On The Lubavitcher Rebbe’s Holocaust Explanation

Please view the updated version of this post here: http://judaism-for-the-soul.blogspot.com/2015/02/on-lubavitcher-rebbes-holocaust.html

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

G-d answered me in my time of suffering by saying, “I never thought you would get this far (astray from an upright path).”  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.  Nothing could be further from the truth to believe G-d does not care.  His answer for the tremendous suffering of the Holocaust would most likely be something like, “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.”  What G-d struggles with is empathy.  The infinite G=d and Founder of the Universe has no more of a clue what it is like to be human, than ability for us 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

On My Experience: Hearing the Voice of G-d

Exodus 20:19. "...Moses would speak and God would answer him with a voice." I literally heard the amazingly resonant voice of the Lord G-d say, "I AM punishing you," meaning me in particular, ~2,000 CE.

My response was similar to that of David in Psalm 22:2 "My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?..." but I asked it in a different way. I said, "Why are you punishing me?" to the Almighty G-d.

Why was I so audacious before the Lord? Because I was as low as a worm! I couldn't remember to eat and bathe. If I was any lower, I would have been dead.

When the Lord spoke to me it was unlike anything I had ever heard before. Upon hearing the speech of the Lord, I instantaneously changed from atheist to believer. I oriented my entire life to give praise to G-d.

To seek out G-d, I transferred from Rutgers to Gordon College, a Protestant school, but I found myself trying to hide my actual beliefs, which are not Christian, but what Judaism teaches.

The Genesis of New Matter and/or Space through Tzimtzum

Imagine a day where we could literally create more space, enlarging our planet so that food shortages and overpopulation are no longer a threat. How, I don't know; but it happened in the creation of the cosmos, and it continues to happen. The universe is expanding. What if we could control how it expands?

How did the matter of the cosmos' first arise? This disproves the Law of Conservation of Mass. It must have arisen through the creation of new space, energy, and/or matter. My thinking is that if it arose once, then it should be possible to accomplish the expansion of new space and/or matter again, especially through the actions of humans if we get smart about it.

According to Lurianic Kabbalah, the first hint on how we can accomplish the genesis of new space occurs is in the Book of Genesis. In the Creation Week, G-d tells us that He causes the genesis of creation with “tzimtzum.” Tzimtzum is the Hebrew word for expansion, contraction, and/or separation, which may be how we can expand the universe. What works for Hashem also works for us: But only if we use the holy language. Any scientist seeking understanding should look to the creation account in Genesis. I would say it should be thought of as an inspired "How to" manual.

6th Craig - a comment made to Rabbi Aaron Moss @ Chabad.org

I talked to a very nice laid back Rabbi. I informed him that my ancestry goes back to Edom, as in the Middle Ages Jews referred to the kings of these times as Edom. He was nice and didn’t turn me away. We both agreed that Edom did have righteous men. Without correction I mentioned that the names of people in Torah are like chemical formulas for what these people are like and Zerah is listed among Edom as a chief, while Zerah is also a son of Judah by Tamar. Thus, Zerah is righteous because, "for all your people are righteous (Sanhedrin)." Another example of an Edomite mentioned both as being of Edom and of Israel is Jeush. I would think that the predicted destruction of Edom in the prophets means that those righteous in Edom will either convert (to Judaism) or be slayed.
Craig Hamilton
Sandwich

4th Craig: Testimony: My Journey to Judaism

1:1 I am not sure what began my journey to Judaism. Perhaps, it was when I questioned my mother about some Orthodox Jews rocking back and forth as a child, and I asked her what they were doing. My mom's response was that they were, "Retarded." Then, later I saw another rocking back and forth on a train from the state of MA to the state of PA, and after observing him, I concluded that he was not retarded. Now I was interested: Why had my mom told me someone was retarded when clearly this was not a sign of retardation!

1:2 Or maybe it was some of the last words of my grandmother on my mom's side I know when she stated that she believe good deeds are the only way to get to heaven. That much made sense. I agreed with her, and never paid much attention to what was said in church, all the while believing good deeds where the way to heaven, which turned out not to be entirely true.

1:3 After having a rough break up with a woman at college, I gave up being good. Being good seemed to get me nowhere, so I was to stop being good and pursue evil. My life then got worse, until Gd spoke to me, “I never thought you would get so far. I AM punishing you!” My response was, “Why are you punishing me (believe me I wanted to know because I needed some relief or I would die)?” Then, the voice said, “I get everyone sooner or later.” I have written elsewhere the rest of the story.

1:4 The one thing I was missing when I was doing good deeds when I was younger is that I was not cleaving to Him. The deeds were empty and cold. Faith is like the fire that warms one from the cold in religion. If you do go deeds and have no faith, then I believe you are missing out on some of the greatness Gd has to offer through the world. So, my advice is to cleave to Him, the Almighty God, and let him provide for you because He will do that if you observe all of His commands.

1:5 In addition, I have met several Jews that attracted me to the religion, simply because they were extra nice to me, especially in hard times. One of them lived on my floor at College. Several others have given me medical care. None have tried to sell me on the religion. However, at some point most have said, "I am a Jew." In addition, there was also a Jewish chatroom on AOL that I frequented.

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 us to do His will; that we wrestle to understand His ways.  He longs for all of us to choose Him.  He wants for us to hearken to His Voice.  He desires for us to love Him, everyone from the most pious king to the lowly worm.