Q:
You mentioned tonight one of the reasons for why Hashem brought the Holocaust. Are you saying that all the events of the Holocaust are fully understandable to us?
A:
Certainly not to me. I never would claim to understand everything. However, what I am saying is that it’s certain that the Holocaust included a reaction to those that rebelled against Hashem violently and virulently; and it would have led to the the worst kind of results had they been allowed to continue to exist. Yes, that’s one of the reasons.
The Bund in Poland was a terrible party. The Bund hated anything that was frum. But not only the Bund. The Bund was the worst of them but the general Zionists also hated the frum Jews. They made gymnasiums were boys and girls came together and they ridiculed the Tanach. Everything was learned only as chullin – there was no kedushah at all.
What could you expect as time kept on going? They were getting worse and worse until Hashem finally said, “It’s enough! I’ll bring it to an end!”
And therefore in America it started all over again; you don’t realize that in America, boruch Hashem, there’s been a revolution in America.
Let me tell you something. In Europe just before Hitler came, it was hard to find a family with many children. I’m telling you the truth. It was hard to find a family with many children. Boruch Hashem, boruch Hashem, what we have today! In Europe there were many families with frum women who didn’t cover their hair at all. You say, that’s not so terrible. It’s not terrible? All right, you’ll say it’s not so terrible. But in America all frum women cover their hair today. All frum women cover their hair. In Europe cholov Yisroel wasn’t practiced by everybody. No; very many didn’t. I know. But I’m talking about much worse; I’m talking about shmiras Shabbos. The Am Yisroel stopped keeping Shabbos in Europe – there was a large scale rebellion against Hakodosh Boruch Hu in Europe.
Now, in America many also don’t practice shmiras Shabbos but at least we have frum schools in America. They didn’t have that in Europe. There were very few places like you have today in America. In America there are frum schools everywhere; and there’s frum literature today as well. Boruch Hashem!
So I cannot say I understand everything. Chas v’shalom, I should say such a thing; but I certainly understand that this is one of the elements in what happened.
TAPE # E-123
