Yesterday was Yom HaShoah. A lot of ink has been spilled about the propriety of having holocaust remembrance day during the month of Nissan, when certain Minhagim with respect to Aveilus are forbidden. For example, no Hespedim are allowed during any funerals held during this month. How important is this Halacha? Well, it seems to be observed more in the breach. I rarely go to a funeral during Nissan which does not include Hespedim even by the most right wing of Rabbanim or Roshei Yeshiva. It is usually accompanied by a preface to the effect of: “We’re not supposed to give Hespedim during Nissan, but I feel I must say some Divrei Shevach about the Niftar.” And then comes the Hespid.
But when it comes to Yom HaShoah it’s quite another story. “The Chutzpah of the Godless Medinah!” “Making a holocaust remembrance day during Nissan!” That’s the typical refrain from those who refuse to observe it.
It is true that most Charedim have enough sensitivity to not make any public Macha’ah. But privately... words of scorn for those who chose that day to remember the holocaust. “Those Reshaim... How dare they!” ...is kind of the attitude.
In my view the real reason for heaping all this scorn has little to do with making that day during the month of Nissan. I believe it is an almost innate hatred of the
It doesn’t much matter any more that 27 Nissan is the chosen day. It too, can be prefaced by “I know it we aren’t supposed to have any Hespedim in Nissan.” Holocaust survivors deserve a unique day to remember the holocaust. This is the day chosen by a national government of Jews ...for Jews... to observe. And everyone needs to respect it. That is the reality now. Holocaust survivors deserve at least that much from those of us who weren’t there.
But there are other reasons cited for the inappropriateness of the day chosen. Much has been made of the fact that it was based on the Warsaw Ghetto uprising. The accusation is that it celebrates the “Kochi V’Otzem Yodi” mentality of a Godless Israeli government. It reflects the attitude that all military accomplishments are achieved through “the strength of my own hand”, implying a lack of Divine participation. I’m sure there is some truth to that. Many of the founding fathers of the State were in fact anti-religious. But that should not diminish the importance of fighting back with all means at one’s disposal for survival... as was the case with the Warsaw Ghetto uprising or even the partisans who fought with the Nazis underground.
Jews need to be disabused of the notion that they went to the slaughter like sheep. This is in fact an image many people have of those long lines of Jews walking quietly to their deaths in the Nazi the gas chambers in places like Auschwitz. The Warsaw Ghetto uprising is the antithesis of that and it is an important event to be remembered. Using it as the date for Yom HaShoah is quite appropriate in my view.
Many would disagree and say, no. Judaism is not about violent resistance but about martyrdom for Torah. The true Tachlis of every Jew is to remain loyal to Torah U’Mitzvos. Violence is for Cossacks, not for Jews. This, they say is yet another reason to protest using the Warsaw Ghetto uprising as a focal point of Yom HaShoah. (...although one would be hard pressed to say that Judaism is not about violence with all the violent bickering going on in the Torah world today. But that is another issue.)
But I would argue that this is not so. Fighting for one’s physical existence is not only permitted, it is required. Martyrdom comes when we are given alternatives: Violate Halacha or die! That’s when one should be a martyr. But when one’s life is threatened as it most certainly was at the Warsaw Ghetto uprising one is required to resist. Standing meekly while Nazis bulldoze your city and then round you up for the gas chambers is in no way a mandate for us. Certainly not in the face of certain annihilation as was the case during the holocaust. Those who say otherwise, well... they were just not there. They are theorizing at the expense of the victims and the survivors.
This subject always comes up this time of year for obvious reason. And opposition to Yom HaShoah needs to be put to bed. That this day is not as appropriate as another day might have been, is beside the point.
This is their day now, and we ought to honor it. In my view choosing other days such as Asarah B’Teves does a disservice to the many survivors who now see this as their day. And as long as there is still one survivor alive that sees meaning in this day we ought to stand up for him or her. And it matters not how religious or irreligious they are. They are all holy.
That said, the holocaust should not be the focus of Judaism. On the contrary, Judaism is not about the holocaust. It is about Torah and Mitzvos. And that should be the focus of our lives. But the holocaust should not be ignored or forgotten. It is a seminal tragedy as are other tragedies of great magnitude throughout Jewish history. The Chuban Beis HaMikdash is considered the most tragic. And indeed the deaths occurring during that period were many in number. As a percentage of the total, perhaps it was the greatest. But in terms of sheer numbers I think it is well established that the greatest number of Jewish deaths occurred during the holocaust. And tortures? Many people say that the entirety of the Tochecha was experienced by the Jews of Europe.
Whether this day should forever remain the day of observance is a question for posterity. I should not be debated now. Perhaps someday it can be folded into Tisha B’Av along with all other tragedies that befell us. But for now, to make even the mildest protest is a Chilul HaShem of major proportion in my view.
