A Summary of My Remarks on Shabbat Nov. 10
I can't help but remark on the milestone anniversaries of two dramatic and world changing events. Yesterday marked the 80th anniversary of kristallnacht - the night in which synagogues, Jewish businesses, Jewish homes and other Jewish institutions were damaged or destroyed across Germany and Austria. Jews were rounded up as well and all this happened while the German authorities - police, fire and rescue - turned a blind eye. Though Hitler rose to power 5 years before and his Nazi government had already passed legislation that severely curtailed Jewish rights and freedom, the events of Nov. 9, 1938 truly marked the beginning of the Shoah.
Tomorrow at the 11th minute, of the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month of 1918 hostilities ceased marking the end of World War I - what then was called the war to end all wars. Tens of millions of people died in that gruesome war that involved years of trench warfare and the use of chemical weapons as well.
What is clear despite experiencing those horrors is that hatred and evil simmers under the surface of humanity. It is clear that as is noted in the beginning of the book of Genesis that human beings are רע מנעוריו - evil from a young age. Our nature it seems - just see the shooting of our 11 brothers and sisters on shabbat in Pittsburgh two weeks ago only to be followed 12 days later by the shooting at the bar in Thousand Oaks, CA at which 12 were killed as cases in point - that there is an evil streak that exists in all of us that is only waiting to erupt.
Tragically our political leadership recognizes that and stirs the fire as well. At rally after rally people are incited to hate and to do vilify "the other". People are encouraged to "make America great again" which is just code for a particular white version of America that doesn't include a place for any other minority. When such language is used and acts of violence aren't treated with the appropriate outrage then people are only encouraged to bring out the worst in their characters.
What can we do? We must live up to the central precept in the entire Torah - ואהבת לרעיך כמוך -"love your neighbor as you would be loved". As with others prayers, this concept is repeated over and over again so that the proper message of love can be reinforced. The more we recite the phrase the more it will have a lasting impact and influence on our behavior. We must not only ensure that love rises to the surface and not hate, but we need to do all we can to spread that message to others as well.
May the memories of all those who perished in WWI and on Kristallnacht inspire us to true and righteous living. Amen.
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