Rumania Orders Re-trial of Organizers of Massacre of 10,000 Jews in Jassy

http://archive.jta.org/article/1945/08/08/2867850/rumania-orders-retrial-of-organizers-of-massacre-of-10000-jews-in-jassy
August 8, 1945


Rumania Orders Re-trial of Organizers of Massacre of 10,000 Jews in Jassy

Bucharest, Aug. 7 (JTA) –

A re-trial of these charged with responsibility for the anti-Jewish pogrom in Jassy in 1941 in which 10,000 Jews were massacred, was ordered today by the central authorities, following the presentation of evidence by the public prosecutor that the pogrom was carried out according to a plan prepared by the chiefs of the Rumanian Army.



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"Rumania Orders Re-trial of Organizers of Massacre of 10,000 Jews in Jassy." Jewish Telegraphic Agency 8 Aug 1945.

Forty Jewish Boys, Survivors of Oswiecim Camp, Placed in Swiss Hospital by Red Cross

http://archive.jta.org/article/1945/08/08/2867854/forty-jewish-boys-survivors-of-oswiecim-camp-placed-in-swiss-hospital-by-red-cross
August 8, 1945


Forty Jewish Boys, Survivors of Oswiecim Camp, Placed in Swiss Hospital by Red Cross

Berne, Aug. 7 (JTA) –

Forty Jewish boys, survivors of the notorious German extermination camp of Oswiecim were brought here by the Red Cross and placed in the Tiefenau Hospital, a municipal institution situated five miles from Berne, where they are receiving care and attention of Swiss physicians and nurses.



All are suffering from tuberculosis. Physicians say it will take from two to three years before some of them will be well. Deep in the flesh of the arms of each of the boys, the Germans burned the number of the camp in which they were held. All lack clothing, shirts and shoes. One of the boys, Wolf Factor, says that his dead father was a cousin of Max Factor, Hollywood cosmetic manufacturer.



"I am the only survivor of our entire family," he told the correspondent of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency." My mother and sister were executed in a gas chamber in Oswiecim and cremated in the camp there. My father was shot by the Germans in Lodz."



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"Forty Jewish Boys, Survivors of Oswiecim Camp, Placed in Swiss Hospital by Red Cross." Jewish Telegraphic Agency 8 Aug 1945.

Aged Jewish General Who Defied the Nazis in Vienna Returns Home from Theresienstadt

http://archive.jta.org/article/1945/08/08/2867852/aged-jewish-general-who-defied-the-nazis-in-vienna-returns-home-from-theresienstadt
August 8, 1945


Aged Jewish General Who Defied the Nazis in Vienna Returns Home from Theresienstadt

Vienna, Aug. 7 (JTA) –

Major Gen. Emil von Sommer, a famous Jewish general of the old Austro-Hungarian Empire, who for long was believed to have been executed by the Nazis, has reappeared in Vienna to take up his life again. The general and his wife returned to Vienna from the former concentration camp at Theresienstadt, Czechoslovakia.



(Gen. Von Sommer, a few days after the Anschluss, in March 12, 1938, created something of a world sensation by the course of action he took when Nazi storm troopers called at his home and ordered him to report immediately for compulsory street cleaning work. Asking permission to change his clothes, he appeared in a few minutes in his full general's uniform, wearing all of his medals, and announced he was then ready to wield shovel and broom. The party of stormetroopers, shamed and apparently unwilling to degrade the general's uniform, saluted and retired.)



Still vigorous at the age of 75, Gen. von Sommer has apparently largely recovered from the effects of his confinement. Both he and his wife told the J.T.A. correspondent they hopefully anticipate an opportunity eventually to migrate to the United States to join their daughter, Mrs. Ellen Fryer, of Middleborough, Mass. Her husband is a physician of the Lakeville State Sanatorium in that town. A son is a physician in the French Congo.



Like all survivors of that camp, Gen. von Sommer and his wife recall with vivid emotion the horrors of their experiences there. "We don't know how we escaped death," his wife said. "We would be among those selected to be sent to the gas chambers in Poland, and then-there would be a change in plans. That was a miracle that happened again and again."



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"Aged Jewish General Who Defied the Nazis in Vienna Returns Home from Theresienstadt." Jewish Telegraphic Agency 8 Aug 1945.

Shimon HaTzadik was of the remnants (last members) of the Great Assembly

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Chapter 1: Mishna 2: Part 3






Shimon HaTzakik was of the remnants (last members) of the Great Assembly. He used to say: On three things the world stands. On Torah, on Service of G-d, and on deeds of kindness.



After understanding the concept of the pillars upon which the world stands, we can now better understand the Gemara in Sanhedrin (74a) that teaches us: There are three cardinal sins in Judaism that require "yeihareig v'al ya'avor," give up your life rather than violate. The three are:



1. "Avodah zarah" -- Idol worship;

2. "Giylui arayoth" -- Incestuous sexual relations and adultery;

3. "Shfichuth damim" -- Murder. Why should these three specific sins require one to forfeit his life (while in the rest of the Torah we have a principle (Vayikra 18:5) "v'chai bahem," that the Mitzvoth are given in order to live, and if they lead to death, G-d's preference is that they be violated -- Sanhedrin 74a, Yoma 85a)?



Each of these three sins is the polar opposite of one of the three pillars upon which the existence of the world stands.



"Avodah Zarah" is obviously the opposite of "Avodah." Rather than devoting himself to service of the Creator, he devotes himself to service of false gods and values.



"Sfichuth damim," where one KILLS another human being, depriving him of his most basic possession, his life, is obviously the polar opposite of "gemiluth chassadim" where one gives of himself and his possessions to another, something which he is not required to do.



"Giylui arayoth" is the polar opposite of Torah. Sexual impropriety is man behaving in his most animalistic form, deviating from his humanity, while Torah is the elevation of man's humanity to the Divine. The Torah considers the fundamental source of sexual deviance to be the animal and material side of man (the "chomer") which is illustrated by the type of sacrifice a woman suspected of adultery must bring. (Instead of wheat, which is considered human food, she brings barley, which is the food of animals. See Bamidbar 5:15 and Sotah 9a.) Chazal also see an allusion to the abdication of intellectual control that accompanies any sin, but particularly one of a sexual nature, in the verse (Bamidbar 5:12) "Ki thisteh..." which introduces the crime of adultery. The word "thisteh" has at its root "shoteh" which means a fool, devoid of intelltual clarity, indicating that it is a loss of the intellect, the indentifying trait of man over an animal, that precedes submission to sexu al temptation. Sexual deviation, an act emanating from the purely materialistic side of man, stands in direct opposition to Torah, which embodies the most intellectual/spiritual side of man.

Man's entire being depends on the existence of the three foundations of the world. Since each of these three sins undermines one of those foundations, violating any one of them would be man destroying his own existence. His violation would be simply another form of death (a classic lose-lose situation...). So the preference is that he leave this world without sinning, rather than "leave the world" through sin. Yeihareig -- he should (passively) allow himself to be killed -- v'lo ya'avor -- and he should not actively violate a prohibition that undermines his entire existence.




From the above we understand why the "dor hamabul," the generation of Noach that was destroyed by the flood, was not destroyed until they had committed all three of these cardinal sins, thereby undermining every aspect and justification of their existence. Chazal teach us (Sanhedrin 57a) on the verse (Breishith 6:11) "Vatishacheit ha'aretz lifnei Ha'Elokim," -- the land was "destroyed" before G-d -- that the word "hashchatha" refers to sexual deviance and idol worship. (See Devarim 4:17 and Breishith 6:12.) Here was the undermining of two pillars of the world, Torah and Avodah. In addition, there was "gezel," robbery, as it is written "vatimalei ha'aretz chamas." This is the opposite of "gemiluth chassadim." Rather than giving someone from your resources, you take his resources for yourself.

When the generation had uprooted all three foundations of the world's existence, through behaviour that contradicted them, there was no means of support for the world, and destruction resulted.



There is one seeming inconsistency which needs to be explained. Earlier we stated that the opposite of gemiluth chassadim was murder, while here we have stated that it is robbery.



When the Torah speaks about the society undermining the foundation of gemiluth chassadim, this refers to robbery. When we speak about the individual opposing that foundation, it refers to murder. It is impossible to have the ENTIRE society undermine the foundation of gemiluth chassadim through murder, for this would be an overt destruction of that society, and the Torah describes an existing society involved in underming that foundation of the world. It must refer to a less serious activity that also stands in opposition to gemiluth chassadim, which would be robbery. It is very possible for the entire society to be involved in robbery, where everyone is stealing from everyone else, and this is the only way that the entire society can be undermining that foundation. The INDIVIDUAL's action which stands in direct opposition to that foundation, however, is the complete destruction of another, murder.



(A note should be added here about a seeming inconsistency in the discussions about the verses in Breishith 6:11 and 13. The Torah writes that the earth was filled with "chamas." The halachic definition of chamas refers to a person FORCING another to SELL him one of his possessions, paying full price for it. "Gezel," robbery, is when one takes the object without compensating the owner; chamas is when one takes the object while providing compensation. (See Bava Kama 62a.) So it is difficult to understand how Rashi comments on verse 11, which states that the world was filled with "chamas." by explaining that it means "gezel." They are two very different activities! And in his explanation of our Mishna, the Maharal, too, seems to ignore the very real difference between the two crimes.

(The Maharal, in "Gur Aryeh," his commmentary on Rashi, raises the question and provides a wonderful and precise answer. It is unlikely that the members of the society were so meticulous as to always pay for the objects that they violently took. They certainly took what they wanted without providing compensation. But since the next day the victim would turn around and steal something else from the person who stole from him, this victim actually did receive compensation. The accepted norm of the society which tolerated robbery ensured that every victim recieved compensation by virtue of his being able to steal from someone else. Every robber ultimately provided compensation to his victim through his own property which was stolen from him. So Rashi is telling us that the "chamas" that was filling the land was actual "gezel" -- on a mass scale.)

The Many Paths to Greatness

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The Many Paths to Greatness






Chapter 2, Mishna 8



The original version of this class was written shortly after the passing of my beloved teacher and mentor, Rabbi Yaakov Weinberg (HaRav Shmuel Yaakov ben Yitzchok Mattisyahu), former Rosh Yeshiva of Ner Israel Rabbinical College, Baltimore, MD, under whom I studied many years. The class was dedicated in his memory, and I rededicate it to him now as well.



"He [Hillel] used to say: The more flesh [a person possesses], the more worms [will eventually consume him in the grave]; the more property the more worry; the more wives the more witchcraft; the more maidservants the more lewdness; the more slaves the more thievery. The more Torah the more life; the more study the more wisdom; the more advice the more understanding; the more charity the more peace. One who acquires a good name acquires it for himself; one who acquires words of Torah has acquired himself a share in the World to Come."



The theme of our mishna is clear. Many of the things we spend much of our lives attempting to acquire come with a price tag. We often assume that money, status and pleasure will provide us with happiness. The Rabbis tell us that such blessings are mixed at best. They will not last beyond the grave -- and may very well take us there sooner. The more flesh a person accumulates the more food will be provided for the maggots after he goes -- and of course, the greater the chance of health problems and heart disease along the way.



Likewise, the more property the more worries. As I once heard R. Yissachar Frand put it, it matters to him in not at all which direction the prime lending rate goes. (And for better or worse, here I am faithfully following in his footsteps. If you don't have it, at least you don't have to worry about losing it.)



Our mishna continues, "the more wives the more witchcraft" -- as each wife will attempt to place hexes (magical or otherwise) on her husband's affections. In the language of the Mishna and Talmud, co-wives are referred to as enemies or competitors (tsaros). (And of course, this is not limited to co-wives. The more a wife (or a husband) senses her spouse's affections are not for her alone, the weaker the bond of matrimony and the less harmonious the resulting relationship. Let's just call it a very uncomfortable situation if a husband appears to have better chemistry with his secretary or the neighbor's wife -- even if nothing serious will ever result from it.) Even though polygamy was not forbidden by the Torah, it was never ordinarily practiced in Israel. It has been under an almost universal ban authored by Rabbeinu Gershom of Germany since the early 11th Century.

To sum, most of the pleasures this world has to offer provide very little by way of long-term satisfaction. King Solomon wrote, "One who loves money will never be satisfied with money" (Koheles 5:9), and likewise advises, "Do not give your strength to women" (Proverbs 31:3). Pursuit of wealth and pleasure does not ensure happiness. It will only increase a person's insatiable appetite for gratification. As we know, Judaism does not preach poverty or self-deprivation. We pray to G-d daily for livelihood and physical well-being. And we offer a blessing G-d for pleasures we are granted. Yet one who sees pleasure as an end goal rather than a means will be destined to a life of frustration, aggravation, and unsatisfied cravings.




Our mishna then turns to spiritual pursuits, stating that these are not only worthy and earn us our share in the hereafter, but they increase life, peace and happiness in this world as well.



It is worthwhile to note the contrast between this list and the previous. One might think many of the examples here would cause much of the same aggravation as the earlier examples. The commentator R. Yonah observes that Torah study is in itself a very stressful undertaking, especially for one who insists on full comprehension and clarity in his studies. The Talmud writes that a person acquires the Torah only through suffering (Brachos 5a). Likewise, the Ruach Chaim (commentary) points out that one might feel giving charity will drain his resources, forcing him to deny himself his pleasures and comforts. To such concerns our mishna writes that these will in fact result in just the opposite -- increasing life and peace. No harm will befall one who "stresses himself out" in Torah study or who overextends himself just a bit through the giving of charity (both within reason, of course).



Lastly, as R. Yonah observes, a good name one acquires for himself, carrying it with him or her beyond the grave. This stands in direct contrast to wealth which we spend our lifetimes amassing -- quite possibly only to have it fall into the hands of others.

"One who increases study increases wisdom:" My teacher R. Weinberg, may his memory be a blessing, once pointed out to me that some editions of our mishna have a different reading: "One who increases wisdom increases studying" (same words, opposite order). This rather cryptic phrase is understood by R. Yonah to mean that a teacher or yeshiva (rabbinical academy) that provides more advanced and intellectually-stimulating lectures will attract more students. Thus, the higher the level of wisdom, the more students and the more Torah study will result.




R. Weinberg pointed out to me that many yeshivas today base their curriculum on this premise. The subject matter taught is generally of the most intellectually-stimulating sort -- all in the interests of attracting the most students and the greatest minds. Thus, many beginner yeshivas encourage their students -- who have nowhere near mastered Hebrew and more basic Jewish texts -- to begin Talmud study (along with its Aramaic vocabulary and its terse, scholarly style). And likewise, in more advanced yeshivas, the students are encouraged to delve into the most intense and intricate topics of a new volume of the Talmud after studying approximately one page of the volume. Rather than having the students first patiently and painstakingly master the entire volume, they jump into the glamorous stuff right away, even venturing to put forth their own novel interpretations of topics they've hardly been introduced to. And last, yeshivas generally study the volumes of the Talmud with the greatest scholarly potential, rather than more basic volumes which every practicing Jew should really study (such as Tractate Brachos on daily prayer and blessings and Tractate Shabbos on Sabbath observance).



The reason for all this is simple enough: People today lack the patience to really roll up their sleeves and work their way from the bottom up. If they were expected to, they would never go beyond the frustrating earlier stages and grow to appreciate our tradition for what it is. And so, we provide them with the nifty exciting stuff well before they're really ready -- for otherwise they would leave the yeshiva for greener pastures before their education ever got off the ground.

The case can also be made that there is a historical basis for this phenomenon. In the 19th century many other political, social and intellectual movements were vying for talented Jewish youth (Communism, Socialism, Haskala, Zionism, etc.). It was also a time in which universities began permitting the attendance of Jewish students in number (although quotas generally existed until quite recently). Yeshivas therefore felt a greater need to project a more scholarly, academic image and to demonstrate -- quite correctly -- that the Torah provides every bit as formidable and challenging an outlet for Jewish creativity.




But R. Weinberg added an important word of advice. Curiously, even an institution so sacred to Judaism as the yeshiva has a reactionary tinge to it. The curriculum has been devised in response to competing outside forces. And although there were valid grounds for this and the system is doing quite well as it is, we should never feel that the current approach is the one and only, the only true path to salvation. In fact, my teacher mentioned, he's found that the people who have really made it big were the ones to see through the conventional and stake out their own path. As always, it's the non-conformists who truly succeed. They are the ones who see through the limitations of an industrial-strength, one-size-fits-all educational system, discover their own star, and follow it.



And this is something we would all do well to keep in mind. As in many areas of Judaism, there is no one single, correct way. We should not feel we must conform to everyone else and adopt the identical study regimen in order to succeed. Nor should we just follow the beaten path, dressing and acting in ways which appear fashionable without really fathoming just what is right for our own souls. I find so many beginners who just assume that the more uncomfortable the dress of a Jewish group is, the closer to G-d its adherents must be. But our religious practice must not consist of looking over our shoulders, attempting to adopt the customs and practices of those who appear to have made it. Rather, we must know what is most conducive to our own religious growth -- at every stage of our development.

Even in the hallowed study halls of our yeshivas there must be much room for individuality, for each student to discover the path most beneficial for him. For no single educational system, no matter how effective, can be tailor-made for the needs of every individual. For we at times must mass-produce education and social standards, but we can never mass-produce the path to greatness.