The Holocaust: Why?

     Without doubt, my worse subject; not only because I cannot stand thinking about the murder and torture of millions of innocent Jews, but also because I do not understand why Hashem let it happen.

     First off, know that whenever something happens we are obligated to ask, "Why did this come?" The Baal Shem taught that everything that comes to us comes for a reason and we are to learn these experiences. This is true not only for the negative things that come into our lives, but also the positive things, too.

     Next, know that we can never say why something bad came to another person. We just do not know what they did or did not do to bring such a thing upon themselves.

     Having said that: Still, we cannot help but notice some things about the insanely cruel treatment that was forced upon these Jews. First, I believe we all agree that the vast, vast majority, if not 99% of those Jews were totally innocent. Surely they did not do anything that obligated them for torture and death. But when we look at the way the torture was given we cannot help but to draw some conclusions.

     After 2,000 years of harsh exile, in the early 1900 's, the then controllers of the Land of Israel, the British, announced Jews could go live and settle in the Land. It became publicized with the Balford Declaration. But the Jews said, "No." They did not come.

     Eighty percent of the Jews did not come out of the Egyptian slavery. They preferred slavery to going into the wilderness trusting in Hashem. They perished in Egypt.

     Eighty percent of the Jews did not come out of Babylonia. They preferred the "luxuries" of that exile.

     And some eighty percent of the Jews in European countries did not survive. They apparently said, "If we go to Israel we will starve to death. The Land cannot support us." They were starved to death by the Nazis (YMS).

     Apparently, before the horrible, senseless Holocaust the Jews of Europe were trying to intermingle with the gentiles and hide their Jewish identity. At least that seems to be a reason for those evil people forcing us to wear the infamous yellow stars with "Jude" written on it.

     Also on this subject, the intermarriage rate in America today is 85%! Looks like, (G-d forbid) 80% of the Jews in America are not going to survive that land of "prosperity".

     My looking to make some kind of sense out of the Holocaust does not suggest that I am saying that the Holocaust was justified. Surely Hashem could have found a solution to bring all of us home without that cruelty.

     Those without an answer often try to blame it on sins of previous incarnations. I am not comfortable with that attempt at all. Some say we needed a tremendous sacrifice and Hashem only accepts pure offerings. Again, I am not happy with this, or with any other answer, but recently a thought came that might have something to do with it.

     Whatever sin we did 2,000 years ago that caused this horrible exile incurred a punishment too great for one generation to withstand. So Hashem spread the punishment over many generations. But the accumulative merit of the Jewish people became so great that we forced the fixed date of the Final Redemption to be moved forward. But the sin that caused this exile had to be spread over another 200 or 300 more years, until the year 6000, so Hashem sacrificed those innocent Jews to have the remaining punishment for the sins that brought this exile to be paid off in one generation. It's done. The bill is paid.

     Now nothing is outstanding. There is nothing to prevent it. Hashem can bring the total Redemption right now…The Moshiach can appear…All the Jews from all over the world can come home now, all at once…the 3rd and final Temple can come either made of fire from the sky or from rapid earthly construction…the Resurrection of the dead can happen…and the full Revelation of Hashem's Presence forever. He can do it all right now. Please G-d, right now. This is what we want.