As the sun has set on the weekend, Jewish communities the world over are turning inward for the next twenty four hours to commemorate and remember the six million kedoshim who were murdered by the nazi killing machine.
Yehei zichrom hakadosh ve'hatahor livracha!
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In their memory allow me to once again give voice to the parting words R. Elchanan Wasserman z”l shared with his students on their way to be killed by the nazis.
"כנראה שבשמים רואים בנו צדיקים, שהרי רוצים שנכפר בגופינו על כלל ישראל. עלינו לעשות תשובה כעת, מיד במקום, כי הזמן קצר... עלינו לזכור, שבאמת נהיה מקדשי השם. נלך בראש זקוף, ולא תעלה חלילה מחשבה פסולה, שהיא בבחינת פיגול, הפוסל את הקורבן. אנו מקיימים עתה את המצווה הגדולה ביותר: קידוש השם. האש שתבער בעצמותינו היא האש, אשר תקים מחדש את העם היהודי.״
“In Heaven, they apparently consider us tzaddikim, since we have been chosen to atone with our bodies for Klal Yisrael. Therefore, we must repent right now, at this very moment. Time is short and ... We must realize that our sacrifice will be accepted much more readily through teshuvah. In this way, we will spare the lives of our brothers and sisters in America. We must not contaminate our offering through any impure thought, which would render it unfit, just like a korban. We are now about to fulfill the greatest commandment that exists. The fire that consumes our bodies will be the very fire which will revive the House of Israel.”
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As a halakhisist, he experienced the world through a halakhic prism. Even when he was grappling with one of the most difficult theological periods in Jewish history, the questions were filtered through an halakhic lens; his students were korbanot (sacrifices), and, as halakha says, the wrong thoughts would invalidate the korban. That's how HE attempted to grapple with the deeply troubling theological experience.
Powerful!
Gripping!
And...Challenging!
לבי לבי על חלליהם, מעי מעי על הרוגיהם
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(Reposting this from several years ago to once again push back hard against some voices in academia which try to portray Rabbi Wasserman as an evil person. (See link in the comments)
He was a holy person, and, like all holy people, was complicated and multifaceted. His value system was complex and varied. Some of its components are in consonance with our own values and some of them perhaps are not.
Greatness is sparse. We therefore can’t afford to only admire those whose beliefs perfectly align with our own ideational compass.)
Below: Rav Elchanan’s temporary passport along with what is assumed to be the last picture of him.