Holocaust Remembrance Day begins the "Nine Days" that end on Independence Day.
Who among you hasn't heard the question of the six million - where was God in the Holocaust?
In the talks and letters of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, you will not find any theological explanation for the terrible Holocaust. The Rebbe, like his father-in-law, the previous Chabad Rebbe, stated that it is not our job to justify God's leadership. It is not our job to find explanations for it. Our job is to eliminate evil by observing Torah and commandments and bringing the world to true redemption and completeness, without exile.
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The Rebbe did address those who claimed that the Holocaust proves that there is no leader in the world. On the contrary, the Rebbe said, the Holocaust proves that if there is anything that can be learned from this unimaginable disaster, it is that it is impossible to rely on morality based on human reason. It was precisely the Germans, the nation that represented cultural and philosophical progress, who were responsible for the greatest horror known to human history. The Holocaust is proof that morality can only exist if it is based on a higher power, on faith in the Creator of the world.
And regarding the question of where God was during the Holocaust - the Rebbe said that it proves that those asking it do believe in the Creator of the World, because otherwise they would not be so angry and resentful. The very question testifies to faith in the existence of a Creator of the World, evil and good, reward and punishment, and free choice. Only out of faith can one cry out: "How long will this people be afflicted?" as Moses cried out.
I fail to understand why there are those among us who insist on emphasizing the fact that these days of remembrance do not concern us. It is unnecessary. It is harmful. It does not convince anyone. True, the Zionist insistence on determining these days in violation of the law is outrageous. But what is the use of trampling them with a coarse, insensitive foot?
Take, for example, a family mourning a son who was killed in a car accident. Would any of the neighbors think of holding a loud party in the building? Ostensibly, one could ask what this has to do with mourning, why he should avoid music in his own home. After all, "the party was pre-arranged," etc. But, it is clear to any reasonable person that one must be completely opaque in order to behave in this way. The same is true in this case. Our brothers, wrong, but still brothers, the sons of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, are mourning these days. It would be right for us to remain silent. Not to shout out what bothers us loudly. To be considerate of the mourners and to show sensitivity toward them. These days of remembrance are so deeply rooted in Israeli life that there is no mitzvah to provoke it (in Israeli society) specifically on these days. There are enough days a year for those who seek to demonstrate their zeal.
For almost 12 years now, I've been exercising almost every morning at the dance studio in the Savyon Center. Yes. I'm definitely an oddball among all the gymnasts. Of course. I'm Haredi. Different from them. I have no idea what the "Haredi" practice is during their mourning days. I wasn't there on the 17th of Tammuz or the 10th of Tevet, and who knows, maybe if I had come, they would have been considerate of me and turned off the music since I'm fasting, in mourning.
On the other hand, on "their" Holocaust Day, on "their" Memorial Day, they forgo music. I know, because I was there. I decided not to explain to them why I don't feel that their Holocaust Day belongs to and concerns me too, even though Grandma Esther went through Auschwitz and Grandpa Yaakov-Meir survived Bergen-Belsen, and my dear mother calls herself a second generation Holocaust survivor.
I decided not to express my anger about the fact that a national day of mourning was set for the month of Nisan, when we don't even visit the graves of our loved ones. I also didn't find it interesting to be indignant in their ears about the day of Haggai being set in the midst of the days of counting. No benefit would come from it. Neither for me nor for them.
What is more, I am using this platform to set a personal example, to serve as an address for all Jewish matters in this place, and, God bless, the many years have taken their toll and I have found myself a partner in many of the commandments observed by the girls in this gymnastics club. This is my victory over the damned Nazis and to make thousands of distinctions over the Zionists who sought to nullify the connection of the people of Israel to their God.
And may the days of counting and mourning soon turn into days of joy with the coming of the righteous Redeemer, and then we will all celebrate those holidays and not have to observe days of mourning... very soon!
• The writer is the owner of "My Choice", an event host, lecturer, and radio broadcaster.
