When the world made no sense, these Jews still cared to know what they should do or not do. When the world ignored G-d and His commandments, they determined that they would not...
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Viktor Frankl, who had been in 4 camps, writes in his "Man's Search for Meaning" --
"We who lived in concentration camps can remember the men who walked through the huts comforting others, giving away their last piece of bread. They may have been few in number, but they offer sufficient proof that everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms - to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."
From all I've read, Jews behaved in all sorts of ways back then. In small ways, in everything but small ways. I've read of countless Jews who remained human in spite of things for which I have no words whatsoever. And I've also read about a good number of Jews who strove to be G-dly -- and I would say that for any people, that's quite a legacy.
But - unless I misunderstood - you're saying that every Jew, then and now, strove and strives to be G-dly, and that's simply not true.
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Rebbetzin Crispe, what a wonderful article, may you go from strength to strength. If only we would always concentrate on, if one may call it such, the positive. THose shining neshomas who perished so cruelly, still wanting, striving to do the right thing, to praise and love Hashem unconditionally even in the most aweful of circumstances....Yasher Koach!
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I went to Yad Vashem today here in Jerusalem and after been put into a totally different state of mind to what i was before i had gone, i received your unbelievable essay which put the pictures which i had just seen and the different memories i had heard into words, words which express what it was and who we are. Let's be proud. Thank you for truely wonderful words
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Being Jewish means striving to behave in accordance with G-d's will. When a Jew doesn't behave in such a way then he or she is not acting in accordance with his or her true nature, even though they remain Jews. They suffer from a spiritual dissonance.
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Striving is not something passive. Sara Esther had said, quote: "... For the Jew is not one who merely strives to be human. The Jew is one who strives to be G-dly." Perhaps she didn't mean individuals as much as she meant the entire Jewish people; perhaps she meant the 'Jewish soul' which strives.
But -- after having given this a lot of thought and for quite some time -- I don't think there is such a thing as a Jewish soul. Nor a Gentile soul. Etc. I believe in souls; and to me they're all G-dly.
And so, I see Jews (and non-Jews), then and now, as people with souls, having behaved and behaving in all sorts of ways.
PS. Though I have to admit that I also see something special about Jews. Something, something... don't know exactly what it is, not yet.
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Each Jew has a Neshoma - a Soul that really wants and strives to b godly
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Beautiful article, emotionally wrenching.
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This succinct summary of the Holocaust's effects on Jews of all degrees of religions honestly, sincerely brought tears to the eyes of a typical "tough guy." Thank you for articulating the incredible good through the bad.
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That was a heartfelt article; very, very sad.
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