMut BaMidbar – Is it because there are no graves in Egypt
that you have taken us to die in the Wilderness (Ex. 14:11).
Mi Yitein MuTeinu B’Yad Hashem B’Eretz Mitzrayim BShivteinu Al Sir
HaBasar B’Achleinu Lechem LaSovah – If
only we had died by the hand of Hashem in the land of Egypt, as we sat by the
pots of meat, when we ate bread until we were full…(16:3). It seems that B’nai
Yisroel is ungrateful, or like a child learning about ‘object permanence’ and
dealing with separation anxiety, B’nai Yisroel only feels God’s presence and
protection when a miracle takes place. Otherwise, God appears to have abandoned
them. It seems that no matter how many miracles God performs, B’nai Yisroel
continues to lack faith in God and in a future based upon freedom. Certainly B’nai
Yisroel does not perceive miracles as small daily events but rather large
events.
The HaKetav V’haKabbala, (Rabbi
Tzi Mecklenburg a 19th century German commentator) explains that B’nai Yisroel needed to be
tested not for God’s sake; but rather for their sake. B’nai Yisroel had to
learn how to acquire faith. “The text means that I shall bring you to prove
yourselves, to demonstrate whether you have already attained a state of
absolute faith or not. The trial involved is activating the potential faith of
the believer is invaluable.” For the HaKetav V’HaKabbala, surviving the
experience is the miracle and as such that should bring one to faith. Yet we
know many survivors lost faith. Did those who survived and lost faith in God
not see the miracle of their own survival? Did they see miracles before? No
there are no simple answers to our children’s very deep questions regarding God’s
presence during the Holocaust, and the miracle of survival. As parents, we are
left teaching our children that if they are lucky enough to experience a
miracle, then that should be impetus enough to take another step closer to
living a life of Mitzvot. Then we remind them that they need to learn how to
find miracles in the smallest of places as well as the biggest of places.
Peace,
Rav Yitz
No comments:
Post a Comment