Rav Shlomo Volbe [From a talk given when a Nazi criminal went on trial]
Forty years after the event, we are again being
forced to visualize all the dreadful experiences of
the Nazi death camps and ghettos. We must
understand that this is but a means for Divine Providence
to remind us that Midas HaDin-uncompromising justice is
an active force in the world.
Just exactly what is this attribute of Din? In Devarim
( 32:29 and 30 ), the Torah describes it: "If they were wise,
they would understand this, they would discern their
destiny. How can one chase a thousand, and two put ten
thousand to flight, if not that their Protector had given them over, and G-d had delivered them!" This is literally
what took place: Small numbers of members of the Third
Reich brought millions of Jews to the gas chambers, and
this could only have been possible because, "... their
Protector had given them over and G-d had delivered
them"-Midas HaDin in its strongest form.
At the Eichmann trial, a generation ago, witnesses
were asked why no one resisted the Nazi murderers - a
ridiculous question that could only have been posed by
people who were not there. The diabolic inventiveness
and obsessive devotion with which the Nazis virtually
stripped their victims of their defenses is without parallel
in history. How were the murderers able to muster up
such reservoirs of efficiency and cruelty? There can be no
explanation other than G-d's attribute of unyielding din.
He decreed it thus, or they could never have so succeeded.
The Amora Rav describes how when Moshe ascended
to file Heavens to receive the Torah. he
found G-d sitting and connecting crowns to the
letters. Moshe said: "Master of the Universe, for whom do
You do this?"
Replied G-d, "There is one man that is destined to live
many generations from now -Akiva, the son of Joseph who
will expound mounds of halachos on each point (of
the crowns)."
Said Moshe, "Show him to me."
Said G-d, "Step back."
Moshe retreated and sat at the back of eight rows [of
disciples listening to Rabbi Akiva]. He did not grasp what
they were saying, and he lost his composure. At a specific
point, his students asked Rabbi Aklva: "Rebbe, how do
you know this?"
He responded: "It was passed on as a halacha to Moshe
from Sinai." And Moshe was relieved. He returned before
G-d and asked, 'You have shown me his Torah, please
show me his reward."
Said G-d: "Step back."
He retreated again and this time saw I the Romans I
selling Rabbi Aklva's flesh in the meat market.
Said Moshe to G-d: "Master of the Universe. this Is
Torah and such is its reward?"
Replied G-d: "Be still! This has risen in thought before
Me." (Menachos 29b)
G-d's final response to Moshe needs explanation.
Which "thought" is G-d referring to that can explain
such suffering?
Sacred literature records that when G-d created the
world, He originally "thought" to govern it with Midas
HaDin-under a regime of strict justice. But He recognized
that the world would not be able to exist under so
unyielding a governance, so G-d tempered justice with
mercy-rachamim G-d's response to Moshe, then, was
that Rabbi Akiva was of so lofty a station that he would
not need the measure of mercy. He could be expected to
conform to G-d's original plan.
When governed by Midas HaDin, Man is constantly
evaluated as to his merit. If found worthy. he will receive
whatever G-d chooses to provide him with. But if found
unworthy. he must forfeit whatever would be in the
offing; he may even be found unworthy of life itself. By
contrast, a world governed by mercy always makes alallowances
for man's failings.
This is not to say that now. in the post-Midas HaDin
mode, G-d simply overlooks man's misdeeds. Rather, G-d
governs the world with both justice and mercy. Initially,
man is granted life, its amenities and its joys, and continues
to enjoy them without deserving them. But such
allowances are granted with the expectation that ultimately,
through personal repentance or by virtue of
bringing righteous children into the world. he will eventually
demonstrate that G-d's seemingly indiscriminate
generosity was not misplaced. He will prove himself a
worthy investment of G-d's largesse. And if, Heaven forbid, he does not prove himself, no concessions are made.
He must receive his punishment in this world or in the
World-to-Come, since after all, the primary thought was
to establish the world on the basis of justice, and ultimately
this remains a condition of creation.
THE JEWISH PEOPLE AND "DIN"
The Jewish Nation's special relationship with G-d
is of such closeness that it demands of them a
higher awareness of Divine involvement in the
affairs of man. This should result in a more perfect level
of conduct, much more in line with G-d's demands. Failure
to maintain such perfection would result in swift and
exacting punishment. as is inherent to a relationship of
Midas HaDin. This is expressed by the Prophet: "Only
you have I known [an expression of love-Rashi] from all
the families of the earth. therefore will I visit upon you all
your sins" (Amos 3,2). That is. because I loved only you,
and because I have chosen only you from amongst all
the nations, I must respond to the dictates of justice,
which require that I visit all your sins upon you. Just as
a mortal master is more demanding of the servants who
are constantly in his presence than he is of those who are
distant from him, so too does G-d deal more strictly with
His people, the Jewish Nation, employing Midas HaDin,
demanding an almost faultless perfection from them.
Thus do the People of Israel suffer more than all other
nations.
And yet, with all the pain one endures, there is a vast
benefit in being dealt with in keeping with Midas HaDin.
The result for the Jewish People has been that the nation
of Israel is eternal, for G-d exacts punishment on the
people of Israel as they sin, in a piecemeal fashion which
is to their benefit. If He would wait for an appreciable
amount of time before punishing Kial Yisroel, the
impact of the accumulated weight of their evil would be
so devastating that they would suffer total annihilation
l"n. The short-term approach means frequent, intense
suffering; but each occasion of chastising punishment is
meant to goad Jews to repentance, and serves to spare
them total destruction.
By contrast, other nations build empires of evil and
appear to thrive and even achieve dominance, without
suffering even minor setbacks. But eventually, after their
quota of evil has been filled, so to speak, G-d removes
them from the world scene, without so much as a trace of
their once overwhelming glory. When is that point
reached? We can perhaps find an indication of this from
the Seforno's comments on the verse, "He visits the sin of
the fathers on their children" (Shemos 34,7): "[This
takes place I when a person is so depraved that there is no
chance that he will change for the better-a stage that
usually is reached when patterns of wickedness have
been maintained over a number of generations, and have
become ingrained in the people's character-when evil
has become second nature, and repentance is no longer
feasible].
Because of His constant judgment of the People of
Israel. G-d does not wait until their wicked practices
become entrenched in their national character. Thus
Kial Yisroel remains eternal, in contrast to so many
nations that, over the ages, have disappeared from the
face of the earth.
THE ROOTS OF EVIL
During the year 5604 ( 1844), the leaders of Reform Jewry convened in Braunschweig. Germany, and
decided to permit all that the Torah had restricted,
to forego all that the Torah had required: kashrus, circumcision. restrictions against intermarriage all
went by the wayside. The Malbim describes this gathering
in his introduction to his commentary on Vayikra,
and writes that their radical abandonment of all that is
sacred had prompted him to write his commentary on
Tanach (Scriptures).
Rabbi Yisroel Salanter also took note of this convention
and remarked: "They created a new Shulchan Aruch
and permitted mixed marriages. There will come a time
when the Gentiles will also draft a new Code of Laws; how
bitter and woeful it will be for Jews when that time
arrives!"
And so it was. Ninety years after that convention, the
infamous Nuremberg Laws were enacted, where among
other things, the death penalty was inflicted upon any
Jew who married a non-Jewess or vice versa. ushering
In the era of heightened Nazi persecution. How apparent
it is that G-d employs Midas HaDin in His dealings with
Israel!
Midas HaDin involves a constant testing of Klal Yisroel.
This is indicated in a comment in Yalkut Shimoni Shoftim, 41 ): "Let us compare the early generations with
the later ones. The early ones were tested directly by G-d,
as the Torah says, 'And G-d tested Avraham.' and in
regard to the Generation of the Wilderness, 'In order that
I test them,' 'And in order to test you.' But the later
generations were tested at the hands of the nations. as
Scripture states, 'And these are the nations that G-d left in the Land to test the Jews.'" And so it has been in each
generation tests of one sort or another. as part of Midas
HaDin.
TESTS AND TRIALS FROM THE TIME OF JOSHUA
Ramban explains that whenever an individual or
our nation as a whole undergoes a trial, it is
designed for his benefit, so that ultimately he will
be rewarded. Throughout history. the Jewish people have
been tested with temptations to embrace the customs
and rites of various nations. These trials have prevailed
from the time that Yehoshua led the Jews into the Land
of Israel until this very day. These trials challenge every
faction of our people, and require great strength to withstand
them.
The Chassid Yaavetz was among those banished from
Spain during the expulsion in 1492. 1t was during this
era that Spanish culture had peaked. The Chassid Yaavetz
writes that at the time of the expulsion, Jews were
faced with a choice of either leaving their homes penniless
and destitute, or converting to Christianity. Those
who were pure in their convictions succeeded in overcoming
this terrible challenge and left their homeland for centuries. But the "intelligentsia" had great difficulty
in facing this choice and many of them succumbed to
the pressure and converted.
It would seem, then, that greater involvement in nonJewish
culture can intensify the test. Indeed, throughout
Jewish history, whenever Jews enjoyed cultural or intellectual
ascendency, the period ended in catastrophe. So it
was in "the Golden Age" of Spain, again in Renaissance
Italy, and finally in Modem Germany. For one hundred
and fifty years, the Jews of Germany enjoyed unobstructed
access to full participation in German culture.
These years also witnessed a dramatic-almost total estrangement
from Torah amongst German Jewry. And
who knows how complete it would have been, had it not
been for Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, Rabbi Ezriel
Hildesheimer, and Rabbi Seligmann Baer Halevi Bamberger
of Wuerizburg. They managed to save but a relatively
small handful of Jews. and even amongst these
loyal few, Torah was in some measure forgotten ....
Enthrallment with Haskalla and other departures from
Torah thought and tradition, followed by estrangement
from Torah and mitzvos, prevailed in other lands as well.
The pattern is uncontestable. Wherever there was high
level of cultural development, wherever Haskalla (both in the broad sense and in the specific) gained a foothold,
Jews failed to stand up to the tests-up to and including
the Holocaust, which sealed the coffin on that entire era. And each day that brings us new tales of horror from that
frightful era, reveals more starkly for us how severe
Midas HaDin can be with the Jewish people in times of
Divine wrath.
UNDER THE CONTINUING CLOUD OF JUDGMENT
More on Midas HaDin: G-d tells His People, "If you
are faithful to your vows, fine: and if not, I will
make your flesh permissible" (Kesubos 111a).
Rashi explains this to mean that the Jewish body
becomes hefker-that is, of no value, as though ownerless.
This is precisely what transpired during the Holocaust
years-the Jews were deemed hefker.
Concentration camp survivors who came to Sweden after
the war had in their possession a poem that they shared with
us. Written by a young girl, it described the horrors of life in
the ghetto. She writes to an artist in search of a scene to paint:
"Come, I will show you what to draw," she says. And she brings
him to a dwelling where a mother lies in bed, having just given
birth to a child The father and brothers of the child had been
taken to their deaths, and soon the mot.her also dies. A surviving daughter looks on, watching her last relative dying, leaving
her completely bereft of family .... Following this, the
young poetess brings the artist to other places, each depicting
a scene more tragic than the one before . ...
Such were the conditions in the ghettos and camps. To
young people, these stories must sound as if they come
from a distant planet. Born after the war, they are incapable
of envisioning either the suffering of those who died,
or the agony of the survivors.
Today, as we review these events, we gain insight into
the meaning of Midas HaDin. This is described in the
Torah as "the concealment of the Divine Face." "And I
(G-d), will certainly conceal My face on that day" (Devarim
31.18). On the one hand, closeness to G-d and good
fortune are associated with exposure to the Divine countenance.
For instance, in Shmoneh Esrei we plead, "Bless
us, our Father, all of us as one, with the light of Your face,
for with the light of Your face You gave us ... the Torah of
life and a love of kindness, righteousness, blessing. compassion,
life and peace" (Sim Shalom). Similarly, in the
priestly blessings of the Kohanim, we find: "May G-d
illuminate His face for you and be gracious to you ...
May G-d tum His face to you and establish peace for you."
By contrast, concealment of the Divine face means that
G-d deals with us as if He does not see us, so to speak. The
people of Israel are then left for hefker, ownerless, and
they are subject to all sorts of troubles and persecutions.
To better understand the implications of "concealed
countenance," let us return to the passages that describe
this phenomenon: "And My wrath will burn against them on that day and I will forsake them and I will conceal My
face from them and they will be consumed and many evils
and troubles will befall them: so that they will say on that
day: 'ls it not because our G-d is not among us that these
evils have come upon us?' And I (G-d), I will certainly
conceal My face."
The question arises: After they have come to recognize
their sin, realizing that all of their suffering is an outgrowth
of their estrangement from G-d, why is there need
for further punishment, of ''.And I will certainly conceal
My face"? The Ramban takes note of this, and
explains that there are two types of "concealment of the
Divine face.'' At the outset, when Israel first sinned, they
experienced a complete concealment of the Divine face.
Following this, however, when they already denied idolatry
but had not as yet returned completely In repentance,
there still remained a hiding of the face of redemption,
although not to the same degree as originally.
FOOLS PARADISE OF PEACE AND PLENTY
We are currently seeking ways of assuring peace
In the Land of lsrael between the Jews and their
neighbors. One faction suggests this approach,
another suggests that: this one supports an international
conference, and that one opposes the idea "He who
dwells in heaven laughs, G-d scoffs at them."
In one of his last talks, the Mashgiach of Mir (Rabbi
Yeruchem Levovitz) said that it is impossible for
violaters of Torah to build the Land of Israel. That is,
transgressors can establish settlements, construct projects
and build cities in the Holy Land, but these accomplishments
are without the zechus necessary to merit
continued existence. This is not only true in the concrete
sense, it is also true in political realms: Until this very day,
our enemies want to push us into the sea: in their eyes,
the state still has no right of existence.
Yes, we are still under the shadow of "the concealment
of the face of redemption." Midas HaDin extends yet over
us. All the disunity and internal strife that plagues us even
within the Torah society-are offshoots of the Holocaust.
The nation of Israel-including the Torah community-has
by far not succeeded in raising itself to the
spiritual level it had enjoyed before the Holocaust. No
yeshiva today approaches the stature of the pre-War
yeshivas-not in great personalities, not in Torah knowledge,
not in Mussar. A humble beginning has been made,
but Midas HaDin continues to prevail. A day does not
pass without some tragic occurrence, some terrible loss
taking place. We must open our eyes and recognize that
these are all manifestations of Midas HaDin. an approach
that still governs our condition.
We may choose to ignore these difficulties, but then we
would be living in a fools' paradise. Our day-to-day existence
is peaceful enough. Thank G-d, the extreme poverty
that had plagued us before World War II is gone. Life is
relatively pleasant, so we can manage to ignore the Midas
HaDin. After all, who wants to dwell on the fact that the
same Divine approach that was responsible for the Holocaust still prevails! But the trials in Jerusalem and Lyons
are here to remind us how the terrible destruction of the
Holocaust actually came to pass. Yes, the Nazis were
obsessed, deranged, but that is irrelevant. The lesson to
learn from that epoch is that it was due to Divine Midas
HaDin that these awful happenings took place, and that
the same Midas HaDin is with us to this very day!
UNDER THE CLOUD OF A PROPHECY THE
STRANDS OF HOPE
Rabbi Yisroel Salanter. the great 19th Century
Mussar personality, penned several lines, printed
in Ohr Yisroel, that have the ring of prophecy. In
his famous letter regarding the month of Elul (Letter 14 ).
he wrote: 'With this has ended the era of great men
distinguished by their fear of G-d, men whose fear was so
awe-inspiring, that judgment was visible on their faces,
making an indelible impression on the hearts of those
who follow them .... And so if for the moment we remove
from ourselves our soiled clothing and instead wrap ourselves
in pure garments, we can see clearly that we have
cause for fear." And now, each of us according to his own
worth, should fear many times more, as compared to the
past. After all, when Reb Yisroel wrote this letter some
one-hundred-and-thirty years ago, was there reason to
be more afraid of G-d's judgment than another generation
or two earlier-two hundred years ago? The answer
is that transgression increased in his lifetime, compared
to seventy years earlier.
We have no concept of what Jewish life was like two
hundred years ago.
I can never forget how an old Jew, close to ninety
years of age, once approached me as a young man,
pressed my hand warmly and asked me my name.
When I answered him, he told me that he remembers
from his youth, when one would meet a person that he
had never seen before, how he would offer praise to G-d
that there is one more Jew whom it is possible to love.
Such was their Ahavas Yisroel-the love and endearment
they had toward another Jew. Today, when two
people meet, each one says his name, the other responds,
"Nice to meet you," and they casually continue
along their separate ways . ...
Do we have any concept of the purity and sincerity of
their fear of Heaven? Because of the dramatic drop in
Yiras Shomayimin his day, Reb Yisroel called for a manifold
increase in vigilance and awareness of the approaching
Days of Judgment. Now, too, recent events are
reminding us of the prevalence of Midas HaDin, but a generalized, undefined fear is inadequate. We must be
keenly aware that Midas HaDin is currently hovering
over the nation oflsrael and the Land of lsrael - now. And
we must recognize that if there is any merit to our people's
continued existence in the Land of Israel, it is the
zechus of Torah and teshuva-return to Torah values.
Once we recognize this, we are faced with a different
kind of responsibility. Secularists accept Torah study
begrudgingly, as a concession, a heedless luxury: 'We
need colleges, not more yeshivas for 'the black hats'!" We
for our part must not view Torah study as mere professional
training, or another academic career. To whatever
extent we enjoy a safe existence in our land, it is only
because of Torah. A place of Torah study is a "factory"
that produces kedusha (sanctity)-anyone who is in a
House of Study knows what kedusha is! We must continue
to grow-to endeavor to master Shas (the complete
Talmud), to acquire Yiras Shomayim (fear of Heaven). to
achieve perfection in Torah and mitzvos; only then will
Israel be safe and secure.
A STARTLINGLY NEW AWAKENING
'And they will say on that day, 'Is it not because
our G-d is not among us that have these evils
have come upon us?' " These words signal
recognition of the folly of a life estranged from G-d and
His Torah. And we are hearing the echo of these words
today in the steadily expanding Teshuva Movement,
which is surely among the wonders of the world. How else
can we describe the sudden awakening of masses of
people to question their lifestyles, and then to apply
themselves to Torah study with such devotion and commitment?
Anyone who sees these people must envy
them: It is truly a miracle, without rational explanation!
A Russian Jew who has been in Israel for several
years described how he recently welcomed new arrivals from
Russia at the airport in Lod.. When he offered
the travelers some cake and fruit their first questions
were: "Is there a prohibition of sefichim. Shmittah
growth, on this food?" And. "Does the food carry the
hechsher of the Beis Din in Jerusalem?"
How did they know of these things? How is it even
fathomable that in Moscow there are two hundred families
who keep Torah and mitzvos, and their children
walk the streets with payos curling down their cheeks?
Is it less than a miracle?
Especially now, when Midas HaDin is being played out
before us. and we are witness to tragic occurrences that
strike both the nation as a whole and individuals. we must recognize that the Land can only survive in the
merit of Torah and Teshuva. All political theories for
safety, security. and economic plenty are mere speculation,
hollow and worthless. In Heaven, where our destiny is determined. only Torah and teshuva are taken into
account.
I have found that since I began contemplating the trial
and all the horrors that have been recounted there, l can
discern in these events Midas HaDin, putting to rest a
number of conflicts that I had been experiencing in my
Divine service.
Yiras Shomayim is not something left to one's discretion,
an option that one can choose to pursue or drop.
When Midas HaDin is so undeniably brought to the fore,
as in recent times, then Yiras Shomayim is especially
imperative. An insistent fact of life that one dare not ignore. We are impelled to serve G-d. to labor in Torah,
and to pursue fear of G-d, for we see empirically that there
Is Divine judgment In the world. And only in the merit of
the lomdei Torah and baalei teshuva, who strive for
perfection in thought and action, can we survive safely
and hope for the swift advent of Moshiach.
[Jewish Obsever Summer 1987]
