On The Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Holocaust Understanding

Yanki Tauber writes of the Lubavitcher Rebbe’s opinion on the Holocaust that “Only G-d Himself can answer for what He allowed to happen.”

Having spoken with Hashem, I imagine Hashem’s answer for the tremendous suffering of the Holocaust would most likely be something like, “I care very deeply.  That is why I made you suffer.  I was trying to reach you, but when I did you ran away.  I was scared that if I spoke to you, that you would leave Me and that you would run even further in the wrong direction.  I, Hashem, tried everything in my power, except suspend freewill, to get My precious Jews to hearken to my voice.”

What is my evidence that this would be Hashem's answer?

G-d answered me in my time of suffering by saying, “I never thought you would get this far (astray from an upright path. - Thus, I suggest that being "far" from the truth is why the Jews suffered during the Holocaust).”  Then, He told me, “I AM punishing you,” which was music to my ears because I thought that G-d not only did not exist, but that if He did exist that He must not care what is happening to me.  To find that G-d was punishing me to the extent of taking action in my well being meant that He cares indeed!  Thus, the next step was to find out what to do to get G-d to stop punishing me, through changing my heart and my actions primarily to that of love and good deeds.

G-d struggles with empathy for His created beings.  The infinite G=d and Founder of the Universe has no more of a clue what it is like to be human, than we have ability to see things from His perspective.

The article is entitled:  The Rebbe on the Holocaust:  What the Rebbe Said (and Didn't Say) 

About the Holocaust

http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/64888/jewish/The-Rebbe-on-the-Holocaust.htm

Note:  This blog is an edit of a blog posted to the webpage Hamilton's Judaism.

What is G-d? (Edited)

G-d is the reason the cosmos is here, but even more than that; G-d is the Compassionate Shepherd of the Universe that has no physical body, and beyond that; we claim G-d has taken special interest in His people.

From chabad.org, Psalm 23 tells us, “…The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want... He restores my soul; He leads me in paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.  Even when I walk in the valley of darkness, I will fear no evil for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff-they comfort me.”  

Isaiah, a prophet, tells us of G-d’s love and personal interest in His people (Isaiah 60:21):  “And your people, all of them righteous, shall inherit the land forever, a scion of My planting,the work of My hands in which I will glory.”   He desires for us to do His will; that we wrestle to understand His ways.  He longs for all of us to choose Him; that we to hearken to His Voice.  He desires for us to love Him; everyone of us, from the most pious king to the lowliest worm.

The physics of the Light that guides creation_Metabolic Light that Guideth

Spiritually and physically, Light derives its power from both positive and negative power, so to is it this way with Gd. Gd is as the Light that presides over the cosmic battle between good and evil.

The Role of Humankind

Physically and spiritually, one of the most profound ideas in this world is metabolism. That is, like a flame, we consume oxygen and digestible materials in order to shine light in this world. Animals too have this property that materials are consumed in order assist in providing the universe with light.

It is up to humankind to see that this occurs to creation, as Gd says, "Let them rule (humans)," and in addition our assistance is that Gd has given, Torah, which is entirely ecologically friendly, such that through Torah, Gd asks all of us to be environmental stewards, and we do this through our own light, metabolism. That we have light necessates that if we are alive that we have a special purpose, even at the animal level, where we rule over animals to see that good is accomplished.